Factors That Influence Climate

Terms:•Weather: The current state of the atmosphere.

•Climate: A 30 year average for a particular area.

Factors That Influence Temperature

Factor• 1. Latitude

• 2. Nearness to the center of large land masses.

Influence

• As latitude increases, the average temperature drops.

• Have wide ranges of temperature, between day and night and seasonally.

Warm

Cold

Cold

Factor

• Nearness to large bodies of water

Influence

• Coastal areas do not have large ranges in temperature. The water moderates the temperature.

Factor

• Location near large mountains.

Influence

• Windward sides are cooled while leeward sides are warmed.

Factor

• Altitude

• Ocean Currents

Influence

• As altitude increases, temperature drops.

• Warms the temp. of Eastern coastal areas and cools Western coastal areas.

Factors that effect PrecipitationFactor

• Latitude

Influence

• Low pressure at 00 and 600 North and South produce heavy precipitation. High pressure at 300 N and S produce dry climates.

Heavy Rain Dry Climate

Factor

• Nearness to large landmasses

• Nearness to large bodies of water

Influence

• Tend to have dry climates

• Tend to have higher than average precipitation.

Factor

•Wind Direction

Influence

• Wind direction determines which side of a mountain will receive the most precipitation.

• Windward = Wet• Leeward = Desert.