Sub-Arctic Climate By Edee Polyakovsky

Where in the World is this Climate Region? The sub arctic climate stretches from in-land Alaska across Northern Canada to Newfoundland. In Eurasia, sub arctic climate is in most of Scandinavia, almost all of Russia and reaches South into Northern Mongolia and China. Sub arctic regions are located in-land, away from the oceans. The sub arctic climate is only found only in the Northern Hemisphere between latitude 50°N - 70°N.

What are the Temperature and Precipitation Ranges of this Climate? Because the sub arctic region is in-land, it is not warmed by the ocean. In the winter, this climate can drop to -40°F. In the summer, it can reach up to 85°F. This is the widest temperature range of all climate regions on Earth. There is very little precipitation in sub arctic regions. They only receive 10-20 inches of rain and snow per year. Snow may fall year round, but rain only falls in the summer. In the winter, the days are short, cold and clear. There is very low humidity all year round.

Sub Arctic Seasons The sub arctic climate only has two seasons: Winter and Summer. A cold and harsh winter lasts for most of the year. Below freezing temperatures last for six – eight months. Sub arctic winter has the lowest average temperature outside of Antarctica. Summer is usually two – three months long with cool to mild temperatures. Sometimes summer only lasts for one month.

What Plants Grow in this Climate Region? Not many plants thrive in the long winters of sub arctic climates. Some shrubs, grasses, ferns, wildflowers, and berries can be found in the short summer. Hardy evergreen trees, like pine, sub alpine fir and both black and white spruce, fill the forests in this climate region. These sub arctic forests are called Taiga. Other trees like tamarack, paper birch, quaking aspen and willows also thrive in the summer months.

What Animals Live in the Sub Arctic Climate? Black and Grizzly Bears, Bald Eagles, Wolves, Bobcats, Wolverines, Red and Arctic Foxes, and Lynxes can be found in sub arctic climate. These predators either store up food in the summers and hibernate, or follow herds of other animals to find food during the long winter months. Many herding animals like Moose, Caribou, Elk, Reindeer, Musk Oxen, Mountain Goats, Dall Sheep, and Deer survive the cold winters. Small animals such as Snowshoe Hares, Beavers, River Otter, Mice, Rats, Lemmings, Voles, and Squirrels find homes in the sub arctic regions. There aren’t many reptiles in this climate because they can’t adapt to the harsh cold. Mosquitos swarm in the summer.

Research Sites https://sites.google.com/site/climatetypes/subarctic http://www.britannica.com/science/continental-subarctic-climate http://animals.mom.me/animals-subarctic-climates-3013.html http://subarcticworldgeographyproject.weebly.com/vegitation-and- animals.html http://www.earthonlinemedia.com/ebooks/tpe_3e/climate_systems/ subarctic.html http://www.wildflower.org/expert/show.php?id=2070