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I have been thinking about the definition of an oceanic climate and it seems to me that a true oceanic climate should not have any snow cover. For those "oceanic" climates according to Koppen and Trewartha that do have snow cover from time to time, there should be another category of semi-continental since obviously the snow is caused by cold continental influence and not maritime influence. An oceanic climate should not have any continental influences like Wellington, NZ for example. What do you think? Should semi-continental be a new climate category?
I have been thinking about the definition of an oceanic climate and it seems to me that a true oceanic climate should not have any snow cover. For those "oceanic" climates according to Koppen and Trewartha that do have snow cover from time to time, there should be another category of semi-continental since obviously the snow is caused by cold continental influence and not maritime influence. An oceanic climate should not have any continental influences like Wellington, NZ for example. What do you think? Should semi-continental be a new climate category?
Not true in higher-latitude places, NW'lies can give us snow without any continental influence involved, is that not so in Vancouver?
I don't see the point in thinking in such black and white terms, why should a climate like mine that's obviously oceanic-dominated most of the time not be called oceanic just because it sometimes gets snow, which isn't even necessarily because of the continent next to us?
Wellington is just at one extreme end of the oceanic scale, there aren't many places around with such little continental influence as what you're thinking of.
Not true in higher-latitude places, NW'lies can give us snow without any continental influence involved, is that not so in Vancouver?
I don't see the point in thinking in such black and white terms, why should a climate like mine that's obviously oceanic-dominated most of the time not be called oceanic just because it sometimes gets snow, which isn't even necessarily because of the continent next to us?
Wellington is just at one extreme end of the oceanic scale, there aren't many places around with such little continental influence as what you're thinking of.
True... maybe more specific threshholds are needed ie if settling snow lasts more than a week straight or if more than two ice days in a row then the climate can be semi continental instead of pure oceanic. How could a pure oceanic climate produce settling snow for long periods of time or have ice days when you get oceanic winds blowing off an unfrozen ocean?
Not true in higher-latitude places, NW'lies can give us snow without any continental influence involved, is that not so in Vancouver?
I don't see the point in thinking in such black and white terms, why should a climate like mine that's obviously oceanic-dominated most of the time not be called oceanic just because it sometimes gets snow, which isn't even necessarily because of the continent next to us?
Wellington is just at one extreme end of the oceanic scale, there aren't many places around with such little continental influence as what you're thinking of.
Probably not, the sea fetch would most probably too long. I would imagine Vancouver sources most of its snow from further north in Canada and Alaska.
True... maybe more specific threshholds are needed ie if settling snow lasts more than a week straight or if more than two ice days in a row then the climate can be semi continental instead of pure oceanic. How could a pure oceanic climate produce settling snow for long periods of time or have ice days when you get oceanic winds blowing off an unfrozen ocean?
Those thresholds would make me semi-continental rather than pure oceanic, agreed I'm not pure oceanic but there's a world of difference between where I live and somewhere a lot further down the "semi-continental" scale like e.g. Berlin. Hardly anywhere would count as a fully "pure" oceanic climate, you'd end up with so many different gradations of oceanic/continental it would get silly and meaningless to anyone other than the most hardcore of climate geeks
The Faroes are surrounded by hundreds of miles of ocean but they can still get frequent snow showers blowing in with the winds coming from the opposite direction to the continent - you can see here the amount of snow days with highs around or just below 0C with NW winds in late February 2001 for example (lots of snowy NW'ly outbreaks here that winter too):
I can't explain how that air can have been that much colder than the ocean other than just "it's cold up there anyway" - anybody? Greenland isn't that big or that near to the Faroes to have that much impact, surely?
Is it a possibility for a subset of oceanic climates to have snow cover in winter? Yes.
Just because a place is cold and snowy in winter shouldn't exclude from being oceanic all oceanic means is a place with moderated seasons considering latitude. A place at 70 N with a polar oceanic climate could have snow cover in winter, whilst holding onto it's oceanic classification.
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all oceanic means is a place with moderated seasons considering latitude. A place at 70 N with a polar oceanic climate could have snow cover in winter, whilst holding onto it's oceanic classification.
