Climate and weather

Effects on Climate: Latitude

• The most southerly point in Canada is Pelee Island in Lake Erie (41ºN)
• The most northerly point in Canada is Alert (Ellesmere Island) (83ºN) latitude
• This large range in latitude has a major impact on Canada’s climate

Effects on Climate: Latitude

• distance from the equator is a key factor in whether a region is hot or cold
• The size of the land mass in which a region is located is also a factor

Effects on Climate: Latitude

• The energy from the sun that hits the earth at the equator covers a small area
• The same amount of energy that hits the earth at the northerly location is spread over a larger area because of the curvature of the earth
• Places closer to the North and South Poles experience colder temperatures

Effects on Climate: Relief and Elevation

• Relief refers to differences in elevation of the earth’s surface
• Mountain ranges act as barriers to the movement of air masses
• This is why Vancouver often has warm, rainy weather in winter, while Calgary, on the other side of the Cordillera, has cold, dry weather

Effects on Climate: Latitude

• If you were hiking to the top of a mountain, you would notice that the temperature drops steadily as you climb
• As the elevation gets higher, it gets colder
• As air rises, it expands because there is less air pressure. As the air expands, it loses heat

Continental Environments

• Areas far from oceans and large lakes in the interior of land masses have a CONTINENTAL CLIMATE
• The temperature range is great because there is no large body to moderate the hot temperatures of summer and the cold temperatures of winter

Maritime Environments

• Coastal locations have a MARITIME CLIMATE
• The temperature range between the highest average monthly temperature and the lowest average monthly temperature is relatively small and the level of precipitation is higher