Why is the west (California) so warm (average, temperature, rainfall)
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Parts of south Cali get super freezes also that kill oranges and such.
Record lows:
San Diego at 32N on the west coast: 25F.
Charleston at 32N on the east coast: 6F.
Bandon, OR at 43N on the west coast: 8F.
Portland, ME at 43N on the east coast: -39F.
The west coast is way milder than the east coast -- until you reach central Florida at least. In subtropical latitudes the westerlies no longer dominate.
Location: Live:Downtown Phoenix, AZ/Work:Greater Los Angeles, CA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by unobtainium
Record lows:
San Diego at 32N on the west coast: 25F.
Charleston at 32N on the east coast: 6F.
The west coast is way milder than the east coast -- until you reach central Florida at least. In subtropical latitudes the westerlies no longer dominate.
Mexico's west coast at Florida's latitude is warmer (not counting the Pacific coast of Baja). Guaymas and Palm Bay, FL are at the same latitude (28°N) and Guaymas is tropical desert (coolest month averages 19°C) while Palm Bay is subtropical (with a coolest month mean of 16°C)
Mexico's west coast at Florida's latitude is warmer (not counting the Pacific coast of Baja). Guaymas and Palm Bay, FL are at the same latitude (28°N) and Guaymas is tropical desert (coolest month averages 19°C) while Palm Bay is subtropical (with a coolest month mean of 16°C)
Interesting. Is it because Baja is less humid so temperatures are higher?
San Diego at 32N on the west coast: 25F.
Charleston at 32N on the east coast: 6F.
Bandon, OR at 43N on the west coast: 8F.
Portland, ME at 43N on the east coast: -39F.
The west coast is way milder than the east coast -- until you reach central Florida at least. In subtropical latitudes the westerlies no longer dominate.
Nope. Only a reverse west wind flow dominates in FL during the summer giving me bone dry summers.
Arctic air masses flow from north to south, you have oversimplified the typical east west dynamics.
Denver on the east slopes of the Rockies gets its coldest/snowiest air masses when winds blow from the southeast, usually when a low pressure system is to the south of them over OK/TX. When Denver gets west winds, they're in a Chinook pattern, giving them a downsloping katabatic wind. And we here in Phoenix get some of our warmest air masses when winds blow from the northeast or east for the same reason, downsloping katabatic wind.
You are right. When the wind slopes from east to west on the CA coast, that's called "Santa Ana winds" and that's when the coast gets all time record highs. This usually happens in October when the patterns are favorable for it. In the winter the prevailing flow is moist off the Pacific into CA. Same for summer.
You are right. When the wind slopes from east to west on the CA coast, that's called "Santa Ana winds" and that's when the coast gets all time record highs. This usually happens in October when the patterns are favorable for it. In the winter the prevailing flow is moist off the Pacific into CA. Same for summer.
Warm katabatic winds have nothing to do with the Rocky mountains "blocking arctic air", and they are not the reason why the west coast is warmer than the east coast, which was OP's question.
Warm katabatic winds have nothing to do with the Rocky mountains "blocking arctic air", and they are not the reason why the west coast is warmer than the east coast, which was OP's question.
The question was what would happen if arctic air crossed the Rockies "magically". It would have downsloping winds resulting in a warming trend.
A similar phenomenon happens further north along the coast and it doesn't cause warm weather -- it brings cold interior temperatures to the coast, although somewhat moderated by a combination of downsloping and maritime influence:
So I don't know if truly "arctic" air would become suddenly warm through the effects of downsloping alone. Santa Ana winds start out warm to begin with.
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