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If you are suffering through a hot, humid summer day, blame the weather. But if – year after year – most summer days where you live are hot and humid, blame the climate.
Climate refers to the average weather conditions in a region over a long period of time. For example, near the equator, some hot, steamy tropical rain forests are drenched by about 160 inches of rain per year – every year. (That’s more than 13 feet!) In Las Vegas, Nevada, on the other hand, the average rainfall per year is around four inches. In Antarctica, temperatures are low all year, year after year. They average –50°F! However, in Montreal, Canada, the average temperature in January is 16°F, while in July it’s 72°F!
Climate varies widely all over the world. Because of this, scientists divide the Earth into different climate zones. Conditions aren’t exactly the same all over a specific climate zone, but places in a zone share certain characteristics, like extremely low temperatures or very high rainfall. Look for your climate zone on the map below. (You may need to compare it to a map that shows countries and states in order to find exactly where you live.) Does the description match your average weather? What other places in the world are in your climate zone?
Climate affects many aspects of your life. It influences the clothes you purchase, the outdoor sports you play, and which plants and animals can be found living near you.
Climate Zones of the World
▲ Polar
Winters are very cold in the polar region, and summers are slightly warmer, but short. This climate area gets lots of snow but little rain.
▲ Northern Temperate
Here, there is moderate rainfall, and the winters are long and cold with lots of snow.
▲ Temperate
Rainfall is moderate here, with cold and snowy winters and warm summers.
▲ Mountain
This region is colder than nearby lower areas. Snow is common, and the area can be rainy or dry, depending on local conditions.
▲ Coastal
There are smaller seasonal and day-to-night temperature changes here than in inland areas.
▲ Tropical
Tropical areas have very high rainfall and are very hot and humid most of the year.
▲ Subtropical
High rainfall, with hot and humid summers and drier, cooler winters.
▲ Arid
Very low rainfall, with big changes in temperature between day and night and between summer and winter.
▲ Semiarid
Low rainfall, with moderate changes in temperature between day and night and between summer and winter.
▲ Mediterranean
Mediterranean climates have hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters.
A microclimate is a small area where the climate is different from that of the surrounding climate zone. For example, a desert – in an arid zone – may contain an oasis. This is a place where water from an underground source has reached the surface and formed a small lake. Because of the water, trees and other plants can grow at the oasis, even though the desert around it appears lifeless. The water and the shade from trees that grow around it make this microclimate cooler than the surrounding desert.
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