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What is your definition of subarctic since everyone has their own definition.
A-ha! I'm not very well versed in climate classifications so hoped somebody would know the 'official' definition, or even if there was or wasn't one. I like the 'eight months or more above 10C' subtropical one so something along those lines - 'eight months or more below 10C' maybe? In a non-climatic sense I personally consider the boundary of subarctic to begin when on a clear night in midsummer the sky never completely goes dark, i.e. 52-53 latitude.
A-ha! I'm not very well versed in climate classifications so hoped somebody would know the 'official' definition, or even if there was or wasn't one. I like the 'eight months or more above 10C' subtropical one so something along those lines - 'eight months or more below 10C' maybe? In a non-climatic sense I personally consider the boundary of subarctic to begin when on a clear night in midsummer the sky never completely goes dark, i.e. 52-53 latitude.
Koppen's definition is 9 months or more below 10°C. If you use 8 months, Vladivostok might be the furthest south subarctic climate.
Some islands at 46 latitude such as the Crozet Islands in the Southern Indian ocean are considered polar tundra. That's pretty crazy considering they're at a lower latitude than Paris and Seattle
Does anyone know more about the Primorsky Krai region of Russia and the weird "subtropical" summers they have? I tried googling it but it's really hard to find much info in English about that climate. It seems kind of cool.
Does anyone know more about the Primorsky Krai region of Russia and the weird "subtropical" summers they have? I tried googling it but it's really hard to find much info in English about that climate. It seems kind of cool.
Never heard about this. Perhaps the summer monsoon and occasional typhoons can be considered subtropical phenomena? I've only heard the word "subtropical" being used in reference to the fauna such as Siberian tigers and leopards.
In terms of temperatures, summers in Primorksy Krai are nothing to write home about. Inland areas are warm but not THAT warm - comparable to northern New England.
Here is an example of a inland town with warm summers: http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%94%...BD%D1%81%D0%BA
Primorsky Krai is one of the southernmost areas in Russia - Vladivostok is at the same latitude as Sochi - but the climate there is much colder.
There doesn't seem to be any summer heat requirements from climatologists, other than humid subtropical. Winter warmth makes sense to me as the most important defining feature of a subtropical climate. It is winter warmth that enables a place to have vegetation closer to tropical types, rather than summer heat. Vegetation is an important defining feature because of the geographical aspect of the term subtropical.
If subtropics are said to be transitional, nothing would show that transition the way the vegetation does.
I think we differ on definition of winter warmth. First off, according to Wiki (and could be wrong but close nonetheless) Scilly averages only 7 months with average above 50F. Second, don't you think winter warmth means something more than temps in the upper 40's on the high temp? That isn't warm, it is just lack of frost. Concerning summer warmth, or lack thereof, Scilly is classic. The temps never break 66F for an avg high temp. That has to be the worst subtropical climate in the world.
I was listening to a show on NPR over the weekend called Splendid Table. The guest was an English chef specialising in cooking only what he can grow in an English garden. The American host asked him about eggplant. He said it wouldn't even grow in an English garden until the very recent warm summers, and even with that just barely. He said recently it has been difficult again(cool summers). He explained the tedious procedure he has to go thru like getting the plant growing in the hot laundry room in the house to a point where he can plant it in the most sunny, warmest spot in his garden and then hoping for the best. Here, drop eggplant in the ground in April and by August you have huge eggplants. Walk around Philadelphia in the summer and the community gardens are full of giant purple eggplants, along with every other warm loving vegetable and fruit. It takes no effort other than occasional watering, and you don't have to worry about where you planted it.
I think it would be very difficult to grow warm loving fruits and veg in Scilly with such cool summer temps. Watermelon, canteloupe, squash, corn, tomatoes, sweet potatoe, peppers, etc, would grow so slow as to not be worth it. This is not subtropical imo. Frost is a useless indicator for subtropical unless it is combined with avg temperatures. If a subtropical climate is transitional from tropical to temperate, it should at least have some of the warmth of the tropics. Mid to upper 40's temps in winter and mid 60's temp's in summer is not warm, it is just mild temperate.
I think we differ on definition of winter warmth. First off, according to Wiki (and could be wrong but close nonetheless) Scilly averages only 7 months with average above 50F. Second, don't you think winter warmth means something more than temps in the upper 40's on the high temp? That isn't warm, it is just lack of frost. Concerning summer warmth, or lack thereof, Scilly is classic. The temps never break 66F for an avg high temp. That has to be the worst subtropical climate in the world.
I was listening to a show on NPR over the weekend called Splendid Table. The guest was an English chef specialising in cooking only what he can grow in an English garden. The American host asked him about eggplant. He said it wouldn't even grow in an English garden until the very recent warm summers, and even with that just barely. He said recently it has been difficult again(cool summers). He explained the tedious procedure he has to go thru like getting the plant growing in the hot laundry room in the house to a point where he can plant it in the most sunny, warmest spot in his garden and then hoping for the best. Here, drop eggplant in the ground in April and by August you have huge eggplants. Walk around Philadelphia in the summer and the community gardens are full of giant purple eggplants, along with every other warm loving vegetable and fruit. It takes no effort other than occasional watering, and you don't have to worry about where you planted it.
I think it would be very difficult to grow warm loving fruits and veg in Scilly with such cool summer temps. Watermelon, canteloupe, squash, corn, tomatoes, sweet potatoe, peppers, etc, would grow so slow as to not be worth it. This is not subtropical imo. Frost is a useless indicator for subtropical unless it is combined with avg temperatures. If a subtropical climate is transitional from tropical to temperate, it should at least have some of the warmth of the tropics. Mid to upper 40's temps in winter and mid 60's temp's in summer is not warm, it is just mild temperate.
I think native vegetation is the best way of viewing climate types from hot through to cold. There is a natural progression of genera and species, that is based primarily on winter warmth, (which is a relative term for us, but not for plants). Exotic plants show this to a lesser extent. There are lots of places (some colder than Philadelphia) that can grow all manner of summer crops, but the southern/northern most limits of species tend to show the most important marker of warmth there is.
The discussion on here often seems to link the term subtropical with superior or more summery climates- which is understandable. I think though, that the extension of plant species, and their prospects for naturalisation in an area, represent a more direct link between the tropics and colder areas, than the temps of one season alone. Philadelphia and many other places, have summers hotter than any maritime climate, but they don't represent an extension of tropical environments the way that even the Scilly isles do.
The Scilly Isles don't fit Trewarthas definition of subtropical, but I think the common theme (with classifications) seems to be closely related with ( minimum) temps related to plant growth. Koppen seems to be an exception, I think he uses winter snow pack as a marker, as well as a summer heat requirement. The summer heat isn't that relevant imo.
Eggplants aren't the easiest to grow here, but not as hard as England sounds like. I still managed a few medium sized fruit per plant this year, in what was probably the worst (due to cloud ) season I've had.
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