Climate and Weather

Weather Combination of temperature, precipitation, cloud cover, and wind experienced on a day-to-day basis

Climate The weather conditions of a place averaged over a long period of time

What is the difference between climate and weather?

Why does Canada’s climate have so much variety?

Canada extends for a great distance from North to South Different elevations produce different climate conditions Coastal regions have different climates from inland regions Wind and pressure systems move whether systems from one part of the country to another

6 Factors that Affect Climate

Latitude Distance from the equator is a key factor in whether a region is hot or cold Places closer to the equator are hotter As you move away from the equator, toward the poles, it gets colder

Latitude Energy from the sun that hits the earth at the equator covers a small area. The same amount of energy that hits the earth at a more northerly or southerly location is spread over a smaller area because of the curvature of the earth.

Ocean Currents An ocean current is an underwater ‘river’ that circulates through the ocean. There are three main currents in the world. Warm currents heat the air above the water and lead to warm, moist climate Cold currents lead to cold, dry climate

Ocean Currents Fun Fact-The meeting of warm currents and cool currents causes fog

Wind and Air Masses Air mases (large bodies of air with similar characteristics (temperature and moisture)) that develop over an ocean contain moisture. As it moves over the land, it releases some form of precipitation Air masses that develop over an inland area will be dry because they are far from a body of water Wind carries with it weather conditions from the area it originates

Bill Nye explains wind

Elevation Elevation is the height above sea level The higher the elevation, the colder the temperatures Example- As you go up a mountain, the temperature drops. As you go back down, the temperature rises.

Elevation As warm air rises, it expands because there is less air pressure. As it expands, it loses heat.

Relief Relief refers to differences in elevation of the earth’s surface Mountain ranges act as barriers to the movement of air masses

Example- Vancouver has warm, rainy weather in the winter while Calgary, on the other side of the mountain range, has cold, dry weather. Mountains also cause precipitation called relief precipitation

Nearness to Water Large bodies of water (oceans and bays) heat up and cool down more slowly than the surrounding land. Winds blowing off the water onto the land keep it warmer/cooler than if there were no water at all This moderates the temperatures of locations near large bodies of water Example: Vancouver has a moderately warm, moist climate because of it’s nearness to the Pacific Ocean

Types of Climate

Maritime Climate Location is near water Warm winters and cool summers Lots of precipitation (rain and snow) Examples: Halifax, Nova Scotia Vancouver, British Columbia

Continental Climate Location is away from water Hot summers, cold winters Extreme temperatures Little precipitation (rain or snow) Examples Interior Plains (Calgary, Regina etc)