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Now that people know how to get to your party, you need to tell them how to dress for the weather.
California is a big state, with many climates. It’s the third-largest state in the country, after Alaska and Texas! It’s also tall. The northern edge of California is at a much higher latitude than its border with Mexico. Latitude, elevation, and how far a place is from the ocean all shape California’s climates.
Some Californians can drive from baking deserts to frosty mountain peaks in just a few hours. How should your friends dress for your climate?
Weather. Climate. What’s the Difference?
Weather is the temperature, rainfall, wind, and humidity levels that happen in an area. Weather changes from season to season. It can also change from day to day. The term “climate” refers to the typical weather for a region over many years. Extreme climates experience hotter summer weather and colder winters. Moderate climates don’t vary as much between seasons. ▶
Climate in California
◀ Even in a big state like California, scientists can make observations about climate. California is cooler and drier than the tropics to the south. It’s warmer than the arctic regions in the north. Within California, temperatures are warmer in the south. Coastal climates are usually more moderate than mountains and deserts to the east.
▲ In California, severe weather often comes in the form of dryness. Little to no rainfall is normal in the summer and early fall. But dry spells that last for many months, or even for years, are called droughts. During a drought, plants – even huge trees – can dry up and even die. Dry brush leads to wildfires. They can destroy homes and animal habitats. Without water, farmers cannot keep their crops alive.
◀ After a drought, everyone welcomes rain. Rain waters the forests. It replaces water deep in the ground that can be pumped out for drinking and for growing crops.
But big storms after a drought can have a bad effect: landslides. When grasses and shrubs grow, their roots help hold soil on mountains and hills. They no longer anchor the mud when plants dry up, or after a wildfire. Rain can soak into the soil until it slides downhill. A downpour on mountains can cause flash floods. These might wash away roads and bridges.
Communities in different climates have different kinds of vegetation, or plant life. Hikers in Big Bear, in Southern California, find oaks and pines. In Big Basin Redwoods State Park, which is farther north, hikers see more redwoods. Yet both places are forested areas. The forests are so different because mountains in the center and northern half of the state get more than twice as many inches of precipitation – rain, hail, sleet, and snow – as those in the southern half. ▶
Learn More!
▲ More rain falls on the western sides of California’s coastal mountain ranges than on the eastern sides. Why? A lot of water evaporates into the air over the Pacific Ocean. Heavy clouds form and move east over the land, releasing rain onto the mountains’ western slopes. The clouds continue until they run up against the high peaks. The dry sides that face the desert are called “rain shadows.” The mountaintops and warm air pressure shield them from the rain.
