Continental climate: Difference between revisions
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{{mergefrom|continentality|discuss=Talk:continental climate#Merger proposal|date=August 2009}} |
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{{refimprove|date=November 2007}} |
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'''Continental climate''' is a [[climate]] that is characterized by winter [[temperature]]s cold enough to support a fixed period of [[snow]] cover each [[year]], and relatively moderate [[precipitation (meteorology)|precipitation]] occurring mostly in summer, although east coast areas (chiefly in [[North America]]) may show an even distribution of precipitation. |
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Regions containing a continental climate exist in portions of the [[Northern Hemisphere]] [[continents]] (especially North America<ref>{{cite web|title=Continental Climate|url=http://www.ace.mmu.ac.uk/eae/climate/Older/Continental_Climate.html|work=Encyclopedia of the Atmospheric Environment|publisher=[[Manchester Metropolitan University]]}}</ref> and [[Asia]]), and also at higher elevations in other parts of the [[world]]. |
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Only a few areas in [[Iran]], adjacent [[Turkey]], [[Afghanistan]], [[Pakistan]], and [[Central Asia]] show a winter maximum in precipitation, and this typically melts in early spring to give short-lived [[floods]]. |
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These regions generally have either [[forest]] or tall-grass [[prairie]] as natural ground cover and include some of the most productive [[farmland]]s in the world. All such climates have at least three months of temperatures in excess of {{convert|10|C|lk=on}} and winters with at least one month below -3C (26.6F) or 0C (32F) depending on the classification used. |
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{|class=wikitable |
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!colspan=9|<big>Average temperature ranges</big> |
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!rowspan=3|season |
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!colspan=4|day-time temperature range |
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!colspan=4|night-time temperature range |
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!colspan=2|Maximum |
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!colspan=2|Minimum |
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!colspan=2|Maximum |
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!colspan=2|Minimum |
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!°F |
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!°C |
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!°F |
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!°C |
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!°F |
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!°C |
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!°F |
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!°C |
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|- |
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!summer |
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|{{convert|90|F|disp=table}} |
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|{{convert|70|F|disp=table}} |
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|{{convert|65|F|disp=table}} |
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|{{convert|50|F|disp=table}} |
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|- |
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!winter |
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|{{convert|45|F|disp=table}} |
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|{{convert|10|F|disp=table}} |
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|{{convert|25|F|disp=table}} |
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|{{convert|-10|F|disp=table}} |
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|} |
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Spring-like temperatures occur in this zone between early March in the southern parts of this zone to mid April in the far northern fringes of this climate zone. Annual precipitation in this zone is usually between {{convert|24|in}} to {{convert|48|in}}, most of it in the form of snow during winter. |
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Most such areas fit [[Köppen climate classification|Köppen classifications]] of '''Dfa''', '''Dwa''' (cold winters, hot summers; "w" indicating very dry winters characteristic especially of China) or '''Dfb''' or '''Dwb''' (cold winters, warm summers, same distinction for winter dryness). [[Continental Mediterranean climate|Dry summer continental climates]] with significant winter precipitation maxima ('''Dsa''' and '''Dsb''') only exist in highland areas above [[Mediterranean climate]]s. |
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Continental climates exist where cold air masses infiltrate during the winter and warm air masses form in summer under conditions of high sun and long days. Places with continental climates are as a rule either far from any moderating effects of oceans (examples: [[Omaha, Nebraska]], USA and [[Kazan, Russia]]) or are so situated that prevailing winds tend to head offshore (example: [[Boston, Massachusetts]], USA; [[Vladivostok, Russia]]). Such regions get quite warm in the summer, achieving temperatures characteristic of tropical climates but are much colder than any other climates of similar latitude in the winter. |
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These climates grade off toward [[subtropical climate]]s equator-ward where winters are less severe and [[semiarid climate]]s where precipitation becomes inadequate for tall-grass prairies. In Europe these climates may grade off into [[oceanic climate]]s in which the influence of moderating air masses is more marked toward the west. The [[subarctic climate]] (Köppen: '''Dfc'''), with very cold, long and dry winters, but with at least one month above {{convert|10|C}}, might be considered a sub-type of the continental climate. |
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Example of areas of the world with continental climate are the [[Midwest|Midwestern United States]], northeastern parts of the US, southern [[Canada]], parts of [[China]], inland areas of [[Spain]] , [[Korea]], northern [[Japan]], most of [[Russia]], parts of [[Norway]], [[Sweden]], inner parts of [[Turkey]], eastern [[Poland]], [[Czech Republic]], [[Austria]], [[Slovakia]], [[Hungary]], [[Romania]], [[Moldova]], [[Ukraine]], [[Armenia]], [[Belarus]], [[Lithuania]], [[Latvia]], [[Estonia]] and [[Finland]]. Continental climates do not exist in the Southern Hemisphere due to the lack of broad land masses at middle latitudes, the southernmost parts of Africa and Australia being under marine influences and southern South America being too narrow in breadth to allow cold air masses to form. [[Antarctica]] lies completely outside the middle latitudes. |
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==See also== |
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*[[Microthermal|Microthermal climate]] |
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*[[Hemiboreal|Hemiboreal climate]] |
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==References== |
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{{reflist}} |
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==External links== |
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*http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Europe/France-CLIMATE.html#Comments_form |
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{{Koppen}} |
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[[Category:Climate]] |
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[[ar:مناخ قاري]] |
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[[be-x-old:Кантынэнтальны клімат]] |
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[[bs:Kontinentalna klima]] |
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[[ca:Clima continental]] |
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[[da:Fastlandsklima]] |
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[[de:Kontinentalklima]] |
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[[es:Clima continental]] |
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[[eo:Kontinenta klimato]] |
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[[fr:Climat continental]] |
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[[gl:Clima continental]] |
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[[ko:대륙성 기후]] |
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[[hr:Kontinentalna klima]] |
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[[is:Meginlandsloftslag]] |
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[[it:Clima continentale]] |
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[[lt:Žemyninis klimatas]] |
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[[ms:Iklim kebenuaan]] |
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[[nl:Landklimaat]] |
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[[ja:大陸性気候]] |
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[[no:Innlandsklima]] |
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[[nn:Kontinentalklima]] |
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[[pl:Klimat kontynentalny]] |
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[[pt:Clima continental]] |
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[[ru:Континентальный климат]] |
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[[simple:Continental climate]] |
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[[sr:Континентална клима]] |
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[[sh:Kontinentalna klima]] |
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[[fi:Mannerilmasto]] |
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[[sv:Inlandsklimat]] |
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[[tr:Karasal iklim]] |
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[[uk:Континентальний клімат]] |
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