1. Climates of the United States

2. 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!

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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.

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

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

8. 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

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

10. 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

11. 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