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Like others already said, they don't. They only fit temperature-wise. Rainfall is more evenly distributed in western Europe than it is in the PNW, the latter being also significantly sunnier. Even in winter, Seattle is sunnier than London or Paris.
Ya I think there is to much topographical difference in the PNW to really compare rainfall total. Relatively speaking western europe is pretty flat compared to BC, WA, and OR.
Within a 100 miles of the Washington state coast you go from nearly 100 inches of rain to 1000 inches (no joking) of snow in the higher elevations to barely 40 inches of rain back to copious amounts of snow all within a small geographical area.
In Vancouver B.C. the elevation rises significantly a short few miles from the coast line as well. It can be raining and 45 degrees in downtown Vancouver and literally 20 minutes east of the city it will be snowing with 10 feet on the ground in the middle of April.
Otherwise the comparsion for low elevation spots in the PNW are pretty much comparable to Western Europe.
Ya I think there is to much topographical difference in the PNW to really compare rainfall total. Relatively speaking western europe is pretty flat compared to BC, WA, and OR.
Within a 100 miles of the Washington state coast you go from nearly 100 inches of rain to 1000 inches (no joking) of snow in the higher elevations to barely 40 inches of rain back to copious amounts of snow all within a small geographical area.
In Vancouver B.C. the elevation rises significantly a short few miles from the coast line as well. It can be raining and 45 degrees in downtown Vancouver and literally 20 minutes east of the city it will be snowing with 10 feet on the ground in the middle of April.
Otherwise the comparsion for low elevation spots in the PNW are pretty much comparable to Western Europe.
The elevation changes here more quickly north of the downtown than east of it. Cypress Mountain which is only a 20 minute drive from downtown is about 4500 feet in elevation. You have to drive through the Fraser Valley before you get a large elevation change to the east but your point stil stands true. Elevation changes in the PNW are far more sudden here than in Western Europe.
Ya I think there is to much topographical difference in the PNW to really compare rainfall total. Relatively speaking western europe is pretty flat compared to BC, WA, and OR.
Within a 100 miles of the Washington state coast you go from nearly 100 inches of rain to 1000 inches (no joking) of snow in the higher elevations to barely 40 inches of rain back to copious amounts of snow all within a small geographical area.
In Vancouver B.C. the elevation rises significantly a short few miles from the coast line as well. It can be raining and 45 degrees in downtown Vancouver and literally 20 minutes east of the city it will be snowing with 10 feet on the ground in the middle of April.
Otherwise the comparsion for low elevation spots in the PNW are pretty much comparable to Western Europe.
The west coast of the South Island in NZ would be more comparable to the PNW as far as oceanic climates go. NZ would probably have an even more extreme contrast over the same distance. 200 inches/5000mm on the coast, the same, or even greater snowfall, and less than 15 -25 inches/350-600mm in the rain shadow. Mostly even rainfall with slightly less rainfall in winter, which is opposite to the PNW.
In essence, this concept is in a way seeing North America like the "continent" of Eurasia (Europe and Asia together) in miniature. The West side of both "continents" -- western North America and Europe are similar, the East side of both "continents" are similar -- eastern North America and far east Asia. They are driven by the same processes at similar latitudes. The American Southwest is like another Middle East and the Great Plains are like the steppes of Central Asia.
Many stats are remarkably close, some not, but one thing that stands out on both coasts is precipitation pattern:
The North American version of the West side (the Pacific NW and California) has a wet-dry season contrast which is very big, but the Old World's version of the West side (Europe/the original Mediterranean) has a wet-dry season contrast that is smaller.
On the other hand, the North American version of the East side (the Atlantic coast) has a wet-dry season contrast which is smaller but the Old World's version of the East side (east Asia) has one that is very big.
i think toronto is a little off i think bucarests climate is more simalar
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