Transcript Climate and Weather - Needham Public Schools

Climate and Weather
What factors play in to a place’s
weather patterns?
Altitude: Need to Know
At points of higher elevation, air temperature is
much, much colder.
Humidity also drops at areas
Of higher altitude.
For every 1000 feet :
3.5 degree drop.
Latitude and Tilt: Need to Know
As the earth revolves around the sun, it tilts on its axis
(23.5 degrees). Whichever point of the earth is most in
line with the sun receives it rays most directly, while
points further away receive less direct heat from the sun
and are colder.
Points at the Poles: never close enough to receive much
direct light and are always cold.
Point in the tropics: never far from direct light and are
always warm.
Points between 23.5 and 66.5: get distinct seasons
because of planetary tilt.
Latitude and Tilt: Nice to Know

When it is winter in the Northern
Hemisphere it is summer in the
Southern (and vice versa)
 When the equator is receiving the
sun’s most direct rays it is called
an equinox. There are two
equinoxes: fall (autumnal) and
spring (vernal).
 When the Tropic of Cancer is
most directly receiving the sun’s
rays, it is known as the Summer
Solstice.
 When the Tropic of Capricorn is
most directly receiving the sun’s
rays it is known as the Winter
Solstice.
Distance from large bodies of
water: Need to Know
Large bodies of water have a much more consistent
temperature than land does, meaning that even in
extreme heat and cold water temperature will vary little.
Winds blowing off the water take on its temperature,
making the land nearby warmer in the winter and cooler
in the summer.
In the winter: a large body of water
Warms up the land
In the summer: a large body of
Water cools down the land.
Topography: Need to Know
As air from the coast ascends a mountain, the air begins to
cool and clouds form from this moisture. As the clouds
become more dense, some of the moisture falls to the
earth as precipitation. As the air descends the opposite
side, the air heats up, and the clouds thin out and
disappear.
For this reason: the sides of
mountains facing oceans are
often wet. The sides of
mountains facing away from
oceans are often dry.
Topography: Nice to Know

The sides of mountains facing away from
oceans are said to have a “rain shadow”.
This means the air and land are incredibly
dry due to the effects of topography.