Climates of the United States

Weather Weather – The condition of the Earth’s atmosphere at a given time or place. Affects many human activities such as: The jobs we do Kinds of homes we build Leisure activities Clothes we wear In history weather has affected outcomes of battles and even destroyed civilizations!

Climate Climate – The average weather of a place over a period of 20 to 30 years. There are two main features of a region’s climate: Precipitation – what that falls in the form of rain, sleet, hail, or snow. Temperature

What Affects Climate? There are two main factors that affect a region’s climate: Most important is the region’s distance from the Equator. Regions closer to the Equator tend to be tropical Regions farther away tend to be colder. Altitude – height of the land above sea level. Higher altitudes tend to be cooler than lowlands

Climates of the U.S. The U.S. has 10 major climates. The first climate is the Marine Climate This covers the strip of land from southern Alaska to northern California. AKA the Pacific Northwest. Mild and moist climate Warm summers and cool winters.

Mediterranean Climate Covers most of California Winters are mild and wet Summers are hot and dry Leads to many wildfires during the summer months

Highland Climate Covers the Cascades, Sierra Nevada, and Rocky Mountains Cooler temperatures Climate varies according to altitude

Desert & Steppe Desert Steppe Covers much of the Southwestern U.S. Hot days and cold nights Dry region – little to no rainfall Steppe Covers the Great Plains Region Limited rainfall Hot summers and cold winters

Humid Continental This climate covers from the northern Central Plains to the Northeast More rainfall than the Steppe Mild summers and cold winters

Tropical and Humid Subtropical Covers southern Florida and Hawaii Hot, humid climates Above average rainfall Humid Subtropical Covers southeastern U.S. Warm temperatures and regular rainfall

Tundra and Subarctic Tundra Subarctic Covers northern and western regions of Alaska Cold all year round Subarctic Covers the rest of Alaska Long cold winters Short summers