TundraTundra WeatherWeather

Climate and Weather: Winter The Tundra biome is one of the most cold and harshest climates in the world. The dry/cold conditions make the Tundra a desert-like climate. In the Siberian Tundra area the temperature in winter averages between -40F and as low as -93F. In other parts of the Tundra like Asia, and Canada temperatures average in winter about -20F. In the Pacific Ocean area of the Tundra the weather is more mild and the temperature averages 30F.

Climate and Weather: Summer The summers in the tundra are mild and only last 6 to 10 weeks. The average temperatures are about 45F. The warmer summers are in Canada and Siberia where temperatures are around 60F. The warmest month is in July where the temp gets to 60F.

DaylightDaylight In the summer the sun shines almost 24 hours a day. The tundra has been called “the land of the midnight sun”. In the winter the sun barely rises and it is dark most of the day

Barometric Pressure There are two different areas of the Tundra that have low air pressure which cause significant storms. The first is the Aluetian Low which is in eastern Siberia and extends to the Gulf of Alaska. This low pressure causes winter storms. The other low pressure is the Icelandic low which goes from central Canada to parts of North Atlantic Ocean. These storms travel from the northwest to the southwest.

Weather’s effect on the environment One of the unique features of the tundra is permafrost. Permafrost is ground that is permanently frozen. It results in ground that has no cracks or pores and nothing can penetrate it-not even water or plant roots. Another term for this part of the ground is the “active layer”.

Weather’s effect on the animals In the northern part of the Tundra the harsh weather climate causes animals to hibernate and migrate and tend to not live there year round. Birds and mammals tend to use it as a “summer home”. Some animals have been able to adapt to the extreme like the brown bear and artic wolf. Bears have adapted to the cold climate by storing food that they eat in the summer to protect them from the coldness of the tundra and to give them energy during winter.

RainfallRainfall Rainfall in many of the far north regions only gets about 6 to 10 inches (including melting snow) annually. Regardless of the Tundra’s low rainfall it may seem very wet on the ground because the moisture evaporates slowly. Summer months in the Tundra has a lot of rain and fog, but rain here is still less than some deserts.

Thanks for watching. Info from: e.htm andhttp://ths.sps.lane.edu/biomes/tundra4/tundr a4c.html Info from: e.htm andhttp://ths.sps.lane.edu/biomes/tundra4/tundr a4c.html