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Oceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification represented as Cfb, typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring warm summers and cool to mild winters (for their latitude), with a relatively narrow annual temperature range and few extremes of temperature. Oceanic climates can be found in both hemispheres generally between 40 and 60 degrees latitude, with subpolar versions extending to 70 degrees latitude in some coastal areas. Other varieties of climates usually classified together with these include subtropical highland climates, represented as Cwb or Cfb, and subpolar oceanic or cold subtropical highland climates, represented as Cfc or Cwc. Subtropical highland climates occur in some mountainous parts of the subtropics or tropics, some of which have monsoon influence, while their cold variants and subpolar oceanic climates occur near polar or tundra regions.
Locations with oceanic climates tend to feature frequent cloudy conditions with precipitation, low-hanging clouds, and frequent fronts and storms. Thunderstorms are normally few, since strong daytime heating and hot and cold air masses meet infrequently in the regions, but are more common in subtropical highland climates where these air masses meet more frequently due to the influence of hotter weather in the subtropics or tropics, especially in monsoon-influenced climates. In most areas with an oceanic climate, precipitation comes in the form of rain for the majority of the year. Most oceanic climate zones, however, experience at least one snowfall per year. Snowfall is more frequent and commonplace in the subpolar oceanic climates due to the colder weather in those locations.
Overall temperature characteristics of the oceanic climates feature cool temperatures and infrequent extremes of temperature. In the Köppen climate classification, oceanic climates have a mean temperature of 0 °C (32 °F) or higher (or −3 °C (27 °F) or higher) in the coldest month, compared to continental climates where the coldest month has a mean temperature of below 0 °C (32 °F) (or −3 °C (27 °F)). Summers are warm but not hot, with the warmest month having a mean temperature below 22 °C (72 °F).
Poleward of the latter is a subtype of it, the subpolar oceanic climate (Köppen Cfc), with long but relatively mild (for their latitude) winters, and cool and short summers with average temperatures of at least 10 °C (50 °F) for one to three months. Examples in the Northern Hemisphere include parts of coastal Iceland, the coast of Norway north of Bodø, the mountains of Scotland, parts of Shetland, and the British Columbian coast in Canada. In the Southern Hemisphere, examples include extreme southern Chile and Argentina (such as Punta Arenas and Ushuaia), the Falkland Islands, parts of southeastern Australia, and much of New Zealand.
Oceanic climates are not necessarily found in coastal locations on the aforementioned parallels; however, in most cases oceanic climates parallel higher middle latitude oceans.[clarification needed] The polar jet stream, which moves in a west to east direction across the middle latitudes, advances low pressure systems, storms, and fronts. In coastal areas of the higher middle latitudes (45–60° latitude), the prevailing onshore flow creates the basic structure of most oceanic climates. Oceanic climates are a product and reflection of the cool ocean adjacent to them. In the autumn, winter, and early spring, when the polar jet stream is most active, the frequent passing of marine weather systems creates the frequent fog, cloudy skies, and light drizzle often associated with oceanic climates. They are typically found poleward of Mediterranean climates, except in Australia where they are poleward of both such climates and humid subtropical climates due to the shape of the continent.[citation needed] Only in Europe do they penetrate far inland, where they eventually transition into warm-summer humid continental climates; in other continents, they are blocked by a large mountain range or limited by nearby oceans.
The North Atlantic Gulf Stream, a tropical oceanic current that passes north of the Caribbean and up the East Coast of the United States to North Carolina, then heads east-northeast to the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, is thought to greatly modify the climate of northwest Europe. As a result of the North Atlantic Current, west coast areas located in high latitudes like Ireland, the UK, and Norway have much milder winters (for their latitude) than would otherwise be the case. The lowland attributes of western Europe also help drive marine air masses into continental areas, enabling cities such as Dresden, Prague, and Vienna to have maritime climates in spite of being located well inland from the ocean.
Oceanic climates in Europe occupy a large stretch of land, from Norway's Atlantic coast, the British Isles and southeast to some parts of northern Turkey.
Western Europe is almost exclusively oceanic between 45°N to 54.913°N; including most of France (away from the Mediterranean), nearly all of Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria, most of Luxembourg, most of Denmark, western Germany, northwestern Switzerland, south coast and western areas of Norway north to Skrova and extreme southern Sweden.
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Oceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification represented as Cfb, typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring warm summers and cool to mild winters (for their latitude), with a relatively narrow annual temperature range and few extremes of temperature. Oceanic climates can be found in both hemispheres generally between 40 and 60 degrees latitude, with subpolar versions extending to 70 degrees latitude in some coastal areas. Other varieties of climates usually classified together with these include subtropical highland climates, represented as Cwb or Cfb, and subpolar oceanic or cold subtropical highland climates, represented as Cfc or Cwc. Subtropical highland climates occur in some mountainous parts of the subtropics or tropics, some of which have monsoon influence, while their cold variants and subpolar oceanic climates occur near polar or tundra regions.
Locations with oceanic climates tend to feature frequent cloudy conditions with precipitation, low-hanging clouds, and frequent fronts and storms. Thunderstorms are normally few, since strong daytime heating and hot and cold air masses meet infrequently in the regions, but are more common in subtropical highland climates where these air masses meet more frequently due to the influence of hotter weather in the subtropics or tropics, especially in monsoon-influenced climates. In most areas with an oceanic climate, precipitation comes in the form of rain for the majority of the year. Most oceanic climate zones, however, experience at least one snowfall per year. Snowfall is more frequent and commonplace in the subpolar oceanic climates due to the colder weather in those locations.
Overall temperature characteristics of the oceanic climates feature cool temperatures and infrequent extremes of temperature. In the Köppen climate classification, oceanic climates have a mean temperature of 0 °C (32 °F) or higher (or −3 °C (27 °F) or higher) in the coldest month, compared to continental climates where the coldest month has a mean temperature of below 0 °C (32 °F) (or −3 °C (27 °F)). Summers are warm but not hot, with the warmest month having a mean temperature below 22 °C (72 °F).
Poleward of the latter is a subtype of it, the subpolar oceanic climate (Köppen Cfc), with long but relatively mild (for their latitude) winters, and cool and short summers with average temperatures of at least 10 °C (50 °F) for one to three months. Examples in the Northern Hemisphere include parts of coastal Iceland, the coast of Norway north of Bodø, the mountains of Scotland, parts of Shetland, and the British Columbian coast in Canada. In the Southern Hemisphere, examples include extreme southern Chile and Argentina (such as Punta Arenas and Ushuaia), the Falkland Islands, parts of southeastern Australia, and much of New Zealand.
Oceanic climates are not necessarily found in coastal locations on the aforementioned parallels; however, in most cases oceanic climates parallel higher middle latitude oceans.[clarification needed] The polar jet stream, which moves in a west to east direction across the middle latitudes, advances low pressure systems, storms, and fronts. In coastal areas of the higher middle latitudes (45–60° latitude), the prevailing onshore flow creates the basic structure of most oceanic climates. Oceanic climates are a product and reflection of the cool ocean adjacent to them. In the autumn, winter, and early spring, when the polar jet stream is most active, the frequent passing of marine weather systems creates the frequent fog, cloudy skies, and light drizzle often associated with oceanic climates. They are typically found poleward of Mediterranean climates, except in Australia where they are poleward of both such climates and humid subtropical climates due to the shape of the continent.[citation needed] Only in Europe do they penetrate far inland, where they eventually transition into warm-summer humid continental climates; in other continents, they are blocked by a large mountain range or limited by nearby oceans.
The North Atlantic Gulf Stream, a tropical oceanic current that passes north of the Caribbean and up the East Coast of the United States to North Carolina, then heads east-northeast to the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, is thought to greatly modify the climate of northwest Europe. As a result of the North Atlantic Current, west coast areas located in high latitudes like Ireland, the UK, and Norway have much milder winters (for their latitude) than would otherwise be the case. The lowland attributes of western Europe also help drive marine air masses into continental areas, enabling cities such as Dresden, Prague, and Vienna to have maritime climates in spite of being located well inland from the ocean.
Oceanic climates in Europe occupy a large stretch of land, from Norway's Atlantic coast, the British Isles and southeast to some parts of northern Turkey.
Western Europe is almost exclusively oceanic between 45°N to 54.913°N; including most of France (away from the Mediterranean), nearly all of Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria, most of Luxembourg, most of Denmark, western Germany, northwestern Switzerland, south coast and western areas of Norway north to Skrova and extreme southern Sweden.