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Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ilovemycomputer90
I wonder why that is. Does South Florida receive more precipitation than the rest of the state? Could it have to do with South Florida's more prevalent "tropical" climate (I know it's subtropical...just don't want there to be another debate about the differences between subtropical and tropical- lol)?
It's all about the band of low latitude lows that migrate into the higher tropics in summer.
Yes NYC's sunshine totals surprised me. Actually, most of the US was both sunnier on average and sunnier in summer than expected. How July sunshine in places like the South, which are supposed to be wet in summer, equals that of bone dry Southern California is rather perplexing.
The way I see that July map (hard to read, though) - and also data from the Californian interior (parts with 97% possible sun in July) - I don't see that the South does match up, except against a narrow coastal strip of SoCal.
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RWood
The way I see that July map (hard to read, though) - and also data from the Californian interior (parts with 97% possible sun in July) - I don't see that the South does match up, except against a narrow coastal strip of SoCal.
Yeah maybe more LA. Sacramento is RIDICULOUSLY sunny in summer. Makes Perth seem monsoonal!
Maybe not quite the same as California, but a city like Durham, NC getting 10 hours in July is about equal to Perth in January! (Perth is probably a bit less sunny in summer than most Med. climes though).
I wonder why that is. Does South Florida receive more precipitation than the rest of the state? Could it have to do with South Florida's more prevalent "tropical" climate (I know it's subtropical...just don't want there to be another debate about the differences between subtropical and tropical- lol)?
From the looks of this map…it looks like annual rainfall is not much different between south Florida and north Florida:
I think in the rainy season (May through September) in deep south Florida is more impacted by tropical lows (weak tropical depressions/lows) that move in from the Atlantic in the prevailing easterly flow. So maybe points north in Florida would have more sun in the rainy season. That’s just a guess though. I do notice that has you really get deep down the Florida peninsula in July August on the Atlantic side…there are always thunderheads off shore. As far as the tropical/subtropical line…I think even though south Florida is a few hundred miles north of the Tropic of Cancer line…it is considered tropical. I think the classification is all months must have a mean temp of 65 F or higher (18 C). I think?
Yeah maybe more LA. Sacramento is RIDICULOUSLY sunny in summer. Makes Perth seem monsoonal!
Maybe not quite the same as California, but a city like Durham, NC getting 10 hours in July is about equal to Perth in January! (Perth is probably a bit less sunny in summer than most Med. climes though).
Check the numbers for Yuma, AZ if you want to fall off your chair - lol.
I think that much sun would lose it's appeal however.
Yeah maybe more LA. Sacramento is RIDICULOUSLY sunny in summer. Makes Perth seem monsoonal!
Maybe not quite the same as California, but a city like Durham, NC getting 10 hours in July is about equal to Perth in January! (Perth is probably a bit less sunny in summer than most Med. climes though).
The interior of California is under a permanent high pressure in the summer, which creates a permanent blue dome sky. It doesn't felt like it really has weather in the normal sense; just that some days are warmer than others. The Pacific Ocean is cold, and the contrast between the hot interior and cold ocean tends to form clouds and fog. But not really any rain.
From the looks of this map…it looks like annual rainfall is not much different between south Florida and north Florida:
I think in the rainy season (May through September) in deep south Florida is more impacted by tropical lows (weak tropical depressions/lows) that move in from the Atlantic in the prevailing easterly flow. So maybe points north in Florida would have more sun in the rainy season. That’s just a guess though. I do notice that has you really get deep down the Florida peninsula in July August on the Atlantic side…there are always thunderheads off shore. As far as the tropical/subtropical line…I think even though south Florida is a few hundred miles north of the Tropic of Cancer line…it is considered tropical. I think the classification is all months must have a mean temp of 65 F or higher (18 C). I think?
@ 70-100 inches of rain, I didn't know it rained that much more than the Mid-Atlantic. Is it Mississippi or Alabama that's considered the wettest state? I know it's one of them.
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
24,544 posts, read 56,060,466 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wavehunter007
Check the numbers for Yuma, AZ if you want to fall off your chair - lol.
I think that much sun would lose it's appeal however.
Yuma is often considered the sunniest place in the WORLD, I think it's got quite famous for that, actually . But Sac in summer actually has more sunshine hours than Yuma, probably higher percent too. Yuma probably gets some monsoonal rain too, which Sac largely misses.
Yeah maybe more LA. Sacramento is RIDICULOUSLY sunny in summer. Makes Perth seem monsoonal!
Maybe not quite the same as California, but a city like Durham, NC getting 10 hours in July is about equal to Perth in January! (Perth is probably a bit less sunny in summer than most Med. climes though).
Are you sure it gets 10 hours? Nowhere on a list of 6 (other) places in NC shows as more than 67% in any summer month. Only if Durham gets more than 67%, or has 15 recordable hours at 67%, would that seem to stack up.
You also have to allow for latitude affecting possible sun totals - the figures I have for Perth Aero (may now be a year or two out of date) show both Dec & Jan getting about 360 hours, which amounts to 82-83% of possible, even with no horizon or instrumentation loss at all assumed.
Last edited by RWood; 07-12-2010 at 08:30 PM..
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@ 70-100 inches of rain, I didn't know it rained that much more than the Mid-Atlantic. Is it Mississippi or Alabama that's considered the wettest state? I know it's one of them.
. But Sac in summer actually has more sunshine hours than Yuma, probably higher percent too. Yuma probably gets some monsoonal rain too, which Sac largely misses.
