What was the climate in the Southwest region?
What is the climate in the Pacific region?
How is climate change affecting the Southwest?
Low annual precipitation, clear skies, and year-round warm climate over much of the Southwest are due in large part to a quasi-permanent subtropical high-pressure ridge over the region. La Nina, the opposite oceanic case of El Nino usually results in dry winters for the Southwest.
The climate of the West is semi-arid, yet parts of the region get high amounts of rain or snow. The seasonal temperatures vary greatly throughout the West. Low elevations on the West Coast have warm summers and mild winters with little to no snow. The desert southwest has very hot summers and mild winters.
Most of the Pacific Northwest has a cool, wet climate, which has led to the growth of thick forests. Some of the biggest trees in the world can be found here! Believe it or not, there are coastal, or temperate, rainforests in the Pacific Northwest, while the inland areas are more dry and warm.
The climate in the Northeast is hot in the summers and cold in the winters. Describe the climate of the Southeast. The Southeast has hot and rainy summers and and mild winters. The climate in the Southwest usually has hot rainy summers and mild winters.
For the most part, the Southwest is defined by an arid to semi-arid climate. This means it gets little precipitation. Even the mountains only receive major snowfall for limited parts of the year. Between the lack of rainfall and generally hot temperatures, much of the Southwest is a desert.
During winter months, daytime temperatures may average 70 degrees F, with night temperatures often falling to freezing of slightly below in the lower desert valleys.” Temperatures are not independent of precipitation and a related factor, humidity.
Summer temperatures on the South Rim, at 7000 feet (2134 meters), are especially pleasant from 50° to about 85° F (10°s to 20°s C). The inner canyon temperatures are extreme and hot, with a lower elevation of about 2400 feet (732 meters).
The American Southwest might evoke images of a hot, dry landscape—a land of rock, canyons, and deserts baked by the sun. Indeed, much of this region has low annual rainfall and seasonally high temperatures that contribute to its characteristic desert climate.
