Climate Regions of Canada PDF

Climate Regions of Canada Pacific Maritime Region This is a maritime climate, where the moderating effect of the Pacific Ocean keeps most coastal locations above freezing during winter, and cool during summer. Relief precipitation along the coast is very high, especially in winter when the polar-fro...

Climate Regions of Canada Pacific Maritime Region This is a maritime climate, where the moderating effect of the Pacific Ocean keeps most coastal locations above freezing during winter, and cool during summer. Relief precipitation along the coast is very high, especially in winter when the polar-front jet stream moves southward allowing moist Pacific winds to reach this area. Many people find this moderate climate attractive, and move to the west coast to escape the harsh winters of the Canadian interior. Cordilleran Climate Region This area of many different climates extends from southern British Columbia to the northern Yukon. Locations only a few kilometres apart may have very different temperature and precipitation patterns. West-facing windward slopes receive a great deal of relief precipitation while leeward slopes and interior valleys are very dry because of rain-shadow conditions. Southern locations are milder than those in the north, and areas with lower elevations are milder than those with higher elevations. Prairie Climate Region In the heart of the country, the Prairie region is a continental climate. In winter, cold, dry, polar air blankets the land, and in summer, the air is warm and dry. This results in a wide, large annual temperature range: winters are very cold and summers are very hot. It is quite dry in this region because it is in the rainshadow of the Western Cordillera. Cyclonic storms bring moisture throughout the year, but most rainfall occurs in the summer from convectional precipitation. Boreal Climate Region This has a continental climate, where winters are cold and summers are warm. Throughout the year, precipitation results from cyclonic storms. In the summer, convectional precipitation also occurs when the land heats up. Taiga Climate Region The Taiga region has cold winters, which may last more than six months, and short, cool summers. Precipitation occurs mainly in the summer from convectional precipitation. A small amount of winter precipitation is the result of cyclonic storms. Arctic Climate Region The Arctic region has a very harsh climate; summer is very short, cool and in the most northerly locations, winter lasts as long as ten months. It is really a cold desert, receiving less than 350 mm of precipitation each year. Precipitation is low because the Arctic Ocean and other bodies of water are frozen for most of the year, and there is very little evaporation. Southeastern Climate Region This area has both continental and maritime characteristics although most of the region has a continental climate, with a wide range of temperatures. Maritime climate conditions are evident in areas near the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean. Cyclonic precipitation occurs all year in the Southeastern climate region. The prevailing winds bring storms from the west and storms from the south move up from the Gulf of Mexico. The slight summer maximum is due to convectional precipitation. Atlantic Maritime Climate Region The Atlantic climate region has a maritime climate where the Atlantic Ocean moderates the temperatures, so the winters are not as cold, nor the summers as hot as continental locations. The prevailing westerlies bring cyclonic storms throughout the year. Some parts of this region receive as much precipitation as parts of the Pacific Maritime climate region.