WHAT AFFECTS CLIMATE?
Hawaii is one of the
sunniest places on
Earth with very warm
temperatures.
So why is it that there is
snow on Mauna Kea?
Mauna Kea is higher than 13,000 feet.
Snow falls at altitudes higher than 9,000
in Hawaii.
5 MAJOR WORLD CLIMATES
There are 5 different categories of climate,
most with subcategories:
TROPICAL
DRY
TEMPERATE
POLAR
HIGHLAND
TROPICAL CLIMATES
HUMID TROPICAL
Located near the Equator
Temperatures greater than 80 degrees
Damp air—daily rain showers
MONSOONS
Seasonal winds that bring rainy weather for part of the
year
India
Rainforests
50,000 + plant and animal species
Brazil
TROPICAL CLIMATES (continued)
Tropical Savanna
Located further away from the Equator
Temperatures greater than 90 degrees
Long dry seasons, followed by short rain
seasons
Savanna – areas of tall grasses and scattered
trees and shrubs
DRY CLIMATES
Very little rainfall
Desert Climate
Less than10 inches of rain annually
High daytime temps., low temps at night
Very few plants and animals
Steppe Climate
Semidry grasslands
A little more rain than deserts
Grasses, some shrubs and trees
TEMPERATE CLIMATES
Temperate means “moderate” or “mild”
Temperate climates experience seasonal
change
“Middle Latitudes” between 30 and 60 degrees
Warm summers
Cold winters
Most of the United States is in a temperate
climate
Mediterranean Climate
Found near the Mediterranean Sea
Hot, dry, sunny summers
Mild winters
Found in coastal areas
Humid Subtropical Climate
Eastern Coastal areas
Close to the tropics (Florida is an example)
Hot and muggy summers
Mild winters with little to no snow
Storms such as Hurricanes
TEMPERATE CLIMATES (continued)
TEMPERATE CLIMATES (continued)
Marine West Coast Climate
West coasts of North America and Europe
Moist air
Summers are warm and sunny
Winters are foggy, cloudy and rainy
Humid Continental Climate
Upper-middle latitudes
Experience all 4 seasons
MICHIGAN!!!!
Short and hot summers
Mild Spring and Fall
Wet, snowy winters
POLAR CLIMATES
Higher Latitudes (near to the poles)
Subarctic
Extreme cold winters
Short cool summers
Tundra
Cold all year
Little rain
Permafrost
Ice Cap
Freezing cold snow and ice
No rain
No vegetation
HIGHLAND CLIMATE
Includes polar and other climates
High elevations
The higher you go, the lower the temperature
This is why there is snow in Hawaii