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C+. THe summers are great but the winters let it down. The winters seem too warm for regular snow, but too cold to grow much in the way of palms or other sub/tropical species. Might as well have winters where there is no average snowfall and rare frost then.
I'm surprised there wouldn't be palm trees there since the Jan avg low is above freezing. I wonder what the annual winter minimum is, or how many days of frost per year. But you're right, I googled images for Florence and you don't see many palm trees at all.
I'd say solid B though for the winters that seem mild to me, and decent warm summers. Also gets pretty decent rainfall for a Med climate. Think they get decent thunderstorms too.
Florence has modestly nice climate…however it is not really close to a Med (Cs) climate ….
The working definition for Cs or Mediterranean climate is at least 3 times as much rainfall in the winter half of the year as in the summer half….OR driest summer month receives less than 1.2 inches (3 cm) of rainfall. On both Florence is does not qualify, and looking at the amount and rhythm it’s easy to see why – with the exception of one month (July) ever month has a good deal of rain for a Cs/Med climate, and there really is no “dry summer”.
A bit too cold in winter, but still a solid C+/B- for me.
Doesn't this show a flaw in the "genetics" approach to climate classification? Surely it would have the same overall genetics ( summer high pressure etc) as other places in the region, but with just more potential for convective rain? It's like saying localized conditions over ride the genetics that actually form the basis for an area's climate.
Doesn't this show a flaw in the "genetics" approach to climate classification? Surely it would have the same overall genetics ( summer high pressure etc) as other places in the region, but with just more potential for convective rain? It's like saying localized conditions over ride the genetics that actually form the basis for an area's climate.
Not if you understand the basics of climate genetics… and how they shape and control climate. I’m glad to explain as I find it as interesting as you do:
Mediterranean (Cs) climates character is really shaped by their geographic location between two unlike climate controls: 1) The stable eastern end of the oceanic subtropical anticyclone (H) equatorward…..and 2) the rain-bringing storms/fronts/jets of the middle latitude westerlies poleward.
In summer, a poleward shifting of the sun /circulation belts brings Mediterranean climates under the control of the stable eastern end of the subtropical highs (H). So in summer Mediterranean climates see subsiding air, temperature inversions, and a dearth of atmospheric disturbances. This gives Mediterranean climates their classic summer weather - one where solar control and very dry weather dominates.
In winter, when the wind and rainfall belts shift to their southernmost limits, Mediterranean climates largely escape the effects of the subtropical highs, and instead come under the effects of the westerlies and their rain brings disturbances (storms/fronts/jets)…hence the increased winter rainfall and often cool(ish) temperatures of the Mediterranean winter.
In the case of Florence (43 North) it doesn't share the same climate genetics as typical Mediterranean climates since it is geographically positioned (like several parts of Cs Europe) at the very edge (high latitude) of where Mediterranean climate controls are genetically found. Instead, the climate genetics of the middle latitudes (i.e. westerlies with their rain bringing disturbances, CAA...etc ) dominate Florence to a greater extent than the typical eastern side subtropical climate controls ( strong subsidence, dearth of weather disturbances, strong solar control at the time of high sun….etc) found in typical Mediterranean climates .
Despite what people think (and I have gently tired to point this out before), even though southern Europe is the region where Mediterranean climates where given their name ….it is really the Near East and North African sectors of the rim lands of the Mediterranean Sea that exhibit Cs/ Mediterranean climate in it’s pure development. Areas on the northern rim lands of the Mediterranean Sea connected to Europe are less true to type and more transitional in nature.
Not if you understand the basics of climate genetics… and how they shape and control climate. I’m glad to explain as I find it as interesting as you do:
Mediterranean (Cs) climates character is really shaped by their geographic location between two unlike climate controls: 1) The stable eastern end of the oceanic subtropical anticyclone (H) equatorward…..and 2) the rain-bringing storms/fronts/jets of the middle latitude westerlies poleward.
In summer, a poleward shifting of the sun /circulation belts brings Mediterranean climates under the control of the stable eastern end of the subtropical highs (H). So in summer Mediterranean climates see subsiding air, temperature inversions, and a dearth of atmospheric disturbances. This gives Mediterranean climates their classic summer weather - one where solar control and very dry weather dominates.
In winter, when the wind and rainfall belts shift to their southernmost limits, Mediterranean climates largely escape the effects of the subtropical highs, and instead come under the effects of the westerlies and their rain brings disturbances (storms/fronts/jets)…hence the increased winter rainfall and often cool(ish) temperatures of the Mediterranean winter.
In the case of Florence (43 North) it doesn't share the same climate genetics as typical Mediterranean climates since it is geographically positioned (like several parts of Cs Europe) at the very edge (high latitude) of where Mediterranean climate controls are genetically found. Instead, the climate genetics of the middle latitudes (i.e. westerlies with their rain bringing disturbances, CAA...etc ) dominate Florence to a greater extent than the typical eastern side subtropical climate controls ( strong subsidence, dearth of weather disturbances, strong solar control at the time of high sun….etc) found in typical Mediterranean climates .
Despite what people think (and I have gently tired to point this out before), even though southern Europe is the region where Mediterranean climates where given their name ….it is really the Near East and North African sectors of the rim lands of the Mediterranean Sea that exhibit Cs/ Mediterranean climate in it’s pure development. Areas on the northern rim lands of the Mediterranean Sea connected to Europe are less true to type and more transitional in nature.
Wiki mentions convection, not westerlies as the primary rain source of rainfall in Florence. The sunshine hours during summer, 300-330, would indicate that high pressure still dominates. It seems like it could just be a Mediterranean climate with high summer convectional rainfall. If not, it must be a Humid Subtropical climate.
Does that mean that Humid Subtropical climates are really just Med climates, with increased convectional rainfall in summer?
C-, summers have nice temps but are too dry, winters are too mild. The two-peak rainfall pattern is common in southern Europe, in place located near the Csa-Cfa border. In Florence's case, mediterranean influence seem greater as summers are drier than winters. In a place like Skopje, the trend is reversed, with more rain in summer.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Superluminal
Apparently that -23C was recorded at the airport (obviously suburban) in January 1985, on the same day the city centre *only* went down to -13C - so either this really is one-off and highly localised fluke, or there was something wrong with the thermometer at the airport. This huge disparity reminds of the Paris record, which was -23.9C in December 1879, but no other month has ever recorded anything below -15C (the next coldest was Feb. 1956 was -14.7C). Again, that could be a one-off fluke or due to faulty instruments.
For Paris case, the urban heat island was much more pronounced in 1956 than in 1879, preventing it to drop below -15°C. For example, suburban Le Bourget got down to -18°C in January 1985 and Brétigny got below -20°C in 2010 (they aren't frost hollows). 1879 had near a foot of snowcover and a continental anticyclone, conditions that didn't happen since then. I'm not surprised by these one-off frigid readings. In a climate like Florence (or Paris), conditions allowing for very cold nights are extremely rare, but they do happen.
C-, summers have nice temps but are too dry, winters are too mild. The two-peak rainfall pattern is common in southern Europe, in place located near the Csa-Cfa border. In Florence's case, mediterranean influence seem greater as summers are drier than winters. In a place like Skopje, the trend is reversed, with more rain in summer.
For Paris case, the urban heat island was much more pronounced in 1956 than in 1879, preventing it to drop below -15°C. For example, suburban Le Bourget got down to -18°C in January 1985 and Brétigny got below -20°C in 2010 (they aren't frost hollows). 1879 had near a foot of snowcover and a continental anticyclone, conditions that didn't happen since then. I'm not surprised by these one-off frigid readings. In a climate like Florence (or Paris), conditions allowing for very cold nights are extremely rare, but they do happen.
I doubt the UHI alone could account for an almost 10C difference between the 1956 and 1879 records. Besides, the area around Montsouris was hardly the countryside even in the 19th century. That particular day in December 1879, the overnight low was supposedly -23.9C but the maximum was as high as -6.7C, a difference of about 17C. In fact if you look at the data for that month there are numerous days with such big diurnal ranges, which is surprising given that that month was also supposedly very snowy (and presumably cloudy). I suspect there was a problem with thermometer calibration or exposure. Apparently, the practice of placing thermometers 1.5 metres above ground and inside a screen did not become standard practice until the 1920s. If this was the case, this could easily have distorted readings when there is a lot of snow on the ground. This is why pre-20th century records should be treated cautiously.
As for Florence, the almost 10C difference between the airport and city centre (and also nearby towns) is also quite suspect, unless there is something about the airport's location that makes it prone to low temperatures.
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), even though southern Europe is the region where Mediterranean climates where given their name ….it is really the Near East and North African sectors of the rim lands of the Mediterranean Sea that exhibit Cs/ Mediterranean climate in it’s pure development. Areas on the northern rim lands of the Mediterranean Sea connected to Europe are less true to type and more transitional in nature. 
