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Is Hong Kong then tropical instead of subtropical because it is below the Tropic of Cancer, even though its mean temp in the coldest month is only 16.3C? Using your logic: It is below the Tropic of Cancer and therefore less prone to extreme cold. So it's tropical, not subtropical.
If North America didn't extend so far north it wouldn't get so severe cold snaps. The relevant fact is that there is a huge continent extending very far north that's capable of delivering very cold air to the place. It's not about whether the place is a little above of below the tropic. The tropic is a line that divides places that have the sun directly overhead at some time in the year from those that don't - and that's it. There's nothing magical about the tropic that would make places above it prone to extreme cold and places below it not.
BTW some places (mostly island and coastal places, for obvious reasons) that are far from the tropics yet never or extremely rarely drop below freezing. Bermuda is further north of the Tropic of Cancer than all of Florida and never gets close to freezing. At 32N, its record lows are like Key West, which is at 24N. It's also remarkable that Bermuda at that latitude almost has a tropical climate. It hasn't been below freezing for decades in places like Auckland (37S), Wellington (41S) or Wilson's Promontory (39S). It has never been below freezing in AlmerÃa (37N). Azores (37N) and Tristan da Cunha (37S) have record lows several degrees C above freezing. North India (latitudes about 30N) has very mild record lows for a place far inland in a continent that extends far to the north like America (and it's more impressive considering how close the record lows are to average lows in winter - for example in Delhi that difference is only 8C, that's not something you see in America no matter if coastal on inland, although Lake Havasu city is close to it: 6C coldest month average low and -4C all time record low) - looks like it's because the Himalayas and the other mountain ranges in the region are so huge that cold air from the north has absolutely no chance to pass (and it's blowing from inland in winter there!).
Hong Kong gets those temperatures in the elevated areas.
Hong Kong gets those temperatures in the elevated areas.
That climatic table is for the Hong Kong Observatory. I don't know where exactly the station is located but the Observatory is at 45m elevation inside of the city. I don't think it is much anywhere else in the area. Shenzen and Guangzhou are significantly colder. It's under the tropic but too cold in winter to be considered tropical. Florida is above the tropic but too warm not to be considered tropical. Lima at 12S is too cold to be considered tropical. The area within the tropics and the area of tropical climates match only roughly.
That climatic table is for the Hong Kong Observatory. I don't know where exactly the station is located but the Observatory is at 45m elevation inside of the city.
45 meters isn't a significant difference, and besides, the city extends to areas away from the immediate coastline (sort of like Miami).
Quote:
Originally Posted by darth serious
No, it's so cold there right on the coast, at sea level. It's because of the cold Humboldt current.
Indeed. If you want an elevated climate look at La Paz and Juliaca. Some of those areas actually have alpine tundra climates.
Well, San Diego has an average temperature of 70F as well...St. Augustine is more prone to brief snaps of extreme cold, so despite warmer summers and ocean temps, I think that's why they have the same average temperature.
Surely you jest that St. Augustine is the best climate? Heat. Humidity....no thanks. I would take Vegas over St. Augustine any day. At least Vegas is a dry heat.
Vegas is too cold in wintertime, though. Plus, the summer monsoon still makes it get quite humid out there. Humid and 86F is better than humid and 105F. Not to mention that you get a nice Atlantic breeze, and the ocean, in St. Augustine. Not so in Vegas.
Winters seem comfortable for cold-haters but summers are too hot and humid not to mention risk of hurricanes....
I would give it a C +, livable and definitely preferable to any extreme climate but I'd like the winters to be a little colder for sure and would be uncomfortable during the heat of the summer days.
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