Factors Affecting Climate in Canada PDF

Factors Influencing Climate in Canada Open the link below and play with the tabs on the right to look at the weather today. https://www.windyty.com  Climate vs. Weather (WATCH VIDEO) Time is the basic difference between climate and weather. Weather daily conditions (...

Factors Influencing Climate in Canada Open the link below and play with the tabs on the right to look at the weather today. https://www.windyty.com  Climate vs. Weather (WATCH VIDEO) Time is the basic difference between climate and weather. Weather daily conditions (max/min temperature, wind speed and direction, precipitation totals/distribution, air pressure, etc.) Climate - the long term PATTERN of weather over a 30-year period The current set of climate NORMALS is based upon observed weather from 1991 to 2020. What are the differences in climate between these 2 places? Grand River, Waterloo Region TROPICAL Climate (hot all year) TEMPERATE climate with 4 Turks and Caicos, Caribbean seasons  This silly video from the Rick Mercer Report exaggerates Canada’s climate. What does it mean that Canada is a TEMPERATE climate?  Canada’s Climate Regions ARCTIC MOUNTAIN PACIFIC SUBARCTIC PRAIRIES ATLANTIC SOUTHEASTERN Why do we have 4 seasons? Watch the video  Factors that affect our climate 1. Latitude 2. Proximity to Oceans and Large Lakes 3. Prevailing winds and Air masses 4. Jet stream This list shows a sort of order of impact on a climate. You start with latitude which determines temperature. Proximity to oceans determines precipitation and temperature range. Prevailing winds and air masses and the jet stream create seasonal variations.  LATITUDE The Equator is hot! As you travel further North or South away from the Equator it gets colder. Both the North and South Poles are Freezing!! Latitude - why is it cold at the poles and hot at the Equator? Do you remember the SIGNIFICANCE of the major lines of Latitude in this diagram? What is the Earth’s tilt? Is the Canadian border “close” to the Equator?  COLDEST climate -14 to -20 C Do these annual temperature “classes” follow the rule of how latitude works? COLDER WARMEST climate 8 to 10C Second Warmest 6 to 8C PROXIMITY TO OCEANS AND LARGE BODIES OF WATER Proximity to Oceans and Large bodies of Water (open the link to the video to understand how this impacts climate) Places that are close... Great Lakes Atlantic Ocean Pacific Ocean Badlands of Grasslands NP, Alberta Places that are far from oceans… Tundra Hills, Northwest Territories  Regions close to oceans have higher precipitation. Driest Wettest Dry Wet Total Annual Precipitation  Despite being surrounded by ocean, why is the Arctic region so dry? Cold air has a lower capacity to hold water vapor than warm air. In some places, Arctic air is as dry as air in the Sahara Desert and very little precipitation can fall. In winter, the water WARMS up the air Impact of Oceans and temperature over land...notice a lack of Large Water Bodies on snow hanging from the trees. Temperature In summer, the water COOLS down the air over land...notice the hikers Water holds wearing jackets on a summer day. onto its heat longer than air. Both images are Long Beach on Vancouver Island.  Winter Average Temperatures In the winter, the Pacific Ocean warms the air so temperature on land are not as cold as the The Atlantic Ocean interior is not as warm as the Pacific. Cold air from the north also cools this region.  Summer Average Temperatures Interiors are warmer than coast Can you see the differences in these climate graphs? One is: Inland (CONTINENTAL) On the ocean (MARITIME)  MARITIMES Climates These locations in Canada are beside an ocean Which climate High total precipitation graph is most More precipitation in the likely from the winter Pacific Coast? Flatter temperature curve CONTINENTAL Climates These locations in Canada are FAR from the oceans Low total precipitation More precipitation in the summer Steeper temperature curve Impact of the Great Lakes on snowfall in Southern Ontario X WINDS AND AIR MASSES What is an Air Mass? CLASSIFICATIONS An air mass is a volume of air that forms over a large c= continental area. Moisture content m = maritime It takes on the temperature and moisture content of the area. A = arctic (freezing) Air masses are moved by Temperature prevailing winds. P = polar (cold) T = tropical (warm)  Air masses Watch this Video to learn what an air mass is, how it POLAR FRONT formas and how it moves.  Trade Wind Patterns In Canada, what is the trade wind name? What direction do these winds Jet Stream The jet stream… CURRENT OF FAST MOVING AIR high in the atmosphere - where airplanes fly! All travel WEST to EAST circling different parts of the earth The POLAR JET STREAM impacts North American weather…it separates cold Arctic air from warmer air masses to the south This image shows the POLAR FRONT - the meeting of warm and cold air masses which often brings either a change of weather or storms Jet stream Watch this video to see how the polar jet stream shifts its position as it travels around the the northern hemisphere. These other factors play important roles to specific regions: 1. Elevation 2. Relief 3. Ocean Currents  ELEVATION …measures the height of the land above sea level. Mountain regions in Canada Elevation influences temperatures Snow...why?...when we can wear Banff Alberta shorts down here?  RELIEF The difference in elevation from place to place.  This is a rapid change in elevation Why are there clouds here? RELIEF measures the difference between the highest and lowest elevations Sea level = 0 metres  Kirkpatrick Prairie, AB - NO relief! Check out Google Map Banff, AB - Lots of relief! Check out the Google Map Relief Precipitation LEEWARD slope is dry WINDWARD slope is wet  Leeward side of mountains Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan (>300 mm annual precipitation) Windward side of mountain West Coast Forest, Vancouver Island (>3000 mm annual precipitation)  OCEAN CURRENTS Ocean currents are the continuous, predictable, directional movement of seawater driven by gravity, wind and water density.  Ocean Currents Canada  How might the temperature of these currents impact the summer and winter climates on the coasts? What happens when the COLD Labrador Current meets the WARM Gulf Stream? FOG Halifax Harbour