THE HUMID

SUBTROPICAL CLIMATE

By:
Campos, David
De León, Claudia
 Climatic Controls
The world's many
climates are
controlled by the
same factors
affecting weather,
a) intensity of
sunshine and its
variation with
latitude
b) distribution of
land and water
c) ocean currents

This map shows sea-

level temperatures Figure 18.1
(°F).
Regions of Rising & Sinking Air

Global patterns
of temperature
and
precipitation
are affected by
global cells of
rising and
sinking air,
which run
meridionally
north to south.
Figure 18.2
 Climate Classification

Ancient Greeks classified 3 climate regions as tropical,

polar, and temperate zones.

The Koppen classification system is now widely used,

based on temperature and precipitation, and
distinguishes 5 major climatic types as tropical moist,
dry, moist mid-latitude with mild winters, moist mid-
latitude with severe winters, and polar climates.

Thornthwaite's classification system considers

precipitation to evaporation ratios.
Koppen's Worldwide Distribution of Climatic Regions, II

Figure 18.5B
 Humid Subtropical Climate

In this climate, annual precipitation

may range from 80 to 165 cm, and for
interior regions the summer brings
vast amounts of rain during
thunderstorms.

Figure 18.15
 CHARACTERISTICS
 Humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa
or Cwa) is a climate zone characterized by
hot, humid summers and cool winters.
This climate type covers a broad category
of climates, and the term "subtropical"
may be a misnomer for the winter climate.
 Significant amounts of
precipitation occur in all
seasons in most areas.
Winter rainfall (and
sometimes snowfall) is
associated with large
storms that the westerlies
steer from west to east.
Most summer rainfall
occurs during
thunderstorms and an
occasional tropical storm,
hurricane or cyclone.
 Humid subtropical
climates lie on the
southeast side of all
continents except
Antarctica, roughly
between latitudes 25° and
40° north and south. Two
of the few exceptions
where this climate zone
reaches up to latitude
46° north are in the Po
Valley and the Toulouse
regions in Europe.