The subarctic climate also called subpolar climate or boreal climate is a continental climate with long cold often very cold winters and short warm to cool summers It is found on large landmasses often away from the moderating effects of an ocean generally at latitudes from 50 N to 70 N poleward of the humid continental climates Subarctic or boreal climates are the source regions for the cold air that affects temperate latitudes to the south in winter These climates represent Koppen climate classification Dfc Dwc Dsc Dfd Dwd and Dsd Subarctic climate worldwide Dsc Dsd Dwc Dwd Dfc DfdDescriptionThis type of climate offers some of the most extreme seasonal temperature variations found on the planet in winter temperatures can drop to below 50 C 58 F and in summer the temperature may exceed 26 C 79 F However the summers are short no more than three months of the year but at least one month must have a 24 hour average temperature of at least 10 C 50 F to fall into this category of climate and the coldest month should average below 0 C 32 F or 3 C 27 F Record low temperatures can approach 70 C 94 F With 5 7 consecutive months when the average temperature is below freezing all moisture in the soil and subsoil freezes solidly to depths of many feet Summer warmth is insufficient to thaw more than a few surface feet so permafrost prevails under most areas not near the southern boundary of this climate zone Seasonal thaw penetrates from 2 to 14 ft 0 6 to 4 3 m depending on latitude aspect and type of ground Some northern areas with subarctic climates located near oceans southern Alaska the northern fringe of Europe Sakhalin Oblast and Kamchatka Oblast have milder winters and no permafrost and are more suited for farming unless precipitation is excessive The frost free season is very short varying from about 45 to 100 days at most and a freeze can occur anytime outside the summer months in many areas Description The first D indicates continentality with the coldest month below 0 C 32 F or 3 C 27 F The second letter denotes precipitation patterns s A dry summer the driest month in the high sun half of the year April to September in the Northern Hemisphere October to March in the Southern Hemisphere has less than 30 millimetres 1 18 in 40 millimetres 1 57 in of rainfall and has exactly or less than 1 3 the precipitation of the wettest month in the low sun half of the year October to March in the Northern Hemisphere April to September in the Southern Hemisphere w A dry winter the driest month in the low sun half of the year has exactly or less than one tenth of the precipitation found in the wettest month in the summer half of the year f No dry season does not meet either of the alternative specifications above precipitation and humidity are often high year round The third letter denotes temperature c Regular subarctic only one three months above 10 C 50 0 F coldest month between 0 C 32 F or 3 C 27 F and 38 C 36 4 F d Severely cold subarctic only one three months above 10 C 50 0 F coldest month at or below 38 C 36 4 F Precipitation Most subarctic climates have little precipitation typically no more than 380 mm 15 in over an entire year due to the low temperatures and evapotranspiration Away from the coasts precipitation occurs mostly in the summer months while in coastal areas with subarctic climates the heaviest precipitation is usually during the autumn months when the relative warmth of sea vis a vis land is greatest Low precipitation by the standards of more temperate regions with longer summers and warmer winters is typically sufficient in view of the very low evapotranspiration to allow a water logged terrain in many areas of subarctic climate and to permit snow cover during winter which is generally persistent for an extended period A notable exception to this pattern is that subarctic climates occurring at high elevations in otherwise temperate regions have extremely high precipitation due to orographic lift Mount Washington with temperatures typical of a subarctic climate receives an average rain equivalent of 101 91 inches 2 588 5 mm of precipitation per year Coastal areas of Khabarovsk Krai also have much higher precipitation in summer due to orographic influences up to 175 millimetres 6 9 in in July in some areas whilst the mountainous Kamchatka peninsula and Sakhalin island are even wetter since orographic moisture isn t confined to the warmer months and creates large glaciers in Kamchatka Labrador in eastern Canada is similarly wet throughout the year due to the semi permanent Icelandic Low and can receive up to 1 300 millimetres 51 in of rainfall equivalent per year creating a snow cover of up to 1 5 metres 59 in that does not melt until June Vegetation and land use Vegetation in regions with subarctic climates is generally of low diversity as only hardy tree species can survive the long winters and make use of the short summers Trees are mostly limited to conifers as few broadleaved trees are able to survive the very low temperatures in winter This type of forest is also known as taiga a term which is sometimes applied to the climate found therein as well Even though the diversity may be low the area and numbers are high and the taiga boreal forest is the largest forest biome on the planet with most of the forests located in Russia and Canada The process by which plants become acclimated to cold temperatures is called hardening Agricultural potential is generally poor due to the natural infertility of soils and the prevalence of swamps and lakes left by departing ice sheets and short growing seasons prohibit all but the hardiest of crops Despite the short season the long summer days at such latitudes do permit some agriculture In some areas ice has scoured rock surfaces bare entirely stripping off the overburden Elsewhere rock basins have been formed and stream courses dammed creating countless lakes Neighboring regions Should one go northward or even toward a polar sea one finds that the warmest month has an average temperature of less than 10 C 50 F and the subarctic climate grades into a tundra climate not at all suitable for trees Southward this climate grades into the humid continental climates with longer summers and usually less severe winters allowing broadleaf trees in a few locations close to a temperate sea as in northern Norway and southern Alaska this climate can grade into a short summer version of an oceanic climate the subpolar oceanic climate as the sea is approached where winter temperatures average near or above freezing despite maintaining the short cool summers In China and Mongolia as one moves southwestwards or towards lower elevations temperatures increase but precipitation is so low that the subarctic climate grades into a cold semi arid climate DistributionDfc and Dfd distribution The Dfc climate by far the most common subarctic type is found in the following areas View of pines in the Kuysumy mountains in SiberiaNorthern Eurasia The majority of Siberia The Kamchatka Peninsula and the northern and central parts of the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin Island The northern half of Fennoscandia milder winters in coastal areas and higher elevations further south The Western Alps between 1 600 and 2 100 meters 5 249 and 6 890 ft and the Eastern Alps between 1 450 and 1 800 meters 4 757 and 5 906 ft Central Romania Some parts of central Germany The Tatra Mountains in Poland and Slovakia above 800 meters 2 625 ft The Pyrenees between 1 600 and 2 100 meters 5 249 and 6 890 ft The and the Pontic Alps between 1 600 and 2 100 meters 5 249 and 6 890 ft citation needed Mountain summits in Scotland most notably in the Cairngorms and the Nevis Range citation needed The far northeast of Turkey Further north and east in Siberia continentality increases so much that winters can be exceptionally severe averaging below 38 C 36 F even though the hottest month still averages more than 10 C 50 F This creates Dfd climates which are mostly found in the Sakha Republic Northeast Siberian taiga Central Yakutian Lowland Yakutsk Oymyakon VerkhoyanskSubarctic climate in Alaska near YukonNorth America Most of Interior and Southcentral Alaska The high Rocky Mountains in Colorado Wyoming Idaho Utah Montana and the White Mountains of New Hampshire Much of Canada from about 53 55 N to the tree line including Southern Labrador Certain areas within Newfoundland interior and along its northern coast Quebec Jamesie Cote Nord and far southern Nunavik Far northern Ontario The northern Prairie Provinces The Rocky Mountain Foothills in Alberta and British Columbia Most of the Yukon Most of the Northwest Territories Southwestern Nunavut In the Southern Hemisphere the Dfc climate is found only in small isolated pockets in the Snowy Mountains of Australia the Southern Alps of New Zealand and the Lesotho Highlands In South America this climate occurs on the western slope of the central Andes in Chile and Argentina where climatic conditions are notably more humid compared to the eastern slope The presence of the Andes mountain range contributes to a wetter climate on the western slope by capturing moisture from the Pacific Ocean resulting in increased precipitation especially during the winter months This climate zone supports the presence of temperate rainforests mostly on highest areas of the Valdivian rainforest in Chile and the subantarctic forest in Argentina Dsc and Dsd distribution Climates classified as Dsc or Dsd with a dry summer are rare occurring in very small areas at high elevation around the Mediterranean Basin Iran Kyrgyzstan Tajikistan Alaska and other parts of the northwestern United States Eastern Washington Eastern Oregon Southern Idaho California s Eastern Sierra the Russian Far East Seneca Oregon and Atlin British Columbia Turkey and Afghanistan are exceptions Dsc climates are common in Northeast Anatolia in the Taurus and Koroglu Mountains and the Central Afghan highlands In the Southern Hemisphere the Dsc climate is present in South America as a subarctic climate influenced by Mediterranean characteristics often considered a high altitude variant of the Mediterranean climate It is located on the eastern slopes of the central Argentine Andes and in some sections on the Chilean side While there are no major settlements exhibiting this climate several localities in the vicinity experience it such as San Carlos de Bariloche Villa La Angostura San Martin de los Andes Balmaceda Punta de Vacas and Dwc and Dwd distribution Climates classified as Dwc or Dwd with a dry winter are found in parts of East Asia like China where the Siberian High makes the winters colder than places like Scandinavia or Alaska interior but extremely dry typically with around 5 millimeters 0 20 in of rainfall equivalent per month meaning that winter snow cover is very limited The Dwc climate can be found in Much of northern Mongolia Russia Most of Khabarovsk Krai except the south Southeastern Sakha Republic Southern Magadan Oblast Northern Amur Oblast Northern Buryatia Zabaykalsky Krai Irkutsk Oblast China Tahe County and Mohe County in Heilongjiang Northern Hulunbuir in Inner Mongolia Gannan in Gansu due to extreme elevation Huangnan eastern Hainan and eastern Guoluo in Qinghai due to extreme elevation Most of Garze and Ngawa Autonomous Prefectures due to extreme elevation in Sichuan Most of Qamdo Prefecture due to extreme elevation in the Tibet Autonomous Region Parts of Ladakh including Siachen Glacier and Spiti regions of India citation needed Middle reaches of the Himalayas in Nepal Bhutan Myanmar and Northeast India Parts of Kaema Plateau including Mount Baekdu Samjiyon Musan in North Korea citation needed In the Southern Hemisphere small pockets of the Lesotho Highlands and the Drakensberg Mountains have a Dwc classification Charts of selected sitesAnchorage Alaska United StatesClimate chart explanation J F M A M J J A S O N D 19 5 12 19 3 10 15 1 7 12 7 2 19 14 4 24 18 9 46 19 11 82 18 10 76 13 5 52 5 2 30 2 9 28 4 10 Average max and min temperatures in C Precipitation totals in mmSource NOAAImperial conversionJFMAMJJASOND 0 7 23 11 0 7 27 14 0 6 35 19 0 5 45 29 0 7 57 39 0 9 64 47 1 8 66 52 3 2 64 50 3 55 42 2 41 29 1 2 28 17 1 1 24 13 Average max and min temperatures in F Precipitation totals in inchesWhitehorse Yukon CanadaClimate chart explanation J F M A M J J A S O N D 18 11 19 12 8 18 10 1 12 7 7 5 16 14 1 32 19 6 38 21 8 36 19 7 33 12 2 23 4 3 20 6 13 16 9 17 Average max and min temperatures in C Precipitation totals in mmSource Environment CanadaImperial conversionJFMAMJJASOND 0 7 12 3 0 5 18 0 0 4 31 11 0 3 44 24 0 6 56 34 1 3 66 42 1 5 69 46 1 4 65 44 1 3 54 36 0 9 40 26 0 8 21 9 0 6 17 2 Average max and min temperatures in F Precipitation totals in inchesYellowknife Northwest Territories CanadaClimate chart explanation J F M A M J J A S O N D 14 23 31 13 19 28 13 11 23 11 0 11 19 11 1 27 18 9 35 21 12 41 18 10 33 10 4 35 1 4 24 10 18 16 20 28 Average max and min temperatures in C Precipitation totals in mmSource Environment CanadaImperial conversionJFMAMJJASOND 0 6 9 24 0 5 1 19 0 5 12 10 0 4 33 12 0 8 51 33 1 1 65 48 1 4 70 54 1 6 65 51 1 3 51 39 1 4 34 24 0 9 14 0 0 6 3 18 Average max and min temperatures in F Precipitation totals in inchesSamedan Graubunden SwitzerlandClimate chart explanation J F M A M J J A S O N D 30 2 18 25 0 17 31 3 12 44 6 6 81 12 1 87 16 2 89 18 3 99 18 3 72 15 0 59 11 4 54 4 11 31 2 16 Average max and min temperatures in C Precipitation totals in mmSource MeteoSchweizImperial conversionJFMAMJJASOND 1 2 28 0 1 32 1 1 2 37 11 1 7 44 22 3 2 53 30 3 4 60 35 3 5 65 37 3 9 64 37 2 8 59 32 2 3 51 24 2 1 38 13 1 2 29 3 Average max and min temperatures in F Precipitation totals in inchesLulea SwedenClimate chart explanation J F M A M J J A S O N D 32 7 13 26 6 13 23 1 9 18 4 3 23 11 2 32 17 9 42 20 12 42 18 11 31 12 6 34 6 0 31 2 6 27 6 11 Average max and min temperatures in C Precipitation totals in mmSource World Weather InformationImperial conversionJFMAMJJASOND 1 3 19 9 1 21 9 0 9 30 16 0 7 39 27 0 9 52 36 1 3 63 48 1 7 68 54 1 7 64 52 1 2 54 43 1 3 43 32 1 2 28 21 1 1 21 12 Average max and min temperatures in F Precipitation totals in inchesNerdal Mo i Rana NorwayClimate chart explanation J F M A M J J A S O N D 146 3 8 117 2 7 112 2 4 74 5 1 64 12 4 70 16 8 97 18 10 110 16 9 155 11 6 186 6 2 136 1 4 163 1 6 Average max and min temperatures in C Precipitation totals in mmSource met no klimastatistikk eklimaImperial conversionJFMAMJJASOND 5 7 27 17 4 6 29 19 4 4 35 24 2 9 42 30 2 5 53 38 2 8 61 46 3 8 64 51 4 3 62 49 6 1 52 42 7 3 43 35 5 4 34 26 6 4 30 20 Average max and min temperatures in F Precipitation totals in inchesTromso NorwayClimate chart explanation J F M A M J J A S O N D 108 1 5 97 1 6 96 1 4 70 4 2 56 9 3 57 13 6 72 16 9 89 15 8 111 11 5 126 5 1 90 2 2 109 0 4 Average max and min temperatures in C Precipitation totals in mmSource Meteo climat stats 1991 2020Imperial conversionJFMAMJJASOND 4 3 30 23 3 8 30 22 3 8 33 24 2 8 39 29 2 2 48 37 2 3 55 43 2 9 61 48 3 5 59 47 4 4 51 42 4 9 41 34 3 6 35 29 4 3 32 25 Average max and min temperatures in F Precipitation totals in inchesKiruna SwedenClimate chart explanation J F M A M J J A S O N D 30 11 22 25 9 20 26 5 18 27 1 9 34 8 2 49 15 5 86 18 7 74 15 5 49 10 1 47 2 11 42 7 13 34 9 20 Average max and min temperatures in C Precipitation totals in mmSource SMHIImperial conversionJFMAMJJASOND 1 2 12 7 1 16 4 1 23 1 1 1 30 15 1 3 47 29 1 9 59 41 3 4 64 45 2 9 59 42 1 9 49 33 1 9 28 13 1 7 20 8 1 3 16 4 Average max and min temperatures in F Precipitation totals in inchesVerkhoyansk Sakha Republic RussiaClimate chart explanation J F M A M J J A S O N D 6 43 49 6 37 46 5 20 39 6 3 22 12 10 3 23 20 6 33 23 9 32 18 4 14 9 3 13 9 19 10 32 40 8 40 47 Average max and min temperatures in C Precipitation totals in mmSource Pogoda ru netImperial conversionJFMAMJJASOND 0 2 45 56 0 2 34 51 0 2 4 37 0 2 26 8 0 5 50 27 0 9 68 43 1 3 74 48 1 3 65 40 0 6 47 27 0 5 16 3 0 4 26 40 0 3 40 52 Average max and min temperatures in F Precipitation totals in inchesMohe Heilongjiang ChinaClimate chart explanation J F M A M J J A S O N D 5 22 36 4 4 13 33 6 9 3 24 24 8 8 33 18 0 68 24 8 99 26 12 107 23 9 50 16 1 16 5 10 13 11 25 7 4 21 34 Average max and min temperatures in C Precipitation totals in mmSource Weather ChinaImperial conversionJFMAMJJASOND 0 2 7 33 0 2 9 28 0 3 26 12 0 9 46 19 1 3 64 33 2 7 76 46 3 9 78 53 4 2 74 49 2 62 35 0 6 41 14 0 5 13 14 0 3 6 29 Average max and min temperatures in F Precipitation totals in inchesLukla NepalClimate chart explanation J F M A M J J A S O N D 11 1 18 18 2 16 22 5 12 28 8 7 34 12 3 96 15 2 154 14 4 145 13 4 81 13 1 37 9 7 6 2 6 13 13 3 16 Average max and min temperatures in C Precipitation totals in mmSource weatherbase comImperial conversionJFMAMJJASOND 0 4 34 1 0 7 35 3 0 9 40 10 1 1 47 19 1 4 53 26 3 8 58 35 6 1 58 39 5 7 56 38 3 2 55 33 1 5 48 20 0 2 42 10 0 5 38 3 Average max and min temperatures in F Precipitation totals in inchesCrater Lake Oregon United StatesClimate chart explanation J F M A M J J A S O N D 267 1 8 205 2 8 196 3 7 123 6 5 84 10 2 57 15 2 20 21 5 25 21 5 52 17 3 127 11 1 239 4 5 290 2 7 Average max and min temperatures in C Precipitation totals in mmSource SHMIImperial conversionJFMAMJJASOND 11 34 18 8 1 35 18 7 7 37 19 4 8 43 23 3 3 50 29 2 2 58 35 0 8 69 41 1 69 41 2 63 37 5 52 31 9 4 40 24 11 35 20 Average max and min temperatures in F Precipitation totals in inchesNorilsk Krasnoyarsk Krai RussiaClimate chart explanation J F M A M J J A S O N D 22 25 34 17 24 33 20 17 29 21 9 21 21 1 10 45 9 1 52 17 8 61 14 5 64 6 0 44 6 13 35 18 26 34 22 31 Average max and min temperatures in C Precipitation totals in mmSource SHMIImperial conversionJFMAMJJASOND 0 9 13 29 0 7 11 27 0 8 1 20 0 8 16 6 0 8 30 14 1 8 48 34 2 63 46 2 4 57 41 2 5 43 32 1 7 21 9 1 4 0 15 1 3 8 24 Average max and min temperatures in F Precipitation totals in inchesOstersund SwedenClimate chart explanation J F M A M J J A S O N D 19 6 13 16 4 12 14 1 8 20 5 3 23 13 3 47 18 8 61 19 10 48 17 9 34 12 5 25 6 1 19 0 5 18 3 10 Average max and min temperatures in C Precipitation totals in mmSource yr noImperial conversionJFMAMJJASOND 0 7 22 9 0 6 25 11 0 6 33 18 0 8 42 27 0 9 55 37 1 9 64 46 2 4 66 50 1 9 63 48 1 3 53 41 1 44 34 0 7 32 23 0 7 26 15 Average max and min temperatures in F Precipitation totals in inchesOulu FinlandClimate chart explanation J F M A M J J A S O N D 33 6 14 28 6 13 23 1 9 34 6 3 32 13 3 49 18 9 70 21 12 65 18 10 57 13 5 46 6 1 41 0 6 36 4 11 Average max and min temperatures in C Precipitation totals in mmSource Tilastokeskus Tilastoja Suomen ilmastosta 1981 2010Imperial conversionJFMAMJJASOND 1 3 21 8 1 1 22 8 0 9 30 16 1 3 42 27 1 3 55 38 1 9 64 48 2 8 70 54 2 6 65 50 2 2 55 42 1 8 42 33 1 6 31 22 1 4 25 13 Average max and min temperatures in F Precipitation totals in inchesSee alsoBoreal ecology Koppen climate classification Subantarctic TaigaReferencesStepanova N A 1958 On the Lowest Temperatures on Earth PDF Monthly Weather Review 86 1 6 10 Bibcode 1958MWRv 86 6S doi 10 1175 1520 0493 1958 086 lt 0006 OTLTOE gt 2 0 CO 2 Retrieved 4 January 2018 Subarctic Division 2010 01 05 at the Wayback Machine Mount Washington Observatory Normals Means and Extremes Retrieved July 1 2009 Subarctic Division www fs fed us Retrieved 2020 01 04 Geography of climate 2012 02 06 at the Wayback Machine Peel M C Finlayson B L McMahon T A 2007 Updated Koppen Geiger Climate Map of the World Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Copernicus Publications doi 10 5194 hess 11 1633 2007 Retrieved 23 October 2019 Sanchez Davila Gabriel 2021 Clasificacion climatica de Sudamerica StoryMaps ArcGIS Retrieved 30 April 2024 Canadian Climate Normals 1981 2010 Environment Canada 2011 01 19 Archived from the original on August 8 2020 Retrieved 2012 03 24 Environment Canada Archived from the original on 2019 12 14 Retrieved 2009 10 14 in German French and Italian MeteoSchweiz Archived from the original on 2009 06 27 Retrieved 2009 10 15 World Weather Information Archived from the original on 2006 05 14 Retrieved 2009 10 17 Nederbord normalvarden 1961 90 SMHI Archived from the original on 2007 10 20 Retrieved 2009 10 17 Mohe County 1971 2000 Weather com cn Retrieved 2011 09 12 Lukla Nepal Travel Weather Averages Weatherbase Retrieved 2015 08 11 Crater Lake Nat l Park H Oregon Period of Record Climate Summary Western Regional Climate Center Retrieved 2012 04 17 Norilsk Weather Averages and Climate weather2travel Retrieved 2012 04 18, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library, article, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games, mobile, phone, android, ios, apple, mobile phone, samsung, iphone, xiomi, xiaomi, redmi, honor, oppo, nokia, sonya, mi, pc, web, computer