Cold-summer Mediterranean climate (Csc)
Cold-summer Mediterranean climate (Csc)
Csc : C= Warm temperate s = Summer dry c = Cool summer
Description
Cs climates usually occur on the western sides of continents between the latitudes of 30° and 45°. These climates are in the polar front region in winter, and thus have moderate temperatures and changeable, rainy weather. Summers are hot and dry, due to the domination of the subtropical high-pressure systems, except in the immediate coastal areas, where summers are milder due to the nearby presence of cold ocean currents that may bring fog but prevent rain.
Characteristics
The cold-summer subtype of the Mediterranean climate (Csc) is rare and predominately found at scattered high-altitude locations along the west coasts of North and South America having a similar climate. This type is characterized by cool, dry summers, with less than four months with a mean temperature at or above 10 °C, as well as with cool, wet winters, with no winter month having a mean temperature below 0 °C
Location
In North America, areas with Csc climate can be found in the Olympic, Cascade, Klamath, and Sierra Nevada ranges in Washington, Oregon and California. These locations are found at high altitude nearby lower altitude regions characterized by a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Csb) or hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Csa). A rare instance of this climate occurs in the tropics, on Haleakalā Summit in Hawaii.
In South America, Csc regions can be found along the Andes in Chile and Argentina. The town of Balmaceda, Chile is one of the few towns confirmed to have this climate.
Small areas with Csc climate can be found at high elevations in Corsica.
In Norway, the small fishing village of Røst above the Arctic Circle has a climate bordering on Csc and is known as a "climatic anomaly" due to abnormally warm temperatures despite its latitude located above 67°N latitude.
Köppen–Geiger climate classification map for Mediterranean climate (Cs). Source: Wikicommons. Author: Maulucioni, based on a previous work by Beck, H.E. et al. 2018
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