Continental climate

Köppen climate category

For the influence of continental climates on viticulture, see continental climate (wine).

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Continental climate" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (November 2007) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

Areas of the world that feature a continental climate, according to Köppen

Continental climates often have a significant annual variation in temperature (warm to hot summers and cold winters). They tend to occur in central and eastern parts of the three northern-tier continents (North America, Europe, and Asia), typically in the middle latitudes (40 to 55 or 60 degrees north), often within large landmasses, where prevailing winds blow overland bringing some precipitation, and temperatures are not moderated by oceans. Continental climates occur mostly in the Northern Hemisphere due to the large landmasses found there. Most of northeastern China, eastern and southeastern Europe, much of Russia south of the arctic circle, central and southeastern Canada, and the central and northeastern United States have this type of climate.[1] Continentality is a measure of the degree to which a region experiences this type of climate.[1]

In continental climates, precipitation tends to be moderate in amount, concentrated mostly in the warmer months. Only a few areas—in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest of North America and in Iran, northern Iraq, adjacent Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Central Asia—show a winter maximum in precipitation. A portion of the annual precipitation falls as snowfall, and snow often remains on the ground for more than a month. Summers in continental climates can feature thunderstorms and frequent hot temperatures; however, summer weather is somewhat more stable than winter weather. Continental climates are considered as temperate climate varieties due to their location in the temperate zones,[2][3] but are classified separately from other temperate climates in the Köppen climate classification system where they are identified by their first letter, a capital D. In the Trewartha climate classification, they are identified as Dc.

## Köppen climate classification[edit]

Continental climate has at least one month averaging below 0 °C (32 °F) (or −3 °C (27 °F)) and at least one month averaging above 10 °C (50 °F).[4][5]

Regions where the continental climates (Dfa, Dfb, Dfc, Dfd) are found.

* Dfa = Hot-summer humid continental climate; coldest month averaging below 0 °C (32 °F) (or −3 °C (27 °F)), at least one month's average temperature above 22 °C (71.6 °F), and at least four months averaging above 10 °C (50 °F). No significant precipitation difference between seasons (neither the abovementioned set of conditions fulfilled).
* Dfb = Warm-summer humid continental climate; coldest month averaging below 0 °C (32 °F) (or −3 °C (27 °F)), all months with average temperatures below 22 °C (71.6 °F), and at least four months averaging above 10 °C (50 °F). No significant precipitation difference between seasons (neither the abovementioned set of conditions fulfilled).
* Dfc = Subarctic climate; coldest month averaging below 0 °C (32 °F) (or −3 °C (27 °F)) and one–three months averaging above 10 °C (50 °F). No significant precipitation difference between seasons (neither the abovementioned set of conditions fulfilled).
* Dfd = Extremely cold subarctic climate; coldest month averaging below −38 °C (−36.4 °F) and one–three months averaging above 10 °C (50 °F). No significant precipitation difference between seasons (neither the abovementioned set of conditions fulfilled).

Regions where the Monsoon-influenced continental climates (Dwa, Dwb, Dwc, Dwd) are found.

* Dwa = Monsoon-influenced hot-summer humid continental climate; coldest month averaging below 0 °C (32 °F) (or −3 °C (27 °F)), at least one month's average temperature above 22 °C (71.6 °F), and at least four months averaging above 10 °C (50 °F). At least ten times as much rain in the wettest month of summer as in the driest month of winter.
* Dwb = Monsoon-influenced warm-summer humid continental climate; coldest month averaging below 0 °C (32 °F) (or −3 °C (27 °F)), all months with average temperatures below 22 °C (71.6 °F), and at least four months averaging above 10 °C (50 °F). At least ten times as much rain in the wettest month of summer as in the driest month of winter.
* Dwc = Monsoon-influenced subarctic climate; coldest month averaging below 0 °C (32 °F) (or −3 °C (27 °F)) and one–three months averaging above 10 °C (50 °F). At least ten times as much rain in the wettest month of summer as in the driest month of winter.
* Dwd = Monsoon-influenced extremely cold subarctic climate; coldest month averaging below −38 °C (−36.4 °F) and one–three months averaging above 10 °C (50 °F). At least ten times as much rain in the wettest month of summer as in the driest month of winter.

Regions where the Mediterranean-influenced continental climates (Dsa, Dsb, Dsc, Dsd) are found.

* Dsa = Mediterranean-influenced hot-summer humid continental climate; coldest month averaging below 0 °C (32 °F) (or −3 °C (27 °F)), average temperature of the warmest month above 22 °C (71.6 °F) and at least four months averaging above 10 °C (50 °F). At least three times as much precipitation in the wettest month of winter as in the driest month of summer, and the driest month of summer receives less than 30 mm (1.2 in).
* Dsb = Mediterranean-influenced warm-summer humid continental climate; coldest month averaging below 0 °C (32 °F) (or −3 °C (27 °F)), average temperature of the warmest month below 22 °C (71.6 °F) and at least four months averaging above 10 °C (50 °F). At least three times as much precipitation in the wettest month of winter as in the driest month of summer, and the driest month of summer receives less than 30 mm (1.2 in).
* Dsc = Mediterranean-influenced subarctic climate; coldest month averaging below 0 °C (32 °F) (or −3 °C (27 °F)) and one–three months averaging above 10 °C (50 °F). At least three times as much precipitation in the wettest month of winter as in the driest month of summer, and the driest month of summer receives less than 30 mm (1.2 in).
* Dsd = Mediterranean-influenced extremely cold subarctic climate; coldest month averaging below −38 °C (−36.4 °F) and one–three months averaging above 10 °C (50 °F). At least three times as much precipitation in the wettest month of winter as in the driest month of summer, and the driest month of summer receives less than 30 mm (1.2 in).

## Seasons[edit]

Annual precipitation in this zone is usually between 600 millimetres (24 in) and 1,200 millimetres (47 in), The timing of intermediate spring-like or autumn-like temperatures in this zone vary depending on latitude and/or elevation. For example, spring may arrive as soon as March (in Northern hemisphere, September in Southern hemisphere) in the southern (in Northern hemisphere, northern in Southern hemisphere), parts of this zone or as late as May (November) in the north (south). Summers are warm or hot while winters are below freezing and sustain lots of frost.

## Climatology[edit]

Continental climates exist where cold air masses infiltrate during the winter from shorter days and warm air masses form in summer under conditions of high sun and longer days. Places with continental climates are as a rule either far from any moderating effect of oceans or are so situated that prevailing winds tend to head offshore.[6] Such regions get quite warm in the summer, achieving temperatures characteristic of tropical climates but are colder than any other climates of similar latitude in the winter.

## Neighboring climates[edit]

In the Köppen climate system, these climates grade off toward temperate climates equator-ward where winters are less severe and semi-arid climates or arid climates where precipitation becomes inadequate for tall-grass prairies and shrublands. In Europe these climates may grade off into oceanic climates (Cfb) or subpolar oceanic climates (Cfc) in which the influence of cool oceanic air masses is more marked toward the west. In western and eastern Asia, and the central United States these climates grade off toward humid subtropical climates (Cfa/Cwa), subtropical highland climates (Cwb), or Mediterranean climates (Csa/Csb) to the south.

## List of locations with a continental climate[edit]

^1 The climate is continental if the 0°C coldest-month isotherm is used, but it is temperate if the -3°C isotherm is used.

### Africa[edit]

#### Morocco[edit]

* Imilchil1 (bordering Cfb)

### Eurasia[edit]

#### Asia[edit]

Kargil, India The snowy city of Sapporo, Japan

* Afghanistan: Fayzabad1 (Dsa bordering Csa), Ghazni (Dsa bordering BSk), Puli Alam (Dsa)
* Armenia: Gyumri, Jermuk (Dsb bordering Dfb), Kapan, Sisian, Vanadzor, Yerevan (bordering BSk)
* Azerbaijan: Qabala1 (bordering Cfa), Shamakhi1 (bordering Cfa)
* China: Beijing1, Biru County, Changchun, Dalian, Harbin, Jinan1 (bordering Cwa), Lhasa1 (bordering BSk/Cwb), Qiqihar, Shenyang, Shigatse1, Suihua, Ulanhot, Ürümqi (bordering BSk), Yantai1, Yichun
* Georgia: Akhaltsikhe
* India: Dras (Dsb bordering Dfb), Kargil [1]
* Iran: Abali (Dsb), Arak1 (Dsa bordering BSk), Ardabil1 (bordering BSk), Hamadan1 (Dsa bordering BSk), Saqqez1 (Dsa), Sardasht1 (Dsa), Tabriz1 (Dsa bordering BSk), Urmia1 (bordering BSk)
* Japan: Aomori1, Asahikawa, Hakodate1, Kushiro, Mount Aso1, Nagano1 (bordering Cfa), Nichinan1 (bordering Cfa), Sapporo, Tendō1 [2]
* Kazakhstan: Aktobe, Almaty, Astana, Karaganda, Oskemen, Pavlodar, Semey, Shymkent1 (Dsa), Taraz (Dsa bordering BSk)
* Kyrgyzstan: Bishkek1 (Dsa), Jalal-Abad1 (Dsa), Osh1 (Dsa)
* Mongolia: Baruunturuun (bordering Dwc), Darkhan, Kharkhorin
* North Korea: Haeju1, Kaesong, Nampo, Pyongyang, Rason
* Russia: Barnaul, Blagoveshchensk, Irkutsk, Khabarovsk, Kurilsk (bordering Dfc), Novosibirsk, Omsk, Orenburg, Tomsk, Vladivostok, Yekaterinburg, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
* South Korea: Cheongju1, Chuncheon, Chupungnyeong1, Daejeon1, Incheon1, Seoul1, Wonju, Yeongcheon1 (bordering Cfa)
* South Ossetia: Tskhinvali1 (disputed with Georgia)
* Tajikistan: Isfara1 (Dsa), Konibodom1 (Dsa), Panjakent1 (Dsa), Roghun (Dsb)
* Turkey: Ardahan, Erzurum, Hakkâri (Dsa), Kars, Muş (Dsa)
* Uzbekistan: Chirchiq1 (Dsa bordering Csa) [3]

#### Europe[edit]

Chamonix valley, France Aker Brygge in Oslo Spassky Cathedral in Moscow

* Andorra: Canillo1, El Pas de la Casa1 (bordering Dfc)
* Austria: Baden bei Wien1 (bordering Cfb) [4], Innsbruck1, Klagenfurt1, Neukirchen bei Lambach1 [5]
* Belarus: Brest1, Gomel, Minsk, Pinsk
* Bosnia and Herzegovina: Goražde1, Istočno Sarajevo1, Livno1
* Bulgaria: Pazardzhik1 (bordering Cfa), Pernik1, Pleven1, Ruse1 (bordering Cfa), Smolyan1 (Dsb), Sofia1 (bordering Cfb), Veliko Tarnovo1, Vratsa1
* Croatia: Gospić1
* Czech Republic: Brno1, České Budějovice1, Liberec1, Olomouc1 [6], Ostrava1, Plzeň1
* Estonia: Hiiumaa1, Pärnu, Saaremaa1, Tallinn, Tartu
* Finland: Åland1, Hämeenlinna, Helsinki, Kouvola, Lappeenranta, Pori, Turku
* France: Chamonix1, Mouthe1, Saint-Véran1 (bordering Dfc)
* Germany: Ansbach1, Augsburg1 (bordering Cfb), Bayreuth1, Garmisch-Partenkirchen1, Görlitz1 (bordering Cfb), Ingolstadt1 [7], Kempten1, Weiden in der Oberpfalz1
* Greece: Aetomilitsa1, Kato Vermio1, Samarina1
* Hungary: Debrecen1, Kecskemét1 (bordering Cfa/Cfb), Miskolc1, Szeged1 (bordering Cfa/Cfb), Szombathely1 (bordering Cfb)
* Italy: Bruneck, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Rhêmes-Notre-Dame1 [8], Toblach
* Kazakhstan: Oral (bordering BSk)
* Kosovo: Pristina1 (disputed with Serbia)
* Latvia: Daugavpils, Jelgava1, Liepāja1, Riga1
* Liechtenstein: Schaan1 (bordering Cfb)
* Lithuania: Kaunas, Klaipėda1, Šiauliai1, Vilnius
* Moldova: Bălți, Chișinău1, Comrat1
* Montenegro: Žabljak (bordering Dfc)
* North Macedonia: Berovo1 [9]
* Norway: Bodø1 (bordering Dfc), Drammen, Hamar, Lillehammer (bordering Dfc), Oslo1, Steinkjer1, Trondheim1
* Poland: Białystok1, Bydgoszcz1, Gdańsk1, Katowice1, Kraków1, Łódź1, Lublin1, Poznań1 (bordering Cfb), Suwałki, Toruń1, Warsaw1
* Romania: Brașov, Bucharest1, Cluj-Napoca1, Iași1, Ploiești1, Sibiu1, Timișoara1
* Russia: Chelyabinsk, Grozny1, Kaliningrad1, Kazan, Moscow, Nalchik, Nizhny Novgorod, Perm, Rostov-on-Don, Saint Petersburg, Samara, Smolensk, Taganrog1, Ufa, Vladikavkaz1, Voronezh
* Serbia: Nova Varoš1, Subotica1
* Slovakia: Banská Bystrica, Košice1, Pezinok1 [10], Prešov1, Žilina1
* Slovenia: Lendava1 (bordering Cfb), Murska Sobota1
* Sweden: Härnösand, Jönköping1, Kalmar1 (bordering Cfb), Norrköping1, Stockholm1, Sundsvall, Uppsala1, Visby1 (bordering Cfb)
* Switzerland: Gstaad, La Brévine (bordering Dfc), La Chaux-de-Fonds1, Poschiavo1
* Transnistria: Tiraspol1 (disputed with Moldova)
* Ukraine: Dnipro, Donetsk (occupied by Russia), Izmail1 (bordering Cfa), Kharkiv, Kherson1, Kryvyi Rih, Kyiv, Luhansk (occupied by Russia), Lviv1, Mariupol1 (occupied by Russia), Odesa1 (bordering BSk/Cfa), Uzhhorod1, Zaporizhzhia, Zhytomyr

### North America[edit]

#### Canada[edit]

* Calgary (higher areas are Dfc)
* Castlegar, BC1 (Dsb bordering Dfb)
* Charlottetown
* Edmonton
* Fredericton
* Gander, NL
* Goose Bay, NL (bordering Dfc)
* Halifax
* Hamilton, ON
* Kelowna, BC1
* Marystown, NL1
* Moncton
* Montreal
* Moose Factory
* Murdochville, QC
* Ottawa
* Penticton, BC1 (bordering BSk)
* Prince George, BC
* Quebec City
* Regina (bordering BSk)
* Rimouski, QC
* Sable Island1 (bordering Cfb)
* St. John's, NL
* Saskatoon (bordering BSk)
* Stewart, BC1
* Sudbury
* Sydney, NS
* Thunder Bay
* Toronto
* Windsor
* Winnipeg
* Yarmouth, NS1

* North Saskatchewan River valley in Edmonton

* The Forks, with St. Boniface Cathedral in the background in Winnipeg

* Toronto skyline taken from Colonel Samuel Smith Park in Etobicoke

* Downtown Calgary from Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) campus

* Olympic Stadium in Montreal

* Quebec City shore

#### Saint Pierre and Miquelon[edit]

Port of Miquelon

* Bordering Dfc1

#### United States[edit]

##### Midwest[edit]

Chicago's Near North Side St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, Green Bay, Wisconsin

* Bismarck, ND
* Cahokia Heights, IL1 (bordering Cfa)
* Chicago
* Cincinnati1 (downtown is Cfa)
* Cleveland1
* Columbus, OH1
* Des Moines
* Detroit
* Duluth, MN
* Fargo, ND
* Grand Rapids, MI
* Green Bay, WI
* Indianapolis1
* Kansas City1
* Milwaukee
* Minneapolis
* North Platte, NE
* Omaha
* Rapid City, SD (bordering BSk)
* Sioux Falls, SD
* Springfield, IL1
* Toledo, OH1
* Topeka1

##### Northeast[edit]

Boston's skyline in the background, with fall foliage in the foreground Buffalo after December 2019 snowstorm Downtown Pittsburgh from Station Square

* Albany
* Allentown, PA1
* Boston1
* Bridgeport, CT1 (bordering Cfa)
* Buffalo
* Burlington, VT
* Cape Cod1 (bordering Cfb)
* Erie, PA1
* Harrisburg1 (downtown and riverfront (including City Island) are Cfa)
* Hartford1
* Lancaster, PA1 (bordering Cfa)
* Manchester, NH
* New Haven1
* Newport, RI1 (bordering Cfa/Cfb)
* Paterson, NJ1 (bordering Cfa)
* Pittsburgh1
* Portland, ME
* Poughkeepsie, NY1
* Princeton, NJ1 (bordering Cfa)
* Providence, RI1
* Riverhead, NY1 (north side facing Long Island Sound is Cfa)
* Rochester
* Scranton, PA1
* Southampton, NY1
* Springfield, MA [11]
* Syracuse
* White Plains, NY1
* Worcester, MA

##### South[edit]

Alum Cave Trail, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee

* Beech Mountain, NC1
* Boone, NC1 (bordering Cfb)
* Brasstown Bald, GA1 (bordering Cfb) [12]
* Buckhannon, WV1 (bordering Cfa)
* Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport1 (bordering Cfa)
* Clifton Forge, VA1 (bordering Cfa) [13]
* Clingmans Dome, NC/TN
* Cumberland, MD1
* Ebright Azimuth, DE1 (bordering Cfa)
* Elkins, WV1
* Mount Mitchell, NC
* Romney, WV1 (bordering Cfa) [14]
* Wheeling, WV1
* White Sulphur Springs, WV1
* Winchester, VA1 (bordering Cfa)

##### West[edit]

Downtown Aspen, Colorado Government Camp, Oregon Nenana, Alaska Winthrop, Washington

* Alturas, CA1 (Dsb bordering BSk/Csb)
* Aspen, CO
* Billings, MT1 (bordering BSk)
* Cambridge, ID (Dsa)
* Cheyenne, WY1 (bordering BSk)
* Coeur D'Alene, ID1 (Dsb bordering Csb)
* Fairbanks (bordering Dfc)
* Flagstaff, AZ1 (bordering BSk)
* Government Camp, OR1 (Dsb bordering Dsc)
* Idaho Falls (bordering BSk)
* Jackson, WY (bordering Dfc)
* Joseph, OR
* Juneau1 (bordering Dfc)
* Klamath Falls, OR1 (Dsb)
* Kodiak, AK1 (bordering Cfb/Cfc/Dfc)
* Logan, UT
* Los Alamos, NM1 (bordering BSk)
* Loveland, CO1 (bordering BSk)
* Mammoth Lakes, CA1 (Dsb)
* Mountain City, NV (bordering BSk)
* Nenana, AK (bordering Dfc)
* Ogden, UT1
* Orofino, ID1 (Dsb bordering Dsa)
* Park City, UT
* Petersburg, AK1
* Salt Lake City1 (Dsa bordering Csa)
* Santa Fe, NM1 (bordering BSk)
* Skagway, AK (Dsb bordering Dsc)
* Spokane, WA1 (Dsb bordering Csa/Csb/Dsa)
* Tahoe City, CA1 (Dsb)
* Taos, NM (bordering BSk)
* Telluride, CO
* Tusayan, AZ1 (bordering BSk)
* Winthrop, WA (Dsb)

### Oceania[edit]

#### Australia[edit]

Kiandra police station

* Falls Creek1, Victoria (bordering Dfc)
* Kiandra1, New South Wales (bordering Cfb)
* Mount Buller1, Victoria (bordering Cfb/Cfc/Dfc)

### South America[edit]

#### Argentina[edit]

Puente del Inca in July

* Alto Río Senguer1, Chubut Province (Dsb bordering BSk/Csb/Csc/Dsc)
* Puente del Inca1, Mendoza Province (Dsb bordering Csb)

#### Chile[edit]

Lonquimay in Winter

* Lonquimay1, Araucanía Region (bordering Cfb)
* Sewell, O'Higgins Region (Dsb bordering Dsc)

## See also[edit]

* Hemiboreal climate
* Humid continental climate
* Microthermal climate
* Subarctic climate

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b "Continental Climate". Encyclopedia of the Atmospheric Environment. Manchester Metropolitan University. Archived from the original on 2009-04-27.
2. ^ Senker, Cath (3 May 2018). Temperate Climates. Raintree Publishers. p. 5\. ISBN 9781474738408. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
3. ^ "Weather & Climate Change: Climates around the world". Education Scotland. Archived from the original on 14 April 2016.
4. ^ Peel, M. C.; Finlayson B. L. & McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen–Geiger climate classification" (PDF). Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11 (5): 1633–1644. Bibcode:2007HESS...11.1633P. doi:10.5194/Hess-11-1633-2007. ISSN 1027-5606.
5. ^ Kottek, Markus; Grieser, Jürgen; Beck, Christoph; Rudolf, Bruno; Rubel, Franz (2006). "World Map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification updated" (PDF). Meteorologische Zeitschrift. 15 (3): 259–263. Bibcode:2006MetZe..15..259K. doi:10.1127/0941-2948/2006/0130.
6. ^ "What Is a Continental Climate?". WorldAtlas. 2019-05-21. Retrieved 2022-04-04.

## External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Continental climate.

* v
* t
* e

Climate types under the Köppen climate classification

Class A|

* Tropical rainforest (Af)
* Tropical monsoon (Am)
* Tropical savanna (Aw, As)

Class B|

* Desert (BWh, BWk)
* Semi-arid (BSh, BSk)

Class C|

* Humid subtropical (Cfa, Cwa)
* Oceanic (Cfb, Cwb, Cfc, Cwc)
* Mediterranean (Csa, Csb, Csc)

Class D|

* Humid continental (Dfa, Dwa, Dsa, Dfb, Dwb, Dsb)
* Subarctic (Dfc, Dwc, Dsc, Dfd, Dwd, Dsd)

Class E|

* Tundra (ET)
* Ice cap (EF)
* Alpine (ET, EF)

Authority control databases: National |

* Germany

|

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template