Cold Temperate Climates

Topic Content:

Cold Temperate Western Margin Climate:

Location & Latitude:

• Found along western coastal areas of continents in high latitudes , roughly 55°N to 70°N .
• Examples: Coastal Alaska, Scandinavia, parts of Iceland, and southern Chile.

Climatic Characteristics:

• Winter: Long, quite cold, average temperatures around -5°C to 0°C .
• Summer: Cool and short, average temperatures about 10°C to 15°C .
• Annual Rainfall: Around 750 mm , evenly distributed throughout the year.
• Temperature Range: Small to moderate compared to inland cold temperate climates because of the moderating effect of the ocean.
• Rain often falls as snow in winter.

Vegetation:

• Mostly coniferous forest (spruce, fir, pine) with some hardy deciduous trees (birch, willow).
• In exposed coastal areas, vegetation may include tundra-like mosses and lichens.

Adaptations:

• Evergreen conifers have needle-like leaves to reduce water loss.
• Trees are conical in shape to shed snow easily.
• Bark is thick for protection