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It doesn't seem like a "tropical" climate at all. But it also doesn't seem very "temperate" to me, hence I think subtropical is the best description.
For me, a temperate climate should have four seasons (Eureka has just two - rainy and dry), frost should be more than a freak occurrence (Eureka almost never gets any frost) and its annual weather patterns shouldn't be dominated by subtropical features (for example, for all of its cool and foggy weather, Eureka gets essentially zero precipitation during the summer months, an odd climatic feature caused by the subtropical Pacific Anticyclone and the same feature that dominates the west coast all the way down through central Baja California). Also, a temperate climate shouldn't be able to grow such an incredible variety of subtropical plants, including native subtropicals like madrone, manzanita, and live oaks.
The problem is its harder to draw the line on the west coast. Manzanitas, Madrones and Live Oaks all grow in Victoria, BC easily and it also has the same dry summer/wet winter regime as Eureka albeit slightly less defined.
The problem is its harder to draw the line on the west coast. Manzanitas, Madrones and Live Oaks all grow in Victoria, BC easily and it also has the same dry summer/wet winter regime as Eureka albeit slightly less defined.
Yeah, although manzanita and madrone are only native to a very small portion of the south coast of BC. Mainly just southeastern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. It's a tiny patch of the Californian floristic province in an exceptional rainshadow zone. You would only have to fly 20 minutes in any direction to find a much wetter and cloudier climate. Whereas in California that sort of ecosystem is abundant.
Yeah, although manzanita and madrone are only native to a very small portion of the south coast of BC. Mainly just southeastern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. It's a tiny patch of the Californian floristic province in an exceptional rainshadow zone. You would only have to fly 20 minutes in any direction to find a much wetter and cloudier climate. Whereas in California that sort of ecosystem is abundant.
Personally I say so what, doesn't matter how big or small a zone area is.
deneb78 definitely has a point, Victoria/Oak Bay and Gulf Island could possibly
be considered to be in same zone as Eureka,CA. And as you mentioned, it located in an exceptional rainshadow zone, crearting an ecozone with similarities of west coast much father south.
In general, the west coast from California right up to SE Alaska is more difficult to place under just 2 or 3 climatic zones as there are many (sometimes unique) microclimates, influenced by local topography.
Personally I say so what, doesn't matter how big or small a zone area is.
deneb78 definitely has a point, Victoria/Oak Bay and Gulf Island could possibly
be considered to be in same zone as Eureka,CA. And as you mentioned, it located in an exceptional rainshadow zone, crearting an ecozone with similarities of west coast much father south.
In general, the west coast from California right up to SE Alaska is more difficult to place under just 2 or 3 climatic zones as there are many (sometimes unique) microclimates, influenced by local topography.
I don't disagree with you at all. There are certainly many microclimates on the west coast caused by rainshadows and inland bodies of water. I also think that both Northern California and these microclimates further north could arguably straddle the line between temperate and cool subtropical.
For me, a temperate climate should have four seasons (Eureka has just two - rainy and dry), frost should be more than a freak occurrence (Eureka almost never gets any frost) and its annual weather patterns shouldn't be dominated by subtropical features (for example, for all of its cool and foggy weather, Eureka gets essentially zero precipitation during the summer months, an odd climatic feature caused by the subtropical Pacific Anticyclone and the same feature that dominates the west coast all the way down through central Baja California). Also, a temperate climate shouldn't be able to grow such an incredible variety of subtropical plants, including native subtropicals like madrone, manzanita, and live oaks.
I find it funny that people want a climate to have "four distinct seasons" to classify it as "temperate". I always though the definition of temperate meant that the climate lacks extremes in temperature. For me, somewhere like Sydney would have a temperate climate, because the amount of cool and warm weather is fairly even to me. I also think that just because a climate is temperate does not mean it is not subtropical as well.
I find it funny that people want a climate to have "four distinct seasons" to classify it as "temperate". I always though the definition of temperate meant that the climate lacks extremes in temperature.
There are two definitions floating around of "temperate". One is the one you and I think of, which is a climate that is mostly mild, lacking in extremes, and with only a little amount of seasonal change. Another is the definition Trewartha uses and is floated around here, which corresponds to a mid-latitude climate, be it oceanic or continental. "Temperate oceanic" is what we think of as just "temperate", and "Temperate continental" is what we'd think of as a four-season, continental climate.
The Scilly Isles of Cornwall have a subtropical garden at Tresco Abbey. But some spots in Ireland & Scotland are also sub-t as well as Lake Constance in Germany. Along the west coast of NA, Vancouver has palm trees.
South coast of Ireland has a frost hardness zone of 10 but it is nowhere near tropical.
I find factors like that really fascinating. The fact that you can get a hardness of almost 10.5 up at 52north. It shows how the ocean warms places way up.
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