Rate the Climate: A subtropical climate example (snowing, hottest, averages)

[Piazza]

Good temperatures, 30-32°C in the three summer months and mostly sunny. Still 25°C in October and relatively mild winters. I rated this climate at B, because of the humidity and the number of thunderstorm days (fairly high).

[Weatherfan2]

I have decided a new system of classifying sub-tropical climates.

Body temperature is 38°F / 100°F or so, and freezing point is 0°C / 32°F. So, according to my system, if the annual mean temperature is closer to body heat than freezing, it can be called subtropical (or tropical if warm enough in all months). Anything that is closer to freezing than body temperature (so below 19°C / 66°F in other words) can NOT be called subtropical.

[Joe90]

Originally Posted by Weatherfan2

I have decided a new system of classifying sub-tropical climates.

Body temperature is 38°F / 100°F or so, and freezing point is 0°C / 32°F. So, according to my system, if the annual mean temperature is closer to body heat than freezing, it can be called subtropical (or tropical if warm enough in all months). Anything that is closer to freezing than body temperature (so below 19°C / 66°F in other words) can NOT be called subtropical.

That means places like Perth, Coffs Harbour (Australian banana capital), and LA aren't subtropical now?. A bit too stringent I would think.


The definition I have known the longest, and was used in NZ, is the coldest month must average 12C/54F or higher. Under that system only about 1 or 2 percent of NZ was subtropical.

[ColdCanadian]

B-.

Winters are cold by Australian standards. (Average highs under 17 C/62 F)

Sunshine totals are low for me.
I prefer "distinctly-sunny climates" and I don't notice that in climates less sunny than Perth, Western Australia.
Bunbury, Western Australia didn't feel sunny to me with a possible annual daily average sunshine of 7.3 hrs.

Get rid of November-to-March and add 500 hours of annual sun and I'd give it an A.

[ilovemycomputer90]

Originally Posted by ColdCanadian

B-.

Winters are cold by Australian standards. (Average highs under 17 C/62 F)

Sunshine totals are low for me.
I prefer "distinctly-sunny climates" and I don't notice that in climates less sunny than Perth, Western Australia.
Bunbury, Western Australia didn't feel sunny to me with a possible annual daily average sunshine of 7.3 hrs.

Get rid of November-to-March and add 500 hours of annual sun and I'd give it an A.

I can't help but laugh when people drastically change a climate to fit their preferences. I do it too sometimes.

[bchris02]

Originally Posted by Weatherfan2

This is my favourite climate. Mild winters, warm summers, plenty of rain but mostly in winter and decently dry in summer. No snow or real cold in winter. Thunderstorms can happen around the year, but most often in spring and autumn.

Pretty good, but I would prefer more rain in the summer and less in the winter. The dry summers will make way for brown grass, trees, and wildfires. This climate is really a farmer's nightmare.

[Flight Simmer]

I would find it hard to tolerate the winters, mainly due to the disgusting sunshine hours, but summers are very nice.

I'll give it a B. Loses marks for the extremely cloudy winters which are also a tad too cold.

[Flight Simmer]

Originally Posted by Joe90

That means places like Perth, Coffs Harbour (Australian banana capital), and LA aren't subtropical now?. A bit too stringent I would think.


The definition I have known the longest, and was used in NZ, is the coldest month must average 12C/54F or higher. Under that system only about 1 or 2 percent of NZ was subtropical.

That's not a bad definition. Melbourne fails to make the grade which is appropriate as the weather here rarely feels like it would evoke thoughts of "subtropical". Endless cold grey overcast in winter, humid days are rare, regular cold fronts and seabreezes in summer which can make it feel cold outside and pathetic average overnight lows. Our coldest monthly average temp is 10.9C.

Go back to met school Koppen.

[RWood]

B-. Winter too cloudy, total rainfall too high. Nice summers.

[Patricius Maximus]

Originally Posted by Flight Simmer

That's not a bad definition. Melbourne fails to make the grade which is appropriate as the weather here rarely feels like it would evoke thoughts of "subtropical". Endless cold grey overcast in winter, humid days are rare, regular cold fronts and seabreezes in summer which can make it feel cold outside and pathetic average overnight lows. Our coldest monthly average temp is 10.9C.

Go back to met school Koppen.

Koeppen's system classifies Melbourne as a maritime climate (Cfb), not a subtropical climate . You say Wladimir Koeppen is my messiah, but if that's true it appears that he's your Lucifer. I think both of us are more reasonable than that. My agreement with his system doesn't make him the climatic Jesus, and your disagreement doesn't make him the climatic Devil.

Melbourne is very mild, but it needs hotter summers to be subtropical per Koeppen. I think if anyone needs to go back to met school in this case it's Trewartha. Under his system Melbourne is subtropical (8 months over 10C). I think that's what you were thinking of.