Geography

• Geography plays an integral part in determining the climate of a region. The altitude of an area affects the temperature range, with colder temps present in the polar regions and warmer near the equator. Temperatures are influenced by the presence of oceans and seas, ocean currents, and winds. The elevation of an area is a factor in the climate as are variations in elevation within a certain place.
  
  

Significance

• The wind direction is a huge determining factor of climate. Prevailing winds, the winds which blow from one particular direction more than others, are very significant in defining the climate for an area. These winds can bring masses of air from the ocean over land, causing precipitation on a regular basis. The winds can also bring air from a continent back out over the ocean as well. In the U.S. for example, the prevailing winds are from west to east, so weather patterns start out in the western portions of the country and often move to the eastern half over the course of time.
  
  

Effects

• Mountains and high elevations are just one feature that has profound effects on climate. The amount of rain and snowfall in a region can be influenced by mountains. Mountains cause air to rise, with rising air becoming less dense. This process causes condensation to take place, with precipitation the result; the air sinks as it moves down the other side of the mountains and gets denser, with much less rain or snow the consequence. This means that one side of the mountain will have more precipitation than the other.
  
  

Considerations

• Perhaps there is no other dynamic more important than ocean currents in determining climates. The currents of the ocean can be warm or cold. The temperature of the air above these currents is affected by the water below. The currents moving away from the equator are warm, keeping the land they pass near warm with their warmer air masses. The currents going in the direction of the equator are cooler and thus bring cooler climates to the lands they are near.
  
  

Types

• Climates come in different types which meteorologists have names for. One such climate is a temperate climate, where the summers are warm to hot and the winters are cool to cold. A polar climate sees an average temperature in the summer that is still cold and a very cold winter. Tropical climates are characterized by warm winters and hot summers while a desert climate is one with hot days and cold nights and hardly any precipitation to speak of.