What is a subarctic climate?
Q: What is a subarctic climate?
A: A subarctic climate, also known as boreal climate, is characterized by long, cold winters and short, warm summers. It is found on large landmasses away from oceans at latitudes between 50° to 70°N.
Q: What are the Köppen climate classification groups for this type of climate?
A: The Köppen climate classification groups for a subarctic climate are Dfc, Dwc, Dfd and Dwd.
Q: How much temperature variation occurs in a year in this type of climate?
A: In a subarctic climate there can be very big changes in temperature throughout the year. In winter temperatures can drop to -40 °C (also -40 °F) and in summer the temperature may go above 30 °C (86 °F).
Q: Where is this type of climate found?
A: Subarctic climates are found mainly on large landmasses away from oceans at latitudes between 50° to 70°N such as Siberia, Scandinavia, Alaska, Canada's Prairie Provinces and Yukon Territory, Northwest Territories and parts of Australia and New Zealand's South Island.
Q: What kind of vegetation grows in these areas?
A: Vegetation that grows in these areas usually has low diversity because only hardy species can survive the long winters and make use of the short summers. Trees are mostly evergreen conifers with few broadleaved trees able to survive the very low temperatures in winter. This type of forest is also known as taiga.
Q: Is it easy or difficult to farm in these climates?
A: It is usually very hard to farm in subarctic climates due to infertile soil that doesn't have enough nutrients for many plants to grow as well as swamps and lakes created by ice sheets which limit growing seasons even further so only tough crops can survive them.
Q: How much precipitation does this type of environment receive annually?
A: Subarctic climates generally receive no more than 15-20 inches of precipitation annually including rain snow sleet or hail which often stays above ground until it melts during warmer months making it wet and muddy when it does soak into the ground.
