Continental climate explained
Continental climates often have a significant annual variation in temperature (warm to hot summers and cold winters). They tend to occur in central and eastern parts of the three northern-tier continents (North America, Europe, and Asia), typically in the middle latitudes (40 to 55 or 60 degrees north), often within large landmasses, where prevailing winds blow overland bringing some precipitation, and temperatures are not moderated by oceans. Continental climates occur mostly in the Northern Hemisphere due to the large landmasses found there. Most of northeastern China, eastern and southeastern Europe, much of Russia south of the Arctic Circle, central and southeastern Canada, and the central and northeastern United States have this type of climate.[1] Continentality is a measure of the degree to which a region experiences this type of climate.
In continental climates, precipitation tends to be moderate in amount, concentrated mostly in the warmer months. Only a few areas—in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest of North America and in Iran, northern Iraq, adjacent Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Central Asia—show a winter maximum in precipitation. A portion of the annual precipitation falls as snowfall, and snow often remains on the ground for more than a month. Summers in continental climates can feature thunderstorms and frequent hot temperatures; however, summer weather is somewhat more stable than winter weather. Continental climates are considered as temperate climate varieties due to their location in the temperate zones,[2] [3] but are classified separately from other temperate climates in the Köppen climate classification system where they are identified by their first letter, a capital D. In the Trewartha climate classification, they are identified as Dc.
Köppen climate classification
Continental climate has at least one month averaging below 0°C and at least one month averaging above 10°C.[4] [5]
- Dfa = Hot-summer humid continental climate; coldest month averaging below 0°C (or -3°C), at least one month's average temperature above 22°C, and at least four months averaging above 10°C. No significant precipitation difference between seasons (neither the abovementioned set of conditions fulfilled).
- Dfb = Warm-summer humid continental climate; coldest month averaging below 0°C (or -3°C), all months with average temperatures below 22°C, and at least four months averaging above 10°C. No significant precipitation difference between seasons (neither the abovementioned set of conditions fulfilled).
- Dfc = Subarctic climate; coldest month averaging below 0°C (or -3°C) and one–three months averaging above 10°C. No significant precipitation difference between seasons (neither the abovementioned set of conditions fulfilled).
- Dfd = Extremely cold subarctic climate; coldest month averaging below NaN°C and one–three months averaging above 10°C. No significant precipitation difference between seasons (neither the abovementioned set of conditions fulfilled).
- Dwa = Monsoon-influenced hot-summer humid continental climate; coldest month averaging below 0°C (or -3°C), at least one month's average temperature above 22°C, and at least four months averaging above 10°C. At least ten times as much rain in the wettest month of summer as in the driest month of winter.
- Dwb = Monsoon-influenced warm-summer humid continental climate; coldest month averaging below 0°C (or -3°C), all months with average temperatures below 22°C, and at least four months averaging above 10°C. At least ten times as much rain in the wettest month of summer as in the driest month of winter.
- Dwc = Monsoon-influenced subarctic climate; coldest month averaging below 0°C (or -3°C) and one–three months averaging above 10°C. At least ten times as much rain in the wettest month of summer as in the driest month of winter.
- Dwd = Monsoon-influenced extremely cold subarctic climate; coldest month averaging below NaN°C and one–three months averaging above 10°C. At least ten times as much rain in the wettest month of summer as in the driest month of winter.
- Dsa = Mediterranean-influenced hot-summer humid continental climate; coldest month averaging below 0°C (or -3°C), average temperature of the warmest month above 22°C and at least four months averaging above 10°C. At least three times as much precipitation in the wettest month of winter as in the driest month of summer, and the driest month of summer receives less than 301NaN1.
- Dsb = Mediterranean-influenced warm-summer humid continental climate; coldest month averaging below 0°C (or -3°C), average temperature of the warmest month below 22°C and at least four months averaging above 10°C. At least three times as much precipitation in the wettest month of winter as in the driest month of summer, and the driest month of summer receives less than 301NaN1.
- Dsc = Mediterranean-influenced subarctic climate; coldest month averaging below 0°C (or -3°C) and one–three months averaging above 10°C. At least three times as much precipitation in the wettest month of winter as in the driest month of summer, and the driest month of summer receives less than 301NaN1.
- Dsd = Mediterranean-influenced extremely cold subarctic climate; coldest month averaging below NaN°C and one–three months averaging above 10°C. At least three times as much precipitation in the wettest month of winter as in the driest month of summer, and the driest month of summer receives less than 301NaN1.
Seasons
Annual precipitation in this zone is usually between 600mm and 1200mm, The timing of intermediate spring-like or autumn-like temperatures in this zone vary depending on latitude and/or elevation. For example, spring may arrive as soon as March (in Northern hemisphere, September in Southern hemisphere) in the southern (in Northern hemisphere, northern in Southern hemisphere), parts of this zone or as late as May (November) in the north (south). Summers are warm or hot while winters are below freezing and sustain lots of frost.
Climatology
Continental climates exist where cold air masses infiltrate during the winter from shorter days and warm air masses form in summer under conditions of high sun and longer days. Places with continental climates are as a rule either far from any moderating effect of oceans or are so situated that prevailing winds tend to head offshore.[6] Such regions get quite warm in the summer, achieving temperatures characteristic of tropical climates but are colder than any other climates of similar latitude in the winter.
Neighboring climates
In the Köppen climate system, these climates grade off toward temperate climates equator-ward where winters are less severe and semi-arid climates or arid climates where precipitation becomes inadequate for tall-grass prairies and shrublands. In Europe these climates may grade off into oceanic climates (Cfb) or subpolar oceanic climates (Cfc) in which the influence of cool oceanic air masses is more marked toward the west. In western and eastern Asia, and the central United States these climates grade off toward humid subtropical climates (Cfa/Cwa), subtropical highland climates (Cwb), or Mediterranean climates (Csa/Csb) to the south.
List of locations with a continental climate
The climate is continental if the 0°C coldest-month isotherm is used, but it is temperate if the -3°C isotherm is used.
Chaghcharan (Dsb), Fayzabad (Dsa bordering Csa), Ghazni (Dsa bordering BSk), Puli Alam (Dsa)
Gyumri, Jermuk (Dsb bordering Dfb), Kapan, Sisian, Vanadzor, Yerevan (bordering BSk)
Qabala (bordering Cfa), Shamakhi (bordering Cfa)
Beijing, Biru County, Changchun, Dalian, Hailin, Harbin, Heihe, Jilin, Jinan (bordering Cwa), Qiqihar, Shenyang, Shigatse, Suihua, Ulanhot, Ürümqi (bordering BSk), Xi'an (bordering Cwa), Yanji, Yantai, Yichun
Akhaltsikhe
Dras (Dsb bordering Dfb), Kargil https://weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=595770&cityname=Kargil-Kashmir-India
Abali (Dsb), Arak (Dsa bordering BSk), Ardabil (bordering BSk), Hamadan (Dsa bordering BSk), Saqqez (Dsa), Sardasht (Dsa), Tabriz (Dsa bordering BSk), Urmia (bordering BSk)
Aomori, Asahikawa, Hakodate, Kushiro, Mount Aso, Mutsu (bordering Cfb), Nagano (bordering Cfa), Nichinan (bordering Cfa), Sapporo, Tendō https://en.climate-data.org/asia/japan/yamagata/tendo-5496/
Aktobe, Almaty, Astana, Karaganda, Oskemen, Pavlodar, Semey, Shymkent (Dsa), Taraz (Dsa bordering BSk)
Bishkek (Dsa), Jalal-Abad (Dsa), Osh (Dsa)
Baruunturuun (bordering Dwc), Darkhan, Kharkhorin
Chongjin, Haeju, Kaesong, Kimchaek, Nampo, Pyongyang, Rason
Barnaul, Blagoveshchensk, Chita (bordering Dwc), Irkutsk, Khabarovsk, Krasnoyarsk, Kurilsk (bordering Dfc), Novosibirsk, Omsk, Orenburg, Tomsk, Vladivostok, Yekaterinburg, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
Cheonan, Cheongju, Chuncheon, Chupungnyeong, Daejeon, Incheon, Pyeongchang, Seoul, Wonju, Yeongcheon (bordering Cfa)
Tskhinvali (disputed with Georgia)
Isfara (Dsa), Konibodom (Dsa), Panjakent (Dsa), Roghun (Dsb)
Ağrı (Dsb), Ardahan, Erzurum, Hakkâri (Dsa), Kars, Muş (Dsa), Sivas (Dsb)
Chirchiq (Dsa bordering Csa) https://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=605930&cityname=Chirchiq-Toshkent-Uzbekistan
Europe
Pogradec
Canillo, El Pas de la Casa (bordering Dfc)
Baden bei Wien (bordering Cfb) https://weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=591714&cityname=Baden-bei-Wien-Lower-Austria-Austria, Innsbruck, Klagenfurt, Neukirchen bei Lambach https://weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=591805&cityname=Neukirchen-bei-Lambach-Upper-Austria-Austria
Brest, Gomel, Minsk, Pinsk
Goražde, Istočno Sarajevo, Livno
Pazardzhik (bordering Cfa), Pernik, Pleven, Ruse (bordering Cfa), Smolyan (Dsb), Sofia (bordering Cfb), Veliko Tarnovo, Vratsa
Gospić
Brno, České Budějovice, Liberec, Olomouc https://weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=97611&cityname=Olomouc-Olomoucky-Czech-Republic, Ostrava, Plzeň
Hiiumaa, Pärnu, Saaremaa, Tallinn, Tartu
Åland, Hämeenlinna, Helsinki, Kouvola, Lappeenranta, Pori, Tampere (bordering Dfc), Turku
Chamonix, Mouthe, Saint-Véran (bordering Dfc)
Ansbach, Augsburg (bordering Cfb), Bayreuth, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Görlitz (bordering Cfb), Ingolstadt https://weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=6801&cityname=Ingolstadt-Bavaria-Germany, Kempten, Weiden in der Oberpfalz
Aetomilitsa, Kato Vermio, Samarina
Debrecen, Kecskemét (bordering Cfa/Cfb), Miskolc, Szeged (bordering Cfa/Cfb), Szombathely (bordering Cfb)
Bruneck, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Rhêmes-Notre-Dame https://www.meteoblue.com/en/weather/historyclimate/climatemodelled/rh%C3%AAmes-notre-dame_italy_3169448, Rocca di Mezzo (bordering Cfb), Toblach
Oral (bordering BSk)
Pristina (disputed with Serbia)
Daugavpils, Jelgava, Liepāja, Riga
Schaan (bordering Cfb)
Kaunas, Klaipėda, Šiauliai, Vilnius
Bălți, Briceni, Chișinău, Comrat
Žabljak
Berovo https://en.climate-data.org/europe/macedonia/berovo/berovo-44247/
Bodø (bordering Dfc), Drammen, Hamar, Lillehammer (bordering Dfc), Oslo, Steinkjer, Trondheim
Brașov, Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Iași, Miercurea Ciuc, Ploiești, Sibiu, Timișoara
Chelyabinsk, Grozny, Kaliningrad, Kazan, Moscow, Nalchik, Nizhny Novgorod, Perm, Petrozavodsk (bordering Dfc), Rostov-on-Don, Saint Petersburg, Samara, Smolensk, Taganrog, Ufa, Vladikavkaz, Volgograd (bordering BSk), Voronezh
Nova Varoš, Subotica
Banská Bystrica, Košice, Pezinok https://en.climate-data.org/europe/slovakia/region-of-bratislava/pezinok-7294/, Prešov, Žilina
Lendava (bordering Cfb), Murska Sobota
Puerto de Navacerrada (Dsb bordering Csb)
Härnösand, Jönköping, Kalmar (bordering Cfb), Norrköping, Stockholm, Sundsvall, Uppsala, Visby (bordering Cfb)
Gstaad, La Brévine (bordering Dfc), La Chaux-de-Fonds, Poschiavo
Tiraspol (disputed with Moldova)
Dnipro, Donetsk (occupied by Russia), Izmail (bordering Cfa), Kharkiv, Kherson, Kryvyi Rih, Kyiv, Luhansk (occupied by Russia), Lviv, Mariupol (occupied by Russia), Odesa (bordering BSk/Cfa), Uzhhorod, Zaporizhzhia, Zhytomyr
- Calgary (higher areas are Dwc)
- Castlegar, BC (Dsb bordering Dfb)
- Charlottetown
- Edmonton
- Fredericton
- Gander, NL
- Goose Bay, NL (bordering Dfc)
- Halifax
- Hamilton, ON
- Kelowna, BC
- Marystown, NL
- Moncton
- Montreal
- Moose Factory
- Murdochville, QC
- Ottawa
- Penticton, BC (bordering BSk)
- Prince George, BC
- Quebec City
- Red Deer, AL
- Regina (bordering BSk)
- Rimouski, QC
- Sable Island (bordering Cfb)
- Saint John, NB
- Saguenay, QC
- St. John's, NL
- Saskatoon (bordering BSk)
- Stewart, BC
- Sudbury
- Sydney, NS
- Thunder Bay
- Toronto
- Windsor
- Winnipeg
- Yarmouth, NS
- Bismarck, ND
- Bloomington, IN
- Cahokia Heights, IL (bordering Cfa)
- Cedar Rapids, IA
- Champaign, IL
- Chicago
- Cincinnati (downtown is Cfa)
- Cleveland
- Columbia, MO
- Columbus, OH
- Dayton
- Des Moines
- Detroit
- Duluth, MN
- Fargo, ND
- Fort Wayne, IN
- Grand Rapids, MI
- Green Bay, WI
- Indianapolis
- Kansas City (bordering Cfa)
- Lansing, MI
- Lincoln, NE
- Madison, WI
- Marquette, MI
- Milwaukee
- Minneapolis
- North Platte, NE
- Omaha
- Rapid City, SD (bordering BSk)
- Rochester, MN
- Rockford, IL
- Sioux Falls, SD
- South Bend, IN
- Springfield, IL
- Toledo, OH
- Topeka
- Youngstown, OH
- Albany
- Allentown, PA
- Bangor, ME
- Binghamton, NY
- Boston
- Bridgeport, CT (bordering Cfa)
- Buffalo
- Burlington, VT
- Cape Cod (east side is Cfb)
- Concord, NH
- Erie, PA
- Harrisburg (downtown and riverfront (including City Island) are Cfa)
- Hartford
- Lancaster, PA (bordering Cfa)
- Manchester, NH
- New Haven
- Newport, RI (bordering Cfa/Cfb)
- Paterson, NJ (bordering Cfa)
- Pittsburgh
- Portland, ME
- Poughkeepsie, NY
- Princeton, NJ (bordering Cfa)
- Providence, RI
- Reading, PA
- Riverhead, NY (north side facing Long Island Sound is Cfa)
- Rochester
- Scranton, PA
- Southampton, NY
- Springfield, MA https://weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=19447&cityname=Springfield-Massachusetts-United-States-of-America
- State College, PA
- Syracuse
- Utica, NY
- White Plains, NY
- Worcester, MA
- York, PA (bordering Cfa)
- Beech Mountain, NC
- Boone, NC (bordering Cfb)
- Brasstown Bald, GA (bordering Cfb) https://www.meteoblue.com/en/weather/historyclimate/climatemodelled/brasstown-bald_united-states_4184168
- Buckhannon, WV (bordering Cfa)
- Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (bordering Cfa)
- Clifton Forge, VA (bordering Cfa) https://en.climate-data.org/north-america/united-states-of-america/virginia/clifton-forge-18593/
- Clingmans Dome, NC/TN
- Cumberland, MD
- Ebright Azimuth, DE (bordering Cfa)
- Elkins, WV
- Emmitsburg, MD (bordering Cfa)
- Fairmont, WV (bordering Cfa)
- Hancock, MD https://www.usclimatedata.com/climate/hancock/maryland/united-states/usmd0198
- Mount Mitchell, NC
- Oakland, MD
- Parkton, MD https://www.usclimatedata.com/climate/parkton/maryland/united-states/usmd0304
- Romney, WV (bordering Cfa) https://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=37764&cityname=Romney%2C+West+Virginia%2C+United+States+of+America&units=
- Wheeling, WV
- White Sulphur Springs, WV
- Winchester, VA (bordering Cfa)
- Alturas, CA (Dsb bordering BSk/Csb)
- Aspen, CO
- Billings, MT (bordering BSk)
- Bozeman, MT
- Cambridge, ID (Dsa)
- Cheyenne, WY (bordering BSk)
- Coeur D'Alene, ID (Dsb bordering Csb)
- Fairbanks (bordering Dfc)
- Flagstaff, AZ (bordering BSk)
- Government Camp, OR (Dsb bordering Csb/Csc/Dsc)
- Idaho Falls (bordering BSk)
- Jackson, WY (bordering Dfc)
- Joseph, OR
- Juneau (bordering Dfc)
- Klamath Falls, OR (Dsb)
- Kodiak, AK (bordering Cfb/Cfc/Dfc)
- Logan, UT (Dsa)
- Los Alamos, NM (bordering BSk)
- Loveland, CO (bordering BSk)
- Mammoth Lakes, CA (Dsb)
- Missoula, MT
- Mountain City, NV (bordering BSk)
- Nenana, AK (bordering Dfc)
- Ogden, UT
- Orofino, ID (Dsb bordering Dsa)
- Park City, UT
- Petersburg, AK
- Salt Lake City (Dsa bordering BSk/Csa)
- Santa Fe, NM (bordering BSk)
- Skagway, AK (Dsb bordering Dsc)
- South Lake Tahoe, CA (Dsb bordering Csb)
- Spokane, WA (Dsb bordering Csa/Csb/Dsa)
- Tahoe City, CA (Dsb)
- Taos, NM (bordering BSk)
- Telluride, CO
- Tusayan, AZ (bordering BSk)
- Winthrop, WA (Dsb)
See also
Notes and References
- Encyclopedia: Continental Climate . https://web.archive.org/web/20090427192955/http://www.ace.mmu.ac.uk/eae/climate/older/Continental_Climate.html . 2009-04-27 . Encyclopedia of the Atmospheric Environment . . dead .
- Book: Senker . Cath . Temperate Climates . 3 May 2018 . Raintree Publishers . 9781474738408 . 5 . 23 June 2023.
- Web site: Weather & Climate Change: Climates around the world . . https://web.archive.org/web/20160414115206/http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/weatherandclimatechange/climate/worldclimates/temperate.asp . 14 April 2016.
- Peel, M. C. . Finlayson B. L. . McMahon, T. A. . amp . 2007 . Updated world map of the Köppen–Geiger climate classification . Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. . 11 . 5 . 1633–1644 . 10.5194/Hess-11-1633-2007 . 1027-5606. 2007HESS...11.1633P . free .
- Kottek. Markus. Grieser. Jürgen. Beck. Christoph. Rudolf. Bruno . Rubel. Franz. World Map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification updated. Meteorologische Zeitschrift. 2006. 15. 3. 259–263. 10.1127/0941-2948/2006/0130. 2006MetZe..15..259K.
- Web site: 2019-05-21 . What Is a Continental Climate? . 2022-04-04 . WorldAtlas . en-US.
