On the slopes of Rainier, the melting is something Justin Sackett has noticed over his five years as a guide. Climbing season on the mountain generally runs from April to late September, Sackett said.

Mount Rainier is about 60 miles from downtown Seattle and rises to 14,411 feet in elevation. An active stratovolcano, it is the highest mountain in Washington state and a staple of the Cascades.

A video of a cloud forming over Mount Rainier on Wednesday morning elicited cries of the coming apocalypse, or worse, an end to the Seattle Mariners’ playoff hopes.

SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners baseball team is giving back in the form of the brand-new Rainier Playfield. The Mariners and the All-Star Legacy project held a grand opening Saturday morning.