Download Georgia`s Climate

Georgia's
Climate
Chapter 1,
Section 3
EQ: What does Georgia’s
climate look like?
• PT:
1)Describe the weather right
now.
2)Describe the climate in the
summer. The winter?
Some Key Terms
• Weather: day-to-day conditions
• Climate: weather over a long
period of time
Temperature
55
60
65
70
Annual
mean (Avg)
temperature
ranges from
about 54° F
in the
northeast to
68º F in the
south.
Temperature
32
40
50
January mean
temperature
ranges from
about 36º F in
the north to
53º F in the
south.
Temperature
70
80
July mean
temperature
ranges from
about 70º F
along the NC
border to 84º
F in the
south.
Precipitation
70
50
X
The average
annual rainfall
in Georgia
ranges from a
low of about
45 inches near
Mt. Vernon in
Montgomery
County (X) to
a high of over
80 inches in
mountainous
areas in the
northeast.
Precipitation
12
x
3
0
The average
annual snowfall for
most of the state
is less than 3
inches (green
area). The far
south does not
usually experience
snow. A few
mountaintops in
the northeast have
more than a foot
of snow each year.
Wind
Jan
Jul
Apr
Oct
Prevailing
winds change
across the
state from
season to
season.
Average
monthly wind
speeds range
from 5 to 9
mph.
Winds
Winds in
winter tend to
be from the
NW from over
the continent
Winds in
summer tend
to be from
the SW from
the Gulf of
Mexico
Natural Hazards
x
In the period
from 19501995, Georgia
experienced
an average of
20 tornadoes
per year, of
which 6 were
strong or
violent
tornadoes.
Natural Hazards
Hurricanes
occasionally
move across
Georgia,
although they
are usually
downgraded to
a tropical storm
by the time
they enter the
state.
Air Currents
• Trade Winds: Winds from
the equator flowing
northeast.
• Prevailing Westerlies:
Winds blowing west to east
• Warm winds = precipitation
Air Currents
• These winds helped early
explorers in sail-based ships
travel across the Caribbean
Sea and up the coast of
North America.
Ocean Currents
• Gulf Stream: Flow of warm
water from the Caribbean
Sea and the Gulf of Mexico
up the East Coast of North
America, and out to the
Atlantic Ocean.
Ocean Currents
• These currents helped early
colonists sail from the
colonies to England.
• They also warm the water
that brings precipitation.
Local conditions
• Vegetation type and land cover can
also affect climate
• The presence of cities, irrigated land,
or other human-induced changes can
affect local conditions, too
Georgia’s climate varies on
many different time scales,
from seasonal to multi-decadal.
These variations are due to a
number of factors, including
ocean temperatures, land use
changes, and weather and
climate events happening
elsewhere in the US and the
world.
Ticket out the door!
• Write a paragraph of 5 or
more sentences
describing the causes of
and effects on Georgia’s
climate.