The Climatic Regions of Canada Key Definitions: Rain Shadow

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  Has a very harsh climate; the summer is very short and cool plus in the most northerly locations winter lasts as long as ten months.
  
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  Precipitation is low because the Arctic Ocean and other bodies of water are frozen for most of the year, and there is very little evaporation.
  

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  Long, severe winters (up to six months with mean temperatures below freezing) and short summers (50 to 100 frost-free days), as is a wide range of temperatures between the lows of winter and highs of summer.
  
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  Precipitation occurs mainly in the summer from convectional precipitation.
  

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  The climate found in this area varies greatly because of the mountains.  Coastal temperatures tend to be warmer than those inland, and northern climates are cooler than southern climates. Winters can last up to 8 months in the northern part of the region.
  
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  Locations only a few kilometres apart may have very different temperatures and precipitation patterns.
  
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  West facing windward slopes receive a great deal of relief precipitation while leeward slopes and interior valleys are dry because of rain shadow conditions.
  
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  This region includes British Columbia and parts of Yukon.
  

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  The Pacific Maritime region lies along British Columbia's coast and its border with Alaska.
  
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  Being so close to the Pacific Ocean, the climate is extremely altered. Summers are cooler, winters more mild.
  
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  Relief precipitation along the coast is very high, especially in winter when the polar-front jet stream moves southward allowing moist Pacific winds to reach this area.
  

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  This region forms a continuous belt from Newfoundland and Labrador west to the Rocky Mountains and north to Alaska.
  
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  This has a continental climate, where winters are cold and summers are warm.
  
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  In the summer, convectional precipitation also occurs when the land heats up.
  

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  It is a continental climate and the Prairie Provinces comprise the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, as they are much covered by prairie.
  
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  Winters are very cold and summers are very hot.
  
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  It is quite dry in this region because it is in the rain shadow of the western Cordillera.
  

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  This area has both continental and maritime characteristics although most of the region has a continental climate with a wide range of temperature.
  
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  The prevailing winds bring storms from the west and storms from the south move up from the Gulf of Mexico. The slight summer maximum is due to convectional precipitation.
  

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  The winters are neither as cold, nor the summers as hot as continental locations, because the Atlantic Ocean moderates the temperatures.
  
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  This includes New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and southeastern Quebec.
  
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  The Atlantic Ocean and its currents have created a cool and humid maritime climate.
  

Name: ______________ The Climatic Regions of Canada Date: ______________

Please answer the following questions:

1. 
   Name the 8 climate regions of Canada.
   
2. 
   Is the Pacific Maritime region located along Canada’s west coast or east coast?
   
3. 
   Why do many people move to the west coast?
   
4. 
   Describe the weather conditions of the South-eastern climate region.
   
5. 
   Why is precipitation low in the Arctic climate region?
   
6. 
   When does precipitation mainly occur in the Taiga climate region?
   
7. 
   In the Cordilleran climate region, how long can winters last up to?
   
8. 
   What kind of climate does the Boreal region have?
   
9. 
   Name the three provinces which make up the Prairie region.
   
10. 
    Describe the Atlantic Maritime climate region.
    

Answers:

1. 
   The 8 climate regions in Canada are: Arctic, Boreal, Taiga, Cordilleran, Prairie, South-eastern, Atlantic Maritime and Pacific Maritime.
   
2. 
   The Pacific Maritime region located along Canada’s west coast.
   
3. 
   People move to the west coast because they want to escape the harsh winters of the Canadian interior.
   
4. 
   The weather conditions of the South-eastern climate include both continental and maritime characteristics although most of the region has a continental climate with a wide range of temperature.
   
5. 
   Precipitation is low in the Arctic region because the Arctic Ocean and other bodies of water are frozen for most of the year, and there is very little evaporation.
   
6. 
   Precipitation mainly occurs in the Taiga climate region in the summer from convectional precipitation.
   
7. 
   Winters can last up to 8 months in the Cordilleran region.
   
8. 
   The Boreal region has a continental climate, where winters are cold and summers are warm.
   
9. 
   The three provinces which make up the Prairie region are Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
   
10. 
    The Atlantic Maritime region has winters which are neither as cold, nor the summers as hot as continental locations, because the Atlantic Ocean moderates the temperatures.