The
north temperate zone extends from the
Tropic of Cancer (approximately 23.5° north latitude) to the
Arctic Circle (approximately 66.5° north latitude). The
south temperate zone extends from the
Tropic of Capricorn (approximately 23.5° south latitude) to the
Antarctic Circle (at approximately 66.5° south latitude). In some climate classifications, the temperate zone may be divided into several smaller climate zones, based on monthly temperatures, the coldest month, and rainfall. These can include the subtropical zone (
humid subtropical and
Mediterranean climate), and the cool temperate zone (
oceanic and
continental climates).
Subtropical zone These climates are typically found in the more equatorial regions of the temperate zone, between 23.5° and 35° north or south. They are influenced more by the tropics than by other temperate climate types, usually experiencing warmer temperatures throughout the year, with longer, hotter summers and shorter, milder winters. Freezing precipitation is uncommon in this part of the temperate zone.
Humid subtropical (Cfa) and monsoon subtropical (Cwa) climates Humid subtropical climates generally have long, hot and humid summers with frequent convective showers in summer, and a peak seasonal rainfall in the hottest months. Winters are normally mild and above freezing in the humid subtropics. Warm ocean currents are usually found in coastal areas with humid subtropical climates. This type of climate is normally located along leeward lower east coasts of continents such as in the
Pampas region of
South America,
Northern Vietnam, the southeast portions of
East Asia,
southern and portions of the northeast and midwestern
United States and portions of,
South Africa,
Ethiopia, and eastern
Australia. In some areas with a humid subtropical climate (most notably southeast
China and
North India), there is an even sharper wet-dry season, called a monsoon subtropical climate or subtropical monsoon (Cwa). In these regions, winters are quite chilly and dry and summers have very heavy rainfall. Some Cwa areas in southern China report more than 80% of annual precipitation in the five warmest months (southwest monsoon).
Mediterranean climates (Csa, Csb) Mediterranean climates have the opposite rainfall pattern to dry-winter climates, with a dry summer and wet winter. This climate occurs mostly at the western edges and coasts of the continents and are bounded by arid deserts on their equatorward sides that brings dry winds causing the dry season of summer, and oceanic climates to the poleward sides that are influenced by cool
ocean currents and
air masses that bring the rainfall of winter. The five main Mediterranean regions of the world are the
Mediterranean basin in
North Africa,
Southern Europe, and
West Asia, coastal
California in the
United States, the
South and
West states of
Australia, the
Western Cape of
South Africa, and central
Chile.
Subtropical highland climates (Cwb, Cfb) Subtropical highland climates are climate variants often grouped together with oceanic climates found in some mountainous areas of either the tropics or subtropics. They have characteristically mild temperatures year-round, featuring the four seasons in the subtropics and no marked seasons in the tropics, the latter usually remaining mild to cool through most of the year. Subtropical highland climates under the Cfb classification usually have rainfall spread relatively evenly in all months of the year similar to most oceanic climates while climates under the Cwb classification have significant monsoon influence, usually having dry winters and wet summers.
Middle latitude zone These climates occur in the middle latitudes, between approximately 35° and 66.5° north and south of the equator. There is an equal climatic influence from both the polar and tropical zones in this climate region. Two types of climates are in this zone, a milder oceanic one and more severe seasonal continental one. Most prototypical temperate climates have a distinct four-season pattern, especially in the continental climate sector.
Oceanic climates (Cfb) Oceanic climates are created by the on-shore flow from the cool high latitude oceans to their west. This causes the climate to have mild summers and cool (but not cold) winters, and relative humidity and precipitation evenly distributed throughout the year. These climates are frequently cloudy and cool, and winters are milder than those in the continental climate. Regions with oceanic climates include
northwestern Europe,
northwestern North America, southeastern and southwestern
South America, southeastern
Australia and most of
New Zealand.
Humid continental climates (Dfa, Dfb, Dwa, Dwb, Dsa, Dsb) Humid continental climates are sometimes included in the broader definition of temperate climates due to lying in the temperate zones, although they are classified separately from other temperate climates in the
Köppen climate classification. In contrast to oceanic climates, they are created by large land masses and seasonal changes in wind direction. This causes humid continental climates to have severe temperatures for the season compared to other temperate climates, meaning a hot summer and cold winter. Precipitation may be evenly distributed throughout the year, while in some locations there is a summer accent on rainfall. Regions with humid continental climates include southeastern Canada, the upper portions of the eastern
United States, portions of eastern
Europe, parts of
China,
Japan and the
Korean Peninsula.
Subpolar zone These are temperate climates that compared to the subtropics are on the poleward edge of the temperate zone. Therefore, they still have four marked seasons including a warmer one, but are far more influenced by the polar zones than any other but the very polar climates (
tundra and
ice cap climate).
Subpolar oceanic and cold subtropical highland climates (Cfc, Cwc) Areas with subpolar oceanic climates feature an oceanic climate but are usually located closer to polar regions. As a result of their location, these regions tend to be on the cool end of oceanic climates. Snowfall tends to be more common here than in other oceanic climates. Subpolar oceanic climates are less prone to temperature extremes than
subarctic climates or
continental climates, featuring milder winters than these climates but still with similar summers. This variant of an oceanic climate is found in parts of coastal
Iceland, the
Faroe Islands, parts of
Scotland, northwestern coastal areas of
Norway such as
Lofoten and reaching to 70° north on some islands, uplands near the coast of southwestern Norway, the
Aleutian Islands of
Alaska and northern parts of the
Alaskan Panhandle, some parts of Southern
Argentina and Chile (though most regions are still classified as continental subantarctic), and a few highland areas of
Tasmania, the
Australian Alps and
Southern Alps of
New Zealand. This type of climate is even found in tropical areas such as the Papuan Highlands in Indonesia. Cfc is the categorization for this regime. Even in the middle of summer, temperatures exceeding 20°C (68 °F) are exceptional weather events in the most maritime of those locations impacted by this regime. In some parts of this climate, temperatures as high as 30°C (86°F) have been recorded on rare occasions, while temperatures as low as have still been recorded on rare occasions. A cold variant of the monsoon-influenced subtropical highland climate similar to subpolar oceanic climates occurs in small areas in the Chinese provinces of
Sichuan and
Yunnan, and parts of the
Altiplano between
Bolivia,
Peru and
Chile, where summers are sufficiently short to be
Cwc with fewer than four months over due to the high altitudes at these locations.
El Alto,
Bolivia is one of the few confirmed cities that features this variation of a cold subtropical highland climate.
Cold summer mediterranean climates (Csc) Cold summer mediterranean climates (
Csc) are present in high-elevation areas around coastal
Csb climate areas, where the strong maritime influence prevents the average winter monthly temperature from dropping below 0 °C. Despite the maritime influence, they are classified alongside other mediterranean climates in the Köppen classification rather than oceanic climates like subtropical highland climates due to the opposite rainfall pattern. This climate is rare and is predominantly found in climate fringes and isolated areas of the
Cascades and
Andes Mountains, as the dry-summer climate extends further poleward in the Americas than elsewhere. == Human aspects ==