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Mountains nearby: cooler or hotter?

Archived Nerdy Forum (Weather Q&A).
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crikey
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Re: Mountains nearby: cooler or hotter?

Post by crikey »

Found this.schroenders cat.. maybe its a start.

Ocean currents carry warmer water from the tropics into colder regions. The heat from that warmer water escapes into the atmosphere as it travels, creating warmer, rainier weather than might otherwise be expected.

Upwellings along the California coast bring cold water up from the bottom of the ocean. This is why beaches along the continental pacific coast never really have warm water (compared to the Atlantic coast) even in summer. Winds carry this ambient temperature onto land which is why the coast of California remains in a range between about 50-75 degrees all year long. Climates that rely on ocean temperatures in coastal regions are considered "Maritime" climates.

The Sierra mountains inland force air up the mountain slope, which results in precipitation and rain shadow on the leeward side of the range. The climate in this area is very hot and dry, resulting in the deserts in the western US. This is considered a "Continental" climate because it is not really affected by the ocean temperature. Continental climates typically have much more drastic temperature changes not only in different seasons, but also diurnally (daily).

Winds are the result of air moving from different areas of high and low pressure. The larger the different in pressure, the stronger the winds become. Winds and ocean currents are responsible for distributing warmer temperatures from the equator to the rest of the world.
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