47 articles
Seasonal lag
Seasonal lag is the delay between the time of maximum solar input and the time of a location's warmest or coldest temperatures, larger over ocean than land.
Semi-arid climate
The semi-arid climate, or steppe climate (Köppen BS), is a dry climate intermediate between humid and arid, with aridity index 0.2 to 0.5, supporting grassland and scrub.
Snow line
A snow line is the minimum elevation at which snow lies on the ground or a glacier; on glaciers, it separates bright snow from darker firn or ice.
Subarctic climate
The subarctic climate, also called boreal climate, is a high-latitude continental climate with long, cold winters and one to three months averaging above 10 °C, underlying the boreal forest.
Subtropical climate
A subtropical climate is a climate zone between the tropics and temperate latitudes, typically found on eastern sides of continents between 20° and 35° latitude.
Subtropics
The subtropics, or subtropical zone, are the climatic zones between the tropics and temperate regions, roughly 20 to 40 degrees of latitude in each hemisphere.
Summer
Summer is the warmest of the four temperate seasons, occurring when a hemisphere tilts toward the Sun; it spans June to August in the Northern Hemisphere.
Sunshine duration
Sunshine duration, or sunshine hours, is a climatological quantity defined by the WMO as the time direct solar irradiance exceeds 120 W/m², measured in hours at climate stations.
Temperate climate
A temperate climate is a middle-latitude climate with no extreme season, defined in the Köppen-Geiger scheme as group C and subdivided into humid subtropical, marine west coast, and Mediterranean types.
Trewartha climate classification
The Trewartha climate classification, often called the Köppen–Trewartha classification, is a 1966 modification of the Köppen system by geographer Glenn Trewartha, subdividing middle latitudes into temperature-based groups.
Tropical climate
A tropical climate is a continually hot climate of equatorial and tropical regions with considerable precipitation, forming Köppen group A with all months above 18 °C.
Tropical monsoon climate
A tropical monsoon climate, abbreviated Am in the Köppen system, is a tropical climate with seasonally reversing winds, a pronounced rainy season, and a short dry season.
Tropical rainforest climate
A tropical rainforest climate, also called an equatorial climate, is the wettest Köppen tropical type, designated Af, with every month above 60 mm of rain and no dry season.
Tropical savanna climate
The tropical savanna climate, also called the tropical wet and dry climate, is a Köppen climate type (Aw) with a pronounced dry season, covering 11.5 percent of Earth's land.
U.S. state and territory temperature extremes
The U.S. state and territory temperature extremes are NOAA-certified record highs and lows for all 50 states, D.C., and inhabited territories, including the 134°F Death Valley world record.
United States Drought Monitor
The United States Drought Monitor (USDM) is a weekly map showing where drought is occurring and how severe it is across the United States, first issued in 1999.
Winter
Winter is the coldest season of the year. It is defined astronomically from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox and meteorologically from December to February in the Northern Hemisphere.