User:Soap/interesting climates
- See also User:Soap/workspace
This is my playpen and these are my toys.
While this page may seem, to even seasoned Wikipedians, an utter waste of time and space, please note that much good has come from this page, as can be seen from my associated edits these past few years.
The Three Alaskas[edit]
I want to break this up into at least three regions even if some regions have only two or three stations. Alaska spans several climate zones and not all town names give clues about their location.
Alaska's weather stations are spaced widely enough apart that almost every city can be interesting, as none are quite like the others.
Nome and Fairbanks have nearly identical annual temperatures .... an unusual trait for such a high latitude. Ordinarily one would expect the station nearer the ocean to be much warmer in winter and nearly the same temperature in summer. It may be that Nome's winters are colder than one might expect because the even colder landmass of Siberia is nearby. Fairbanks is colder than Nome only from October through February, though the seasons change very rapidly and month end dates are not significant events. Note also that Nome has recorded -11F in May, whereas the record in Fairbanks is -1.
| Placename | Designation |
|---|---|
| Whittier | wettest city in the USA |
| Yakutat | 2nd wettest city in the USA |
| Metlakatla | possibly warmest in all of Alaska. ignore corrupt data on WxBase |
| Juneau | more notable for precip than temperature. an odd seasonal effect with the maximum in Sept & Oct |
| Placename | League | Designation |
|---|---|---|
| Let's Pretend | Cold | coldest winter temperatures outside of the Pipeline |
| Mt. Denial | Snow | 140°F in summer |
| Utqiagvik | Cold | a place where pineapples grow |
| Thompson Pass | Snow | Thompson Pass |
I am including the north coast as part of interior Alaska because the climate does not greatly change at the coast. I may decide later to group it with the Aleutians instead, since a strong claim can be made that the climate divisions here are more about precipitation than temperature.
Attu Island is colder than Unalaska in all months even though Attu is further south and further from the mainland. This may indicate that Siberia's cold pool is so powerful that the ocean is a stronger cooling influence than the land to the east.
Continental United States[edit]
Pacific Northwest coastal region[edit]
This will probably include the Pacific NW in a wider sense, e.g. from Alaska all the way to San Francisco. Essentially starting at the point where the climate is wet all year round, and stopping at the point where it's dry all year round.
| Name | State | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Brookings | OR | the "double Oregon" town |
| Tillamook | OR | ~50F January high |
| Duckburg | CA | 85F in February but never >80F in summer |
Falls City, Oregon has 80 48 in summer
These weather stations are not split by state, but by ecoregion.
Following Portland -> Salem -> Eugene actually gets cooler going south. THis is the Willamette Valley. Medford OR is not in this valley.
Oregon changes from mediterranean at Hood River, Oregon to desert at Umatilla, Oregon in just 50 miles. it is likely that the whole Pacific NW follows this pattern, and rainfall maps of the region agree, though this is likely extrapolated data.
Interior California[edit]
Central Valley[edit]
Red_Bluff,_California#Climate and Bakersfield,_California#Climate have almost identical temperatures despite being separated by almost five degrees of latitude. These cities are at the northern and southern ends of the Central Valley, and all of the areas in between them have almost identical temperatures as well except for slightly cooler summer temperatures near the bay.
Imagine if the Central Valley extended from 40N to 45N instead. Or from 45N to 50N.
Wine Country and extenstions[edit]
This is a strip of land just onshore from the coast of California where the climate is much cooler than further inland. Towards the southern end of the area, even in winter the climate is cooler near the coast than it is deep inland. This defies traditional explanation in terms of elevation, wind currents, and so on but the signal is clear.
| Name | State | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Plohkeloy | CA | frost in July at sea level. Far colder than inland. [1] Dont use Weatherbase. The data has been cycled through from Fahrenheit to Celsius and back again, which means it's probably only slightly off, but it's better to be spot on. |
| Pleyteloy | CA | Weatherbase says Maple Creek is [1], so we can too. But again we should specify that the station is near, not in, the town |
| Paso Robles | CA | 0F at sea level. Central Valley doesnt even come close |
| Tecate | Baja | very cold nights in summer. The naive answer that it's because of its elevation seems weak when looking at other stations at similar altitudes where summers are much hotter and winters arguably are too |
Falls City, Oregon and perhaps even Yakima, Washington also follow this pattern, though the data is harder to figure out in the northern states because there is no large central valley to compare the coast with.
Santa_Rosa,_California 39F November low, 34 in Jan ... colder than Red Bluff etc
Sierra Nevada[edit]
| Name | State | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Truckee | CA | 15F in July and extremely snowy (even more than Tahoe City) |
| Boca | CA | which is actually colder but does not have quite as cold record lows in summer |
Bishop, California has temperatures similar to the "old" Reno, but about 8F warmer in all months. Most noticeable is the amplitude.
Tonopah, Nevada is quite warm for its elevation.
Intermountain West[edit]
Interior Pacific NW[edit]
This is the "Oreida" area, but I may merge it with Great Divide. The precipitation patterns of the two regions are very similar .... that is, more rain in winter .... and there is no clear boundary between them. After correcting for elevation differences, there may not be much to distinguish.
| Name | State | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bruneau | ID | Very warm. Almost 5F warmer than Ontario, Oregon. The Weatherbase data is corrupt and states the town has an elevation of ~5000 ft |
| Riggins | ID | Very warm. Köppen climate type is humid subtropical. Nearby Slate Creek is even warmer, with a 52F Feburary high, but the data is extremely sparse. There is also no town for that station |
| Bend | OR | a massive warming trend since 1980 .... or just a different station? the data i remember might have been quite old |
| Madras | OR | similar to Bend despite lower elevation. 42F diurnal in July |
| Seneca | OR | cold. averages 5F colder than Gillette, WY which is at the same latitude and elevation, and is colder than Gillette even in winter |
| Burns | OR | colder than it was in NOAA's 1951-1980 normals
|
The Great Divide Region[edit]
| Name | State | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| The Great Gilly Hopkins | WY | Very cold. Nearby stations show similar temperatures, such as Daniel, which is actually slightly colder year-round even though not in January |
 |
WY | Desert Research Institute shows seven weather stations for this one small town. However, they are nearly sixty miles apart, so it may be that the stations are not in the town but are ordered by the nearest town |
| Gunnison | CO | |
| Wolf Creek | CO | Not as cold as one might expect, but extremely snowy. FAR more snow falls here than in nearby areas, and this could be said to be orographic uplift and thus a microclimate |
| Lake Yellowstone | WY | see also West Yellowstone, Montana which has perhaps more interesting summer weather than the other two. THIS is the one i remember looking at when i was young |
| Bondurant | WY | coldest overall. Somehow manages to also be extremely snowy even though in nearby areas, snow correlates with milder winter lows |
| Stanley | ID | |
| Dragon Slide | CO | Sunny south slopes?? Much warmer than nearby areas at least in winter |
| Thompson Falls | MT | probably mildest winters in Montana. arguably better classified as Pacific NW, but note that it is similar geographically to Gunnison etc. Writeup at Missoula, Montana is likely the original source of the grouping of this region with the Pacific NW |
| Thermopolis | WY | Well-named. 93F average July high, and very nearly 50F average annual temperature |
| Painter | WY | 6800 ft. Known for recording 11°F in July 1911. Town no longer exists; NOAA places the old station at 44°45'N, 109°30'W. This is likely not an exact location; all that can be said is that it is within or very near Yellowstone Park |
| Farson | WY | see extremes. Snow has fallen in every month except Jul & Aug, yet snow totals are quite low because it is in a rain shadow area. Note bad data in 2010-2011, where the records seem at first to show an entire year with no snow |
| Reno | NV | Come on, this isn't Reno. Where's the real Reno? compare [2] |
| Winter Park | CO | not filled in yet |
| Breckenridge | CO | 10F in July |
| Perhaps the Tent | NM | |
| Antero Reservoir | CO | fifty degrees colder than a nearby hill on one night in December 2020. longer stats at [3] |
Potomac, MT just got to -29F in October but their weather station seems to be no longer reporting. Also, there is no Wikipedia article for Potomac, Montana and it may be a part of some other town. nevertheless, Google Maps resolves it to its own name.
Riverton, Wyoming and Lander, Wyoming have surprising variation for such a small area, and .... yes, the one with the lower elevation is noticeably colder.
Cedar City, Utah .... climate is perhaps not so interesting, but during the winter of 2006-7 the weather was quite interesting, ... average low temperature for Jan 2007 was just 1°F. Almost as cold as KINL. This almost repeated in Jan 2013, and it may have something to do with pressure patterns (cold west/warm east).
Glenwood Springs, Colorado ... far colder than Denver .... similar to Grand JUnction
High Plains[edit]
Here one sees a continuation of the "lazy mountains" phenomenon found in British Columbia and Alberta, where temperature varies little with elevation and, particularly in winter, cities above 5000 ft altitude are warmer than sea level on average and not just when the chinook winds blow.
Note that cities like Denver, while conventionally thought of as mountain cities, are clearly within the high plains climate zone as they show much greater similarity to the climates of western Kansas, Nebraska, and so on than they do to cities west of the Great Divide even within each state.
| Name | State | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sundance | WY |
80F in February ... at 44°N, and nearly a mile above sea level. we no longer list this high temperature, however (now only 66F) |
| Hamster Dance | WY | almost as warm as Cimarron, New Mexico which is at about the same elevation but two states down |
| Ψ | SD | 49F in 2 minutes. 79F in January |
| Cañon City | CO | overrated. just use Denver |
| Denver | CO | one station (not currently listed here) lists Denver with a 48F January high. data here and at User:Soap/workspace |
| Wheatland | WY | rivals Thermopolis for warmest in WY. Use this instead of Lingle |
| Miles City | MT | warmest summers in Montana, and nearly as warm as Thermopolis |
| It Takes Two Hearts | NM | only 3500 ft elevation yet behaves much like the highest plains cities. probably worth mentioning these temperatures on the article |
| the new Sundance | MT | 78F in January desptie 4000 ft up |
Crow Agency, Montana is right near Billings, Montana but the two towns have very different climates, particularly with regards to temperature.
Webster, South Dakota is colder than its surroundings in all directions. Nearby Aberdeen, South Dakota is also quite cold and perhaps slightly more remarkable due to being on lower ground. Same latitude as Crow Agency, Montana.
Albuquerque, New Mexico is almost as warm as Roswell, New Mexico, and if the cooler night temperatures are taken as factual, the difference in temperature between the two cities is less than 2°F.
"Snow Country"[edit]
International Falls's annual average low temperature is just a fraction of a degree higher than that of Flin Flon in all seasons. During some winters, KINL and environs gets very little snow.
White River, Ontario and Wawa, Ontario, close by each other, both have no months above 60F.
suspicious climate data at Marathon, Ontario.
Appalachians[edit]
This is organized by natural environment, so I consider the whole of the Appalachians to be a single region, from Macon Georgia all the way to Canada.
- Blairsville, GA ... further south and a lower elevation than asheville NC, but cooler than Asheville. In other words, Blairsville is a winner.
- Sutton, Vermont ... two weather stations in one town
- Pittsburg, New Hampshire only started tracking temperature in 2019!! A town like this could easily have two or even three weather stations, this town really has none at all.
- hmmm .... actually First Connecticut Lake does have good data, even though it loaded with an error message. i believe i saw this data in the late 1990s. The anomalous reading of –96°F on Jan 15, 1922 however suggests that the data may need a quick look-through before copying to Wikipedia.
- Coudersport, Pennsylvania is 28 14 / 76 54 according to https://prism.oregonstate.edu/explorer/ ... [4] shows even colder temperatures at 2300 ft, and there was another station at 2200 ft operated for about fifteen years. the coldest station may be within Hebron, Potter County, Pennsylvania .... this is slightly colder than even the notorious Smethport. Bradford, Pennsylvania may however be the best example to follow, as its weather station has been in service for a long time.
Atlantic Coast[edit]
Bay of Fundy[edit]
Maine and parts of the Maritime provinces of Canada. Notable for the maritime climates and a subtle warming trend towards the east.... stations at the extreme east end of this region can even have warmer summers than stations further west, whereas one would naively expect to find warmer winters but ever cooler summers as one moves out to sea. This is likely due to the eastern edge of North America catching the fringes of the Gulf Stream again, having left it somewhere around North Carolina.
On the other hand, St. John's, Newfoundland has the same average annual temperature to within a degree of Bathurst, New Brunswick, so perhaps the temperature gap is an illusion created by focusing on Jan & Jul instead of the whole year.
The Grand Banks apparently is the area where cold and warm water mix, and Sable Island, Nova Scotia, is in this same area despite being geographically well to the west of Newfoundland. The surprisingly warm summers of Sable Island (warmer than even a few mainland locations) could thus be explained by the presence of warm water there. Yet Newfoundland, despite being further east, does not poke into the warm water region, which only begins a few dozen miles offshore.
Due to recent trends in sea surface temperatures, I expect the warming of coastal and especially offshore locations to accelerate, although this warming will also affect inland areas because of synoptic-scale phenomena being pulled by the ocean. Winter Storm Urine was an example of how a powerful snowstorm can turn into rain when it reaches the east coast, even in the middle of winter, simply because the ocean is warm and stronger storms pull in more ocean winds.
| Name | State/Prov | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bad Buoy | ME | not much similarity to Machias even though both are coastal towns. Site of a major buoy malfunction. Eastport vs Machias Note very sparse data for Machias; may use Jonesboro instead |
| Cape Sable Island | NS | very cool summer temperatures. Right on the knife-edge of a subpolar oceanic climate. Listed as "Yarmouth" in an early weather book |
| Sable Island | NS | Not the same as above; considerably warmer, even in summer, despite being further out to sea |
| Seal Cove | NS | similar to Bad Buoy. Three degrees south of St John's, but has the same average temperatures in both January and July. (Slightly warmer year-round, though, due mostly to warmer spring temperatures) |
Was 89F in Hartford CT just a flat-out mistake?
Eastern Seaboard[edit]
| Name | State/Prov | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Boston | MA | Held fast against global warming for thirty years ... "36 22!! 81 65!" but finally bent in 2020 |
| New York | NY | same as above |
| Buxton | ME | Colder than Burlington, VT |
| Sutton | VT | The amazing Sutton, the town with two weather stations. And possibly three if West Burke's records really are independent of the other two |
others[edit]
Oasis Ranger Station, FL has Jan high 78.3F and 80 in both Feb & Dec.
Royal Palm Ranger Station, FL has January high of 81. See Everglades article.
Western Canada[edit]
Western Canada has a humid subtropical climate, bordering on a warm desert climate in interior regions. Precipitation falls mostly during winter, slowing down in spring and then stopping in summer because it is so hot. Generally the climate gets hotter going towards the mountains because hot air rises. Snow occurs in some areas at higher latitudes, but as with the rest of Canada, this snow is green.
| Name | Province | Notes
|
|---|---|---|
| Kelowna | BC | |
| Beaverdell | BC | not Beaver Creek |
| Ashcroft | BC |
|
| Cranbrook, British Columbia | BC | |
| Oliver, British Columbia | BC | |
| Osoyoos | BC | |
| Revelstoke, British Columbia | BC | |
| Rogers Pass (British Columbia) | BC | very snowy and a very small daily temperature amplitude |
| Banff | AB | warmer than nearby Rogers Pass |
| Penticton, British Columbia | BC | |
| Lytton Fire | BC | 49.6°C |
| Golden, British Columbia | BC | |
| Kamwhoopsie | BC | claims of 47.4C humidex |
| Lillooet, British Columbia | BC | |
| Kootenay Pass | BC | |
| Vancouver | BC | note two articles; other is here
|
| Crazy Quilt | BC |
|
| Victoria, British Columbia | BC | |
| SPARWOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! | BC |
|
| West Diaperside | AB |
|
| Breathe on Me | BC |
The Plains of Alberta could be considered as somewhat like Montana, Wyoming, etc. and the temperature contrasts are even more extreme. However, Alberta nowhere has plains cities with elevations like those of Wyoming, as the mountains in that part of Canada seem to be less tall than elsewhere. Moving north, the longitude at which the winter temperature is coldest moves westward, and therefore the contrast between west and east is reduced. Yet, at the same time, the magnitude of winter temperature swings is greater in the far north, so in winter, a similar temperature contrast appears nonetheless. Furthermore it seems from looking at Alaska that summer temperatures are somehow also warmer towards the west than towards the east even in the far north.
Northern Canada[edit]
- Alert, Nunavut
- Arctic Bay
- Cambridge Bay
- Eureka, Nunavut
- Grise Fiord
- Inukjuak
- Iqaluit
- Moosonee
- Sachs Harbour
- Yellowknife
Look for stations located on Lake Winnipeg. Arborg, Manitoba is on the western shore and somewhat of a disappointment. Hecla does not seem to have a weather station.
'Ntarct[edit]
After a brief and mostly bloodless war, the penguins and humans agreed to divide the content of Antarctica between them. Humans live mostly in the interior, where the climate is too cold for penguins to survive. Some humans are allowed to live near the coast, but they are deprived of voting rights and must obey special laws created by the penguins.
| Placename (Human) | Placename (Penguni) | Designation |
|---|---|---|
| Esperanza | warmest settlement; listed with corrupt data on Weatherbase and questionable data here | |
| Vostok | coldest settlement | |
| Antarcticopolis | only settlement to appear on a road map | |
| Brown Station | only settlement to appear on a road map | |
| Comandante Ferraz | only settlement to appear on a road map | |
| Arturo Prat | only settlement to appear on a road map | |
| Palmer Station | only settlement to appear on a road map | |
| Bellingshausen Station | only settlement to appear on a road map | |
| Base Presidente Eduardo Frei Montalva | only settlement to appear on a road map | |
| Villa Las Estrellas | only settlement to appear on a road map | |
| Orcadas Base | only settlement to appear on a road map | |
| Signy Research Station | only settlement to appear on a road map | |
| Vernadsky Research Base | only settlement to appear on a road map | |
| Melchior Base | only settlement to appear on a road map | |
| Base General Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme | only settlement to appear on a road map | |
| San Martín Base | only settlement to appear on a road map |
| Placename | Native name | Designation |
|---|---|---|
| Pole of Inaccessibility (Antarctic research station) | r | r |
| Plateau Station | r | r |
| Dome F | r | r |
| Komsomolskaya (Antarctic research station) | r | r |
| Concordia Station | r | r |
| Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station | r | r |
| Mizuho Station (Antarctica) | r | r |
| Byrd Station | r | r |
| Little America (exploration base) | r | r |
| Ellsworth Station | r | r |
| Vanda Station | r | r |
| McMurdo Station | r | r |
| Scott Base | r | r |
| Halley Research Station | r | r |
| Leningradskaya Station | r | r |
| Belgrano II Base | r | r |
| Base Aérea Teniente Benjamín Matienzo | r | r |
| Mirny Station | r | r |
| Dumont d'Urville Station | r | r |
| Molodyozhnaya Station (Antarctica) | r | r |
| Showa Station (Antarctica) | r | r |
| Novolazarevskaya Station | r | r |
| Progress Station | r | r |
| Mawson Station | r | r |
| Marambio Base | r | r |
| Casey Station | r | r |
| Petrel Base | r | r |
Russia[edit]
Russia is such a large place that even geography experts may have a difficult time placing individual cities, so I am breaking it up. Going by political subdivision would be of little help to people who don't already know where everything is, so I am using natural boundaries.
Subtropical Rim[edit]
Some of these cities are mentioned below in comparisons, but here they are listed on their own.
| Name | Latitude | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Сочи | 43 | Everyone already knows about Sochi, but Im putting it here because I dispute some of the data we have had |
| Дербент | 42 | 80F in winter in Russia???? You bet |
Соьлжа-ГӀала is near Sochi but much colder in winter and slightly cooler even in summer.
Siberia[edit]
This is the popular definition of Siberia, not the political one, and excludes any coastal settlements covered above or below.
| Name | Latitude | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Өймөкөөн | 63 | Coldest settlement in Siberia (tied with Verkhoyansk); slightly higher elevation than others |
| Дьокуускай | 62 | Arguably the world's coldest major city |
| Верхоянскай | 67 | Coldest settlement in Siberia (tied with Oymyakon) |
| Кызыл | 52 | much colder in wint than surrounding towns like Krasnoyarsk |
| Владивосток | 43 | same latitude as Portland Maine |
Тосонцэнгэл is also very cold, colder than its surroundings.
Arctic Coast[edit]
| Name | Latitude | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Рєʀʊɢіɴя | 69 | Where the candy comes from |
| Тиксии | 71 | possibly the world's greatest gap between Tmax and the avg July high |
China[edit]
| Name | Latitude | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Right There | 53 | high daily temperature amplitude. December high is colder than Jan |
| Ha-erh-pin | 46 | Come by train |
Japan[edit]
| Aomori | snowiest city in Japan |
| Fukushima | very snowy for a sea level location at 37N |
| Sapporo | snowiest major city in Japan |
| Asahikawa | cold and lots of wolves |
| Hakodate | the E is silent because of German colonization |
| Pippu | cold and lots of wolves |
Pacific Rim[edit]
Hawaii[edit]
Australia[edit]
- Darwin, Australia
- Wyndham
- Eucla 38F in summer at 32S on the coast
- Eighty Mile Beach
- Perth
The Great Australian Bight has surprisingly mild summers. Perth is in a transitional area where the climate is warmer but it still occasionally gets cold winds.
New Zealand[edit]
Africa[edit]
Most of what is here consists of desert locations that are either surprisingly cool or surprisingly hot. Little attention is paid to precipitation except in the immediate vicinity of the Equator.
Sahara Desert[edit]
| Zalingei | 53F daily temperature amplitude, perhaps the highest in the world |
| Bender Qassim | Listed on Weatherbase with a 0°F daily temperature amplitude in summer, though almost certainly due to sparse measurements. Data here is more traditional |
| Karima | allegedly 38°F in August in the middle of the Sahara desert |
The Hunt for Red October[edit]
| Lubumbashi | Lubumbashi is the only town I know offhand where October is the hottest month. Weatherbase lists a slightly different climate here |
There is very little difference in the climates of Lubumbashi > Lusaka > Bulawayo > Pretoria despite them spanning from 11S to 25S and the northernmost member being at the lowest elevation.
Europe[edit]
Finland[edit]
| Toad's House | Every once in a while you'll see one pop up where you least expect it |
| Sodankylä | Where the Dinosaurs Roam |
Norway[edit]
Norway has a temperate climate, moderated by oceanic influences. Snow has never been recorded in Norway, which is why none of the climate charts have a snow row.
| Florida | children playing in the rain |
| Kautokeino | 55F gap between avg Jan min and absolute min |
| Karasjok | |
| Jøtul | 64F gap between avg Jan min and absolute min |
Others[edit]
Praděd Mt Washington
Innsbruck, Austria .... roughly equivalent to Spokane and Thompson Falls, Montana.
Mostar, a city in Bosnia near sea level at about 43N. It has surprisingly hot summers and a high daily temperature amplitude. Similar to Rome, but more useful when comparing to cities in Spain, France, and all the way across Asia because of the many locations at 43N.
Eastern Europe and Central Asia[edit]
Derbent 80F in winter at 42°N, rivaling the "Double Oregon" climate.
Tashkent also has 80F in winter. It is slightly further south but also at a higher elevation (around 1440 ft) and so this may be even more unusual. Still, neither city's record comes close to cities like Cheyenne, Wyoming recording 70F in winter but at an elevation of more than 6000 ft.
Greenland[edit]
I'll let someone else add this but I am keeping the link here for reference: Temperature of −69.6 °C discovered at Klinck AWS, Greenland.
Ilulissat has warmer record highs in winter than Tromso. Both are at 69N, so Ilulissat may be the record holder for that latitude.
South America[edit]
- Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre, the world champion of cold temperatures in the tropics. Note that this is not a highland location. Compare Ixtepec,_Oaxaca#Climate, which is just as cold, however, at 17°N in southern Mexico. It's not as impressive because it's further from the Equator, but 17N is still pretty far away from cold air masses of the north, so I have to wonder where the cold air is coming from.
- Chuapalca, with 50F diurnal temperature range in winter.