1. Climate Family Climographs & Locations
Developed by
Joe Naumann

2. A family of climates - Tropical
Warm all months
Diurnal temperature range is usually greater than the range of average monthly temperatures.
Seasons based on precipitation, not on temperature.
Differences in typical vegetation is based on differences of available precipitation.

3. Climograph – Af (Tropical Rainforest)

4. Tropical Rainforest Map

5. Am – Tropical Monsoon
Not given on many maps – often combined with the tropical rainforest (Af)
Temperatures are very similar to Af
Precipitation differs: there is a short dry season that is long enough to allow some deciduous trees to be part of the forest.

6. Tropical Monsoon Climate

7. Climograph – Aw (tropical Savanna)

8. Savanna Locations

9. B Family – Dry Climates
The most important characteristic is the insufficiency of precipitation for any kind of continuous vegetation cover.
Precipitation is also usually unreliable.
Temperatures are usually not considered
High altitude & high latitude deserts (Bwk)
High altitude & high latitude steppe (Bsk)
Low latitude deserts (Bwh)
Low latitude steppe (Bsh)
Temperatures – k = cold & h = hot

10. Climograph – BW (Desert – Arid)

11. Desert Locations

12. Climagraph – Bs (Steppe or Semiarid)

13. Steppe (Semi-arid) Locations

14. C Family – 4 season temperate
All members have four distinct seasons based primarily on temperature differences
The receive enough precipitation to support some type of forest vegetation (Maquis of the Mediterranean is the result of human action of long ago – deforestation by the Romans)
Summers can be very hot, but winters are mild compared to those of the D climates.

15. C Family of Climates

16. Climagraph – Cfa (Humid subtropical)
St. Louis is near the northern border of Cfa

17. Climagraph – Cs (Mediterranean)

18. Climagraph – Cfb (Marine West Coast)

19. D Family – Humid Continental
The continental influence results in seasonal temperature extremes
Four seasons, but the summer gets shorter and cooler as one progresses from Dfa to Dfd.
Found in the higher latitudes; therefore, there are none in the southern hemisphere. There are no huge continental landmasses in those latitudes in the southern hemisphere.
Sufficient precipitation to support some type of forest vegetation.

20. D Family of Climates

21. Climagraph – Dfa (Humid Continental – hot summer)
St. Louis is near the southern border of Dfa

22. Climograph – Dfb (Humid Continental – cold winter)

23. Dfc or Dfd -- Siberia

24. Moving north into Canada colder D climates
Dfc
Dfd – coldest of the D family
D climates found in Asia, particularly Siberia (w stands for dry winter)
Dwa
Dwb
Dwc
Dwd

25. E Family – Polar climates
Here the temperatures do not get warm enough to provide a reasonable growing season. Available precipitation is insufficient to support any type of forest.
The ET climate (tundra) does support grasses, herbaceous plants, mosses, and lichens in the few months that might avearge above freezing.
The EF climates never have average temperatures above freezing, so there is no vegetation.

26. Climagraph – ET (Subarctic)

27. Tundra Locations

28. Permafrost

29. EF - Permanent Ice and Snow
Glacial areas such as mountain glaciers or continental glaciers (Antarctica & Greenland)
No vegetation or permanent human habitation.

30. EF climate