Lying east of the Cascade crest, the area around Bonanza Peak is a bit drier than areas to the west. Summers can bring warm temperatures and occasional thunderstorms. Most weather fronts originate in the Pacific Ocean, and travel northeast toward the Cascade Mountains. As fronts approach the North Cascades, they are forced upward by the peaks of the Cascade Range, causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snowfall onto the Cascades (Orographic lift). As a result, the North Cascades experiences high precipitation, especially during the winter months in the form of snowfall. Precipitation runoff from the mountain and meltwater from its glaciers drains to nearby Lake Chelan via Agnes, Company, and Railroad Creeks,