1. Climate Regions of Canada

2. A region is a place where there are similar characteristics
What is a region?
A region is a place where there are similar characteristics

3. What is the difference between weather and climate?
Weather is the day-to-day conditions of the atmosphere, over SHORT periods of time
Climate is the LONG-term pattern of weather

4. Climate is what you expect, weather is what you get!

5. Remember this acronym! LOWERN
LOWERN stands for:
Latitude
Ocean currents
Wind
Elevation
Relief precipitation
Nearness to water

6. LOWERN is an acronym for the factors that affect climate!

7. To understand why Canada’s climate has so much variety, you need to remember these four basic facts:
1. Canada is a VERY large country.

8. 2. Different elevations produce different climate conditions.

9. 3. Coastal regions have different climates from inland regions.

10. 4. Wind and pressure move weather conditions around the country.

11. LATITUDE
The most southern part of Canada is Pelee Island and the most northern is Alert.
The average temperature in Pelee Island is 9.1°C and the average temperature in Alert is °C. That is a difference of almost 30 degrees!
The further north you go from the equator (the higher in latitude), the colder it is.

12. Canada is so large that latitude is a major factor that affects climate.
Energy from the sun hits the earth at the equator and covers a small area.
The same amount of energy from the sun hits the earth at a more northerly location is spread out over a larger area because of the curvature of the earth.

16. OCEAN CURRENTS
The temperature of an ocean current affects the temperature of the air that passes over it.
On the West Coast, the warm North Pacific Current warms the cool, moist air that passes over it, giving the coastal side of British Columbia a mild climate.

17. On the East Coast, the cold Labrador Current, which flows down from the Arctic, cools the air around Newfoundland.

18. (AIR MASSES)
An air mass is a large volume of air with the climate conditions of the area where it formed.
An air mass formed over water carries moisture, and when it passes over land it falls as some type of precipitation (rain or snow)
This is similar to ocean currents

22. WIND
Air, like everything on earth, has weight. This weight is called air pressure.
Air pressure changes when the temperature changes.
Warm air rising creates an area of low pressure. Cool air sinking back toward the earth creates an area of high pressure.

23. Air moves along the surface of the earth from high pressure areas to low pressure areas. This movement creates wind.
Most of the winds in Canada come from the west…these are called “westerlies.”

26. ELEVATION
If you were to hike from sea level to the top of a mountain, you would notice that the temperature drops steadily as you climb.
As air rises in the atmosphere, it cools to become water vapour and eventually clouds. Clouds can produce precipitation.

30. RELIEF Relief means the differences in elevation.
Mountain ranges act as barriers to the movement of air masses…This creates relief precipitation.
Moist air moves up the windward slope of a mountain, cools and then falls as rain. On the other side of the mountain, the leeward side, there is a rain shadow.

31. This is why in Vancouver there is a mild, moist winter climate where the precipitation mostly falls as rain.
On the other side of the mountain range in Calgary, which is in the rain shadow, has a dry and cold winter climate.

33. NEARNESS TO WATER
Bodies of water have a moderating affect on land temperatures.
Oceans and large lakes heat up and cool down more slowly than the land around it.
During the summer, winds that move over lakes cool the surrounding air. In winter, the winds that move over lakes warm the surrounding air.

34. This is why maritime (around water) climates have cooler summers and milder winters
Areas located in the interior of large land masses, far from oceans, and far from large lakes have a continental climate.
Continental climates also tend to have low precipitation due to distance from a moisture source. Regina, Saskatchewan has a continental climate.

42. That’s all for today!!!