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Really, I don't think most people in the US think of Atlanta when they think "subtropical". Many more would think of Orlando, FL or Houston or New Orleans. We all see on the news that Atlanta can get pretty cold in winter. It is not a lowland coastal city. It is far from the ocean and over 1,000 feet in elevation.
I actually see it the other way.
To me, a subtropical place is a place that has a temperate climate but still has tropical weather in the summer time, that is, almost zero chance of cold or even cool weather for several months during the warmest time of the year, and where hot weather (and humid) is pretty much guaranteed between June and September.
The difference between a subtropical climate and a more moderate summer temperate climate is that in a place like Atlanta, the summer temperature will almost never go below, say, 18c during a summer month whereas in places like for instance in non-mediterranean Europe or even some places in the upper midwest, summers can see occasionaly lows below 10c.
Of course Atlanta can get cold in winter, just like Shangai for instance, but it's not continuous cold, 20c highs are totally possible in all months of the winter and Spring comes early with a long growing season.
Anyway I think it shows in the average summer high.
To me the Humid Subtropical classification is the humid version of the Mediterranean climate which is an other temperate climate with guaranteed hot summers (unless you mean Csb)
Maybe it is a strongly european view of things, but as seen from here, it is interesting to see places that can see both heavy snow AND long hot humid summers like you would see in tropical regions.
In Europe the Cfa climates are a lot more rare and are nowhere near as humid and see fewer extremes / swings. I live in a Cfa climate as well but it's more similar to climates in Germany except that we have a steady long warm / hot summer, relatively dry, and a steady short cold humid winter, where we rarely go below -10c, yet a 15c high in January is considered very warm, whereas that would be no big deal in Atlanta.
And even if our hottest month averages 25c, I believe it is more possible to see cooler days here in July than in the US subtropical south, but maybe I'm wrong ?
Your Cfa climate seems more like the Northeast US (maybe NYC or coastal Connecticut) by summer length and intensity than the south. Though winters aren't as consistently as the NYC area.
Well, I believe we're more similar to NYC / Philadelphia, but then again we are at 44N, Atlanta is very much south. Our winters are a bit milder (than NYC / Philly, not Atlanta) because we are sheltered by the Alps and it is Europe anyway.
We don't reach 25c highs past-mid october normally (hopefully) whereas I imagine Atlanta occasionaly does.
The photos of Long Island above remind me a lot of the sunnier winter days in Lyon or here. Still pretty green IMO.
Maybe it is a strongly european view of things, but as seen from here, it is interesting to see places that can see both heavy snow AND long hot humid summers like you would see in tropical regions.
No other part of the world provides reliable tropical summers and still so much variety the rest of the year.
Funny you say that, because Sydney gets cool afternoon breezes after a hot dry day. This famous breeze is known as a "southerly buster". Is that considered to be a polar wind (or polar low)?
And this phenomena happens very often in the warm months.
A sea breeze is convective activity, where warm air rising off the land, is replaced by cooler air drawn in from the sea. Vey common where I am (the last week has had tea breezes every day), but in no way related to the polar low.
The buster (which I've experienced) is when a southerly cold front builds up against stationary warm air, and eventually prevails in a rather dramatic fashion -very common in NZ east coast regions.
Sydney does get a few southerly busters during the warmer months (average of 5 between Oct and April), so does have a degree of polar low related activity. Certainly much lower than Cfb climates like Melbourne or Hobart, or my area.
To me, a subtropical place is a place that has a temperate climate but still has tropical weather in the summer time, that is, almost zero chance of cold or even cool weather for several months during the warmest time of the year, and where hot weather (and humid) is pretty much guaranteed between June and September.
That sums up Cfa very well -anywhere that averages 22C+ during summer, is unlikely to see much cool weather during summer.
When term subtropical is used by itself (as opposed to Humid Subtropical/Cfa) , then it has quite a different meaning I think.
Subtropical alone, relates much more to physical environments.
No other part of the world provides reliable tropical summers and still so much variety the rest of the year.
That, and generally usa Cfa climates have pretty high sunshine levels, like what we have only in mediterranean Europe. That's probably due to the sunny winters.
To me, a subtropical place is a place that has a temperate climate but still has tropical weather in the summer time, that is, almost zero chance of cold or even cool weather for several months during the warmest time of the year, and where hot weather (and humid) is pretty much guaranteed between June and September.
how could you see it the other way when you mention temperate? Atlanta is not temperate during the winter months. therefore it is not subtropical by your definition.
Last edited by Sir Goosenseresworthie; 09-29-2015 at 06:09 PM..
how could you see it the other way when you mention temperate? Atlanta is not temperate during the winter months. therefore it is not subtropical by your definition.
Well Atlanta with coldest three month mean temps of 55/37F (12.8/2.8C) is some kind of temperate compared to say Minneapolis or Winnipeg don't you think.
They wouldn't look like this in the middle of winter in Minneapolis:
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