Climate

Climate

In order to investigate the effects of geography on climate, I selected
two cities, both on the same continent, both at approximately the same
latitude, and both on major bodies of water. I compared the monthly
temperature and precipitation averages of New York City with the monthly
temperature and precipitation averages of San Francisco. I also recorded the
daily temperatures of the two cities over the course of three months. What I
found is reflected in this report.
New York City and San Francisco are very similar. New York is at
38° north latitude and San Francisco is located at 41° north Latitude. Each
borders an ocean. New York is on the east coast of the United States, on the
Atlantic Ocean; San Francisco is on the west coast, on the Pacific Ocean.
New York’s climate varies widely during the year. The temperature
rises to the middle 90’s ° Fahrenheit in the summer and drops to single digits
in the winter. New York averages about 45 inches of precipitation per year.
In San Francisco, the temperature rises to over 100° Fahrenheit. By
comparison, the temperature usually does not drop below 20° Fahrenheit.
San Francisco receives little rain compared to New York, only about 15
inches of precipitation per year, about one-third of New York’s average.
Heat is a result of insolation. Insolation is radiation from the sun.
Intensity of insolation goes down as the latitude of an area increases. Thus, a
location at 10° north latitude will receive more int...

Climate

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