Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
1. Very continental in seasons, but really little day-to-day.
For example, it could be 32C/21C (90F/70F) in July and -21C/-32C (-6F/-25F) in July as averages, but once it's hot, it's hot and once it's cold it's cold, with little variation day to day. There are no cool July or summer days or warm January or winter days, and seasons change gradually and at similar times year to year (it gradually goes from thawing to warming and cool falls to cold winters without much "back-tracking", false starts to seasons etc.) and there are few heat waves or cold snaps (as defined by the long-term averages). It's just that the seasonal span is big.
The record high isn't much more than barely above the average high and the record low isn't more than barely below the record low (For instance, it could be 35C/95F as record high and -34C/-30F as record low).
2. Very variable in day to day, but does not show up at the seasonal level.
For example, it could be 21C/10C (70F/50F) in July and 0C/-10C (32F/14F) as averages.
However, in July, you could have days when the high is 32C/90F. You could have days when the high is only 10C/50F, despite the average being 21C/70F. In January, you could have days of 10C/50F as well as days of -30C/-22C often. Winter could be late often, summer could be late too. Same goes for early. Heat waves and cold snaps can happen often.
The record highs and lows are the same for as in (1).
I'm wondering. When variability is brought up, which one seems more variable/extreme to you. Which one comes to mind more when you think of "continental"?
And since I put two examples (fictional), I thought, why not also ask which one you prefer? If you don't like the numbers substitute another that you'd prefer, but keep the same idea for (1) and (2) in terms of the type of variability. I'm asking more about the idea (huge range over the year but little day-to-day or vice-versa) and which one you'd prefer rather than specific figures.
Last edited by Stumbler.; 04-12-2012 at 05:27 PM..
Khabarovsk is kinda like #1 in that it is pretty consistent day to day but with large seasonal differences. But even there, there may be some late Spring cold snaps or cool summer days mixed in.
As for #1 and #2, I prefer #1 due to more consistency in the day to day temperatures.
Number one. It's more variable on an annual basis and doesn't have murky, ill-defined, characterless seasons. Although for a real continental climate it would have to have some of number two, with a lot of day-to-day variability, but still retaining seasons that have definition. Something in the vein of most of Alberta. Alberta has seasons that are well-defined but it often gets warm in winter and it can even snow in (early) summer; summertime heat waves occur as does wintertime extreme cold.
Both examples are about equally continental in my mind. #1 is probably more comfortable and easier to dress to but for interest, I prefer the fickle #2 type climate. The fact you can have warmish days in winter and cool days in summer is a plus to me.
Definitely 1 is preferable to 2 in this case.. I can't stand variability in a climate as far as temperatures go.. it's one of my biggest pet peeves.. so if it's going to be cold... I'd rather it STAY cold for the whole winter and none of these silly false starts. So I think 2 is more extreme than 1 because of variability.
For the record, I think of (2) as more extreme and prefer (1).
So, i'd consider (2) a more variable/continental type of climate that comes to mind, and would not prefer it.
I would agree number 2.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.