| The Continent of North America is quite a big | | | | Warm Winters and Cool Summers |
| continent. It is very extensive in the North-South | | | | The west cost area below 40 North enjoys a climate |
| direction. . Queen Elizabeth Islands in the extreme North | | | | which is of Mediterranean type. The areas have a |
| are beyond 80 degrees North while the Panama Canal | | | | beautiful warm and sunny summer and a wet and |
| area is less than 10 degrees North of Latitude. This | | | | very mild winter. The cities of San Francisco and Los |
| extensiveness has created many distinct climate types | | | | Angeles in California belong to this group . The region |
| wherein the climatic conditions are more or less | | | | has no extremes of climate. The mean max for the |
| uniform. I shall discuss each of them one by one. | | | | hottest month is 63 F (17 C) at San Francisco and 69 |
| Very Cold Winters and Cold Summers | | | | F (21 C ) at Los Angeles. The winter means being 49 |
| The areas falling under this category are the Northern | | | | F (9 C) and 57 (14 C ) respectively. As typical of |
| parts of Canada and the State of Alaska. These | | | | Mediterranean climate, winter has appreciable rainfall |
| regions are extremely cold in winter with more than six | | | | and summers are warm and very dry indeed. At San |
| months below 32 F ( 0 C) . For instance Mould Bay in | | | | Francisco, four months from June to September have |
| the North-West Territory of Canada has nine and | | | | less than 0.5 in ( 13 mm ) of rainfall while rainfall of June |
| Point Barrow in US both has eight months below zero. | | | | is practically Nil. On the other hand the average of Jan |
| The summers are cold usually less than 41 F ( 5 C) . | | | | is 4 in. (100 mm). Similarly at Los Angeles we find six |
| At point Barrow the hottest month is July with | | | | months from May to October with rainfall less than 0.5 |
| temperature of 40 F ( 4.4 C) at Mould Bay it is also | | | | inch. Such a small amount of rain fall in summer is not |
| July with a temperature of just 38 F ( 3 C ). The rainfall | | | | found any where in North America except in desert |
| is very scanty indeed .Point Barrow records a total | | | | regions which we shall shortly discuss. |
| annual rainfall of just 4.2 in ( 100 mm) and at Mould Bay | | | | Warm Winters and Warm Summers |
| it is 2.6 in ( 65 mm) . The range i.e., the difference in | | | | This climate zone covers a vast area and includes |
| temperatures between the hottest and coldest month | | | | South East United States , coastal Mexico, the |
| is however enormous. At Point barrow it is 57 F at | | | | Caribbean, and Latin America right up to Panama. The |
| Mould Bay it is 70 F. Due to high latitudinal position the | | | | peculiar feature of these areas is high temperature |
| days are very long in summer and nights very short | | | | around 80 F ( 27 C ) throughout the year and heavy |
| while it is other way round in winter. | | | | rainfall through out the year. There is no winter season |
| Cold Winters and Cool Summers | | | | but the summers are not as hot as those of deserts |
| This includes a major part of Canada and North | | | | of North America and Mexico . The temperatures are |
| Central U.S . These have cold winters with cool | | | | uniformly high throughout the year. Miami in Florida for |
| summers . The cities in this region usually have 3 to 6 | | | | example has the coolest month at 68 F ( 20 C) and |
| months below zero and in summer the temperature as | | | | the hottest is 82 (28 C ) thus a range of only 14 is |
| a rule does not rise above 65 F (18 C). The annual rain | | | | there . Compare it with the stations found in the first |
| is moderate and is maximum in summer.. To take | | | | category above. Total annual rainfall for Miami is 60 in. |
| examples, Calgary in Canada has a high temperature | | | | (1600 mm ) which is quite high. Constant high |
| in summer of 62 F ( 17 C) and has five months below | | | | temperature through out the year with high humidity |
| 32 F ( 0 C) and has a total annual rainfall of 17in. (425 | | | | and rainfall makes the climate monotonous . However |
| mm ) with a maxima of 3 in.( 75 mm) in July. Duluth , | | | | since in winter it is a pleasant respite from the cold of |
| Minnesota in US also has five months below zero | | | | the northern states of U.S so it is a popular tourist |
| Celsius and high of 65 F ( 17 C ) in summer. The total | | | | resort. |
| annual rainfall is 26 inches or 650 mm ( showing a | | | | Cool Winters and Warm Summers |
| maximum in June of 4 in or 100 mm). The annual range | | | | The cities of New York, Boston , Philadelphia and |
| of temperature is enormous ; 49 at Calgary and 57 at | | | | Pittsburg etc fall under this category. The winters are |
| Duluth. | | | | quite cool; mean for the coldest month for New York |
| Cold Winters and Warm Summers | | | | and Pittsburg is 31 F (-1 C) . The summer high at both |
| This includes much of the Central United States. As | | | | the places is 74 F (23 C ). The peculiar feature of this |
| the area is very far off from either the Atlantic or the | | | | type of climate is rain throughout the year and |
| Pacific Ocean so it exhibits the typical Continental type | | | | especially in the summer months. Sometimes the high |
| of climate with warm summers and cold winters with | | | | humidity of New York after a heavy downpour in |
| a tendency towards high summer rainfall. Consider for | | | | summer makes the weather quite unpleasant. The |
| example the climate pattern of Chicago. Although it | | | | climate differs from the one with warm winter and |
| has a Jan. mean of 24 F (-4.4 C) which is quite cold | | | | warm summer in the sense that the former has no |
| but has a high of 73 F ( 22 C ) in July -a range of 39 | | | | cold season while this type has a well-defined cold |
| .The total annual rainfall is 40 inches (1000 mm) with a | | | | season with snow but the summers are quite warm. |
| max of 3.5 inch ( 89 mm) . in September. These areas | | | | The winters despite being cold are however saved |
| get bitterly cold air from Canada to the north in winter | | | | from the intensely cold winds of the interior of Canada |
| while in summer there remoteness from the sea rises | | | | due to somewhat moderating influence of the Atlantic |
| the temperatures. | | | | ocean, although the influence is not as great as of the |
| Cool Winters and Cool Summers | | | | Californian coast which enjoys very mild winters. |
| The areas located on the Pacific coastline of Canada | | | | Mild Winters and Hot Summers |
| and North- West US experience this type of Climate. | | | | This climatic regions covers the South Western United |
| In winter when almost whole of Canada is under the | | | | States, and the heart of Mexico . Nowwhere in the |
| influence of very cold wind from the north , the warm | | | | region the summer temperature is less than 90 F (32 |
| pacific current coastline of Canada and Northwestern | | | | C ) and at Death Valley in Arizona temperatures upto |
| coastline of U.S has quite a comfortable winter | | | | 134 F ( 56 C ) have bee recorded. . Indeed these are |
| temperature. Warm current of Pacific Ocean keeps | | | | the hottest places on earth after Sahara. Only Mexico |
| the temperate equable. The typical example is | | | | City is spared the ferocity of heat due its high |
| Vancouver in British Colombia, Canada . Although | | | | elevation other wise whole region bakes in intense |
| Vancouver lies at a Latitude of 60 degrees North but it | | | | sunlight in summer. The rainfall is also very scanty and |
| is amazing that it has no freezing month and the | | | | uncertain. In whole of the region no where does the |
| coldest month is Jan. having a temperature of 36 F (2 | | | | rain fall figure for the year rises above 10 inches ( 250 |
| C ) . The summers are also cool with the temperature | | | | mm ). The population is sparse since it is the most |
| of 64 F (17 C ) in July. The rainfall is abundant with a | | | | inhospitable climate of all in North America. |
| winter maxima as opposed to the continental climate | | | | This in short is an overview of different climatic regions |
| described above. The total annual rainfall for | | | | found in North America . It is not extensive but does |
| Vancouver is 57 inches (1400 mm ) with a maximum | | | | give the reader a general idea about different climates |
| of 9 inches (229mm ) in January. | | | | found in this part of the world. |