Climate Zone Subclimate Description Unique Features

Covered by permafrost. Many ponds

Always cold & dry with short cold
Polar (E) Tundra (ET) as almost no water absorbs after rain
summers
has occured.
little or no daylight in the winter,
Icecap (EF) Freezing temperatures all year insolation is largely reflected back to
space by the atmosphere and snow
Temperatures vary widely with
Highland (H) latitude, elevation and direction of Sierra Nevada mountain range
exposed areas
Evaporation exceeds
Less than 10 inches of rain per year
precipitation. Many animals are
Dry (B) Desert (BW) with hot days. Large temperature
nocturnal and plants have a waxy
fluctuations between day and night.
cuticle that minimizes water loss.
Evaporation still exceeds
Semiarid (BS) Slightly more than ten inches per year precipitation. The great plains of the
midwest are an example.
Closest to the equator. Contain the
Humid Tropical (A) Tropical wet (Af & Am) Hot & rainy throughout the year
tropical rain forest
Border the ITCZ & include the
Tropical wet & dry (AW) Hot with wet & dry seasons
savannas.
Southeastern US, warm moist air
Moist-mid latitude - mild winters (C) Humid subtropical Hot humid summers and mild winters
masses bring thunderstorms
Marine west coast Mild and rainy all year Pacific northwest of the US
Southwest coast of the US &
Mediterranean Hot & dry summers and mild winters
Mediterranean
warm summers and cold snowy
Moist-mid latitude - severe winters (D) Humid continental Inland northeastern US
winters
Short summers and long snowy
Subarctic
winters