Cloudburst Mountain is more notable for its steep rise above local terrain than for its absolute elevation.

Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 1,800 meters (5,900 feet) above the Squamish Valley in four kilometers (2.5 miles).

The mountain's toponym was officially adopted December 12, 1939, by the Geographical Names Board of Canada.

[5] Most weather fronts originate in the Pacific Ocean, and travel east toward the Coast Mountains where they are forced upward by the range (Orographic lift), causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snowfall.

As a result, the Coast Mountains experience high precipitation, especially during the winter months in the form of snowfall.