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Frequently, while debating about weather in a particular metropolitan area, microclimates are a topic of argument among posters. Hence, I have created this thread for people to talk about the micro-climates surrounding their town or city.
In the suburbs of NYC, micro climates play a significant role, especially in the winter. It is not uncommon for NW NJ suburbs to be dumped with 6-8 inches of snow, yet NYC itself gets only a small flurry. Usually, suburbs along the southern LI shore and coastal NJ tend to have moderated climates with cooler summers and warmer winters, but tend to be cloudier. North western NJ and the central Hudson valley region tends to have both cooler winters and summers, yet get more sunshine. Central NJ suburbs have more variation and tend to have hotter summers and cooler winters than NYC.
I don't think my city have considerable difference between climate of its parts (even considering that northern part of Kharkiv is located on higher altitude above sea level than southern). Plus, Kharkiv has only one weather station so I can't tell anything about it.
The differences between the climates of various parts of city here aren't that big, but Sljeme (peak of Medvednica mountain), that's still considered to be in City of Zagreb, gets about 1200mm of precipitation annually (Zagreb gets 850mm), more sunshine, especially in winter, and is about 5-7c colder than Zagreb year-round.
North part of the city is oceanic/Humid subtropical.(More rainy,humid and cool summer average high temperatures but high abnormal temperatures with high humidity such as 37c with %65 RH)
South part of the city is mediterranean climate.(Higher winter and summer average temperatures, likelihood of snow and snow staying on the ground are low.)
Western inner part of the city, places near to Thrace, is mediterranean with continental influences.(Higher diurnal range,winter temperatures is lower than rest of the city, number of frosty nights are higher than rest of the city)
Microclimates in Rimini are mainly related to the proximity to the sea, apart of the urban heat island.
Coastal neighbourhoods get more wind, higher humidity year round, much higher lows - expecially the record extreme low, and slightly lower highs. Since the city stretches for about 15 km along the coast, there may be also significant differences from northern and southern neighbourhoods.
There's an appreciable difference from the town of Santarcangelo di Romagna, 10 km west in the Po Plain, and Rimini. In summer Rimini's highs are 3-4°C cooler due to maritime breezes, in winter are 1-2°C warmer.
During cold snaps, the coastal areas often get rainfall or mixed rain/snow due to strong bora wind from the sea (caused by the cold air flowing into the Mediterranean from Slovenia and Croatia valleys and turning into a foehn but maritime wind), while only 5-10 km inland it's snowing.
The mild bora wind and the related rainfall also can immediately melt the snow accretion of the coastal areas.
Often we hear during weather forecasts "cooler near the lake. Where does that end? How far west does "cooler near the lake" extend?
Carrie Ryan, Chicago
Dear Carrie,
It's an admittedly vague phrase, but a precise definition does not exist because it is impossible to predict the exact distance inland that a lake breeze will push. Sometimes Lake Michigan cooling extends only a few hundred feet from the shore, but on occasion it thrusts 40-plus miles inland. Forecasters use "cooler near the lake" to cover those extreme cases and all intermediate situations as well.
Spring and summer lake-effect cooling is most dynamic on the shores of the coolest, deepest Great Lakes--Superior, Huron and Michigan--but "cooler near the lake" can be heard in forecasts in communities located on all five of the Great Lakes.
Quote:
Dear Tom,
In Chicago we often hear forecasters say "cooler near the lake" or "warmer near the lake" depending on the season. What is your definition of "near the lake"?
Bill McIlvaine, Chicago
Dear Bill,
It's an admittedly imprecise phrase, but that's because the area cooled varies based upon the wind direction. The direction from which the wind blows impacts the period of time the flow is exposed to the cooling influence of lake water. Winds also influence just how the lake-cooled air is distributed once ashore.
The National Weather Service's Paul Merzlock says, "The marine influence from the lake can vary from the immediate shoreline to the Tri-State Tollway and well beyond. Therefore, the phrase `near the lake' is not meant to describe a definitive area, but rather a variable zone of transition within or across a marine-induced boundary."
A general rule of thumb, cooler northshore communities in the summer and spring, hotter summer maximum temps south and west suburbs, colder winter lows west and northwest suburbs.
Vancouver has lots of microclimates depending on elevation and distance from the water. Places like Mt. Seymour and Grouse Mountain get much more snowfall and significantly colder at all times of the year. By contrast, Downtown and Point Atkinson right on the water get very little snowfall and in some winter months get no freezes at all.
here the difference is in the W-E-direction. the longer distance too the ocean, the cooler. annual average temperature (61-90 normal) in gothenburg is 7.8C compared to 6.3C for more inland and elevated gothenburg/landvetter airport. For annual precip the numbers are 758mm and 984mm respectivly. in jan the mean temp difference is at its biggest with -1.1C in gothenburg and -2.5C at the gothenburg/landvetter airport.
if you only consider the city center itself, i would suppose that the small differences in topography (0-120 meter) under certain conditions can give wet snow on the hilltopps and sleet down the valleys.
Vancouver has lots of microclimates depending on elevation and distance from the water. Places like Mt. Seymour and Grouse Mountain get much more snowfall and significantly colder at all times of the year. By contrast, Downtown and Point Atkinson right on the water get very little snowfall and in some winter months get no freezes at all.
There are also huge differences in precipitation throughout the area. The airport gets only 1200 mm of precipitation per year, versus 1500 downtown and 2000 in Burnaby/Coquitlam/the North Shore.
Here the weather is different between highlands and lowlands. On a 30 C day up there it would be 24 C.
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