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Warm Temperate, Cold Snow Forest and Polar Climate

Warm Temperature (Mid-Latitude) Climates

It is found primarily on the eastern and western borders of continents and ranges in latitudes from 30 to 50 degrees.

Summers are hot and winters are pleasant in these climates.

Types of Warm Temperate (Mid-Latitude)

  1. Mediterranean Climate:
    • It is found in subtropical latitudes between 30° and 40° latitudes. It surrounds the Mediterranean Sea and along the west coasts of Central California, Central Chile, and the coasts of southeastern and southwestern Australia, to name a few.
    • These places are affected by subtropical highs in the summer and westerly winds in the winter.
    • The summers are hot and dry, and the winters are moderate and rainy.
  • The monthly average temperature in summer is around 25° C and in winter it is below 10°C.
  • The annual precipitation varies from  35cm to 90 cm.Humid Subtropical Climate: 
  • It is found on the continent’s east side in subtropical latitudes. 
  • The air masses in this region are often unstable, resulting in rainfall all through the year.
  • They can be found in the eastern regions of the United States, south and east parts of China, southern areas of Japan, north-eastern Argentina, coastal South Africa, and Australia’s eastern coast.
  • Precipitation: Annual precipitation ranges between 75 and 150 cm.
  • Summer thunderstorms and winter frontal showers are typical.
  • Temperature: In the summer, the average monthly temperature is around 27°C, while in the winter, it ranges from 5° to 12° C.
  • The temperature range is minor on a daily basis.

  1. Marine West Coast Climate:

  • It is located on the west coast of the continents and poleward to the Mediterranean climate.
  • Northwestern Europe, the west coast of North America, north of California, southern Chile, south-eastern Australia, and New Zealand are the regions involved.
  • Temperature: The temperature is moderate. It is warmer in the winter than it should be according to its latitude. In the summer, the mean temperature ranges from 15°- 20°C, and in the winter, it ranges from 4°-10°C. Temperature variations are modest on an annual and daily basis.
  • Precipitation: It occurs all year long and ranges from 50 to 250 cm.

Cold Snow Forest Climate: 

It is found in the northern hemisphere’s broad continental areas between 40° and 70° north latitudes in Europe, Asia, and North America. In higher latitudes, the severity of winter is more evident.

There are two types of Cold Snow Forest Climate:

  1. Cold climate with humid winters: 

  • This climate can be found poleward to the coastal west coast climate and in the mid-latitude steppe.
  • Winters are bitterly cold and snowy.
  • The frost-free season is only a few weeks long.
  • Temperature variations are considerable over the course of the year.
  • The weather shifts quickly and dramatically.
  • Winters get harsher as it gets closer to the poles.

  1. Cold Climate with Dry Winters: 

  • Regions: This climate is found primarily in North-Eastern Asia.
  • In this location, the development of a strong winter anticyclone and its subsequent weakening in the summer results in a monsoon-like wind reversal.
  • Summer temperatures are lower and winter temperatures are particularly low in poleward locations, with several locations experiencing temperatures below the freezing point for up to seven months a year.
  • Precipitation: It occurs during the summer, with yearly precipitation ranging between 12 and 15 cm.

Polar Climates

It is found north to 70 degrees latitude.

There are two sorts of polar climates:

  1. Climate of the Tundra:

  • The tundra climate is named after the low-growing mosses, lichens, and blooming plants that flourish there.
  • Permafrost is a type of frost in which the subsoil is permanently frozen. Only low-growing plants can thrive due to the short growing season and waterlogging.
  • The tundra regions have a particularly lengthy daylight duration in the summer.

  1. Ice Cap Climate:

  • This type of climate can be found in the interiors of Greenland and Antarctica.
  • Even in the summer, the temperature remains below freezing.
  • Precipitation: There is extremely little precipitation in this location.
  • The snow and ice accumulate, and the increasing pressure forces the ice sheets to bend and break.
  • They drift in the Arctic and Antarctic waters as icebergs.
  • This climate is prominent in Plateau Station, Antarctica, 79°S.

  1. Highland Climates:

  •  Highland climates are influenced by topography.
  • Large fluctuations in average temperature happen over short distances in high mountains.
  • The type and intensity of precipitation vary over the highlands.
  • In the mountain environment, there is a vertical zonation of climatic types stacking with elevation.

Conclusion

Warm Temperate, Cold Snow Forest and Polar Climate have different characteristics in terms of temperature, precipitation and tree cover. All of these have importance of their own and supports a wide variety of living creatures including human beings.