kids encyclopedia robot

Continental climate facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
World Koppen Map
World Koppen Map

Continental climates are climates with significant annual variation in temperature. They tend to occur in the middles of continents, where prevailing winds come from over land, and temperatures are not moderated by bodies of water such as oceans or seas. They mostly occur in the eastern U.S. and mainland China, and at higher elevations in other parts of the world.

Often winter temperatures are cold enough to support a fixed period of snow each year. Precipitation tends to be moderate, occurring mostly in summer, although there are exceptions such as the upper east coast areas of North America which show an even distribution of precipitation: these are called humid continental climates. 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.

Spring and autumn

Harbin Bank 01
Headquarter of Harbin Bank in Harbin

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 early March in the southern parts of this zone, or as late as May in the north. Annual precipitation in this zone is usually between 600 millimetres (24 in) and 1,200 millimetres (47 in), most of it in the form of snow during winter. It also has cold winters and warm summers.

Köppen climate classification

Kenya map of Köppen climate classification FR
Kenya map of Köppen climate classification

Most such areas fit Köppen classifications of Dfa, Dwa (cold winters, hot summers; "w" indicating very dry winters characteristic especially of China) or Dfb or Dwb (cold winters, warm summers, same distinction for winter dryness). Dry summer continental climates (Dsa and Dsb) exist in high altitude areas near Mediterranean climates. In some cases, the semi-arid climate classification of BSk can also be considered to be continental as long it has cold winter. The definition of this climate regarding temperature is as follows: the mean temperature of the coldest month must be below −3 °C (26.6 °F) and there must be at least four months whose mean temperatures are at or above 10 °C (50 °F). Some climatologists use the 0 °C isotherm instead for the coldest month.

Climatology

Odori Park Sapporo Snow Festival 2007
The snowy city of Sapporo

Continental climates exist where cold air masses infiltrate during the winter and warm air masses form in summer under conditions of high sun and long days. Places with continental climates are as a rule either far from any moderating effects of oceans (examples: Omaha, Nebraska and Kazan, Russia) or are so situated that prevailing winds tend to head offshore (example: New York City, USA). Such regions get quite warm in the summer, achieving temperatures characteristic of tropical climates but are much colder than any other climates of similar latitude in the winter.

Neighboring climates

These climates grade off toward subtropical climates equator-ward where winters are less severe and semiarid climates where precipitation becomes inadequate for tall-grass prairies. In Europe these climates may grade off into oceanic climates in which the influence of moderating air masses is more marked toward the west. The subarctic climate (Köppen: Dfc), with very cold, long and dry winters, but with at least one month above 10 °C (50 °F), might be considered a sub-type of the continental climate.

List of locations with a continental climate

North America

South America

Puentedelinca
Puente del Inca, Argentina in July

Europe

Andronikov Monastery 18
Spassky Cathedral in Moscow
Oslo Aker Brygge 2005 June 19
Aker Brygge in Oslo

Oceania

Charlotte Pass, winter view
Looking through Charlotte Pass towards the main range in winter
Cabramurra12
Cabramurra Community Hall in Winter
  • Australia: High elevations such as the Victorian Alps between Victoria and New South Wales and in Tasmania: Major cities: Collinsvale (bordering an oceanic climate), Mount Buller (bordering a subartic climate), Kiandra, Cabramurra, Charlotte Pass (bordering a subartic climate)

Africa

Jbel.Oukaimeden
View from Jbel Oukaïmeden in Morocco
  • Morocco: Oukaimeden, Khenifra, Imilchil, and Azilal

Middle East

Palandoken Erzurum 2009
Palandöken in August 2009, as seen from downtown Erzurum

Asia

  • 2009-0605-Ilanaaq-2010Oly-Whistler

    A statue of Ilanaaq, mascot of the 2010 Olympics, located on Whistler Mountain

  • Edmonton River Valley

    North Saskatchewan River valley in Edmonton

  • Forks Riverwalk

    The Forks, with St. Boniface Cathedral in the background in Winnipeg

  • Skyline as viewed from Sam Smith

    Toronto skyline taken from Colonel Samuel Smith Park in Etobicoke.

  • Rainbow Bridge Rainbow

    Rainbow Bridge and the American Falls in Niagara Falls

  • Rideau Canal Winter

    Ice skaters on the frozen Rideau Canal, looking south from Laurier Avenue Bridge in Ottawa

  • Le Stade Olympique 3

    Olympic Stadium in Montreal

  • Québec City shore

    Québec City shore

  • Halifaxskyline

    Halifax as seen from the Dartmouth waterfront

  • StJohns Newfoundland

    Duckworth Street in St. Johns

  • Buildings along the sides of a river in a panorama view

    The Chicago River, with the Near North Side and Streeterville on the right, the Chicago Loop, Lakeshore East, and Illinois Center on the left, and Trump Tower at the jog in the river in the center. This view is looking west from Lake Shore Drive's Outer Drive Bridge.

  • 1 times square night 2013

    Times Square in Manhattan, New York City

  • Boone NC - aerial

    Boone as seen from Howard's Knob

  • Vermont fall foliage hogback mountain

    Mixed forest in Vermont during autumn

  • USA Massachusetts Boston Foliage

    Boston's skyline in the background, with fall foliage in the foreground

  • Flagstaffazm

    San Francisco Peaks from Flagstaff

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Clima continental para niños

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Continental climate Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.