1. Variations in Canada’s Climate Modified by Mike McCloskey Mother Teresa H.S

2.  Canada has many types of climates but they have been simplified into 3 major ones:  Dry Climates (Canada does have deserts)  Warm/ Moist Climates  Cool/ Moist  Polar Climates (Guess where?? )

3. Canada’s Climate Regions 8.2.1 Demonstrate an understanding of the basic features of Canada’s landscape and climate  identify and locate major climatic regions of Canada  explain the characteristics of Canada’s climatic regions and account for the variation among them

4. Dry Climates amount of evaporation & transpiration may exceed amounts of precipitation some are warm, and some are cool (annual temp. less than 18ºC) characterized by little rain and a huge daily temperature range. Two subgroups, S - semiarid or steppe, and W - arid or desert

5. Osoyoos, British Columbia  Enjoying Canada's driest climate, Osoyoos is the only desert in Canada , with the lowest rainfall, the highest temperatures, and the warmest lakes.  Osoyoos is located in the middle of the Southern Okanagan wine country, whose fine wines match any wines from anywhere, from France to California.

6. Rainfall….  This area receives an average rainfall of less than 20 cm per year. Growth is sparse, and the desert plants and animals of this area are found nowhere else in Canada. Actually, the Pocket Desert is part of the Great Basin Desert, part of the network of deserts that extend southward to the Sonoran Desert in Mexico

7. Vegetation….  In fact, the plants and animals here are the same as those found in the higher elevations of the Mexican portion of this desert. Typical plants found are sagebrush, greasewood, rabbit and antelope bush, and bunch grass.

8. Warm, Moist Climates (Maritime/Marine West Coast) warm, humid summers and mild winters in Humid Middle Latitude Climates land/water differences play a large part these climates have warm, dry summers and cool, wet winters.

9. Cool, Moist Climates (Temperate continental) over 70% of Canada warmest version (humid with warm summers) Subarctic zone (short, cool summer & only 1-3 months over 10ºC) found in the interior regions of large land masses total precipitation is not very high and seasonal temperatures vary widely.

10. Polar Climates very cold and dry Tundra zone and Ice Cap area permanent ice and tundra are always present only about four months of the year have above freezing temperatures

11. Polar Climates continued (High Latitude Climates) Subarctic Tundra Ice Cap

12. Elements of Climate L.O.W.E.R.N Latitude (sunshine) Ocean Currents Winds &Air Masses Elevation: Relief Nearness to Water

13. Bibliography  http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/climate.htm  Canadian Identity (p.31-37)  http://www.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/ritter/geog101/uwsp_ lectures/climates_toc.html  http://www.worldclimate.com/