Download Factors Affecting the Climate of Atlantic Canada Latitude All regions

Factors Affecting the Climate of Atlantic Canada
Latitude
All regions receive the same total of daylight in the course
of a year.
Sunshine is more intense in lower latitudes (near the
equator).
Therefore, areas that are more northerly (have a higher
latitude) like Newfoundland and Labrador experience less
intense sun and have colder climates.
Air Masses
Air Mass – large volumes of air with similar temperature
and moisture conditions.
Affect climate because they take on temperature and
humidity characteristics of the areas in which they
originate.
Continental Arctic – from northern Canada in winter, is
cold and dry.
Maritime Tropical – from Caribbean, is warm and moist.
Maritime Polar – from Atlantic east of Newfoundland, is
cool and moist.
Ocean Currents
Waters of the world’s oceans are constantly in motion.
Major ocean currents have considerable impact on
climate.
Gulf Stream – current from the south, brings warmth to
the southeastern waters.
Labrador Current – flows from the north, brings cold.
When the two currents meet, the warm moist air from
the Gulf Stream condenses in the cold and forms fog.
Proximity to Water
Sun heats water and land at different rates.
Water and the air over it warm more slowly than land.
Areas close to large bodies of water stay cooler in the
summer and warmer in the winter than do areas inland.
No where is this more obvious than in Saint John, N.B.
Elevation
Generally as height increases, temperatures decrease
due to air being so much thinner at high altitudes.