Oceanic climate - wikipedia Oceanic climate World map showing oceanic climate zones Cfb Cfc Cwb Cwc An oceanic or highland climate, also known as a marine or maritime climate, is the Köppen classification of climate typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, and generally features cool summers ( relative to their latitude ) and cool winters, with a relatively narrow annual temperature range and few extremes of temperature, with the exception for transitional areas to continental, subarctic and highland climates. Oceanic climates are defined as having a monthly mean temperature below 22 ° C ( 72 ° F ) in the warmest month, and above 0 ° C ( 32 ° F ) in the coldest month. It typically lacks a dry season, as precipitation is more evenly dispersed throughout the year. It is the predominant climate type across much of Western Europe, the Pacific Northwest region of the United States and Canada, portions of central Mexico, southeastern South America, southeastern Australia, including Tasmania, New Zealand as well as isolated locations elsewhere. Oceanic climates generally have warm summers and cool ( but not cold ) winters. They are characterised by a narrower annual range of temperatures than are encountered in other places at a comparable latitude, and generally do not have the extremely dry summers of Mediterranean climates or the hot summers of humid subtropical. Oceanic climates are most dominant in Europe, where they spread much farther inland than in other continents. Oceanic climates can have much storm activity as they are located in the belt of the stormy westerlies. Many oceanic climates have frequent cloudy or overcast conditions due to the near constant storms and lows tracking over or near them. The annual range of temperatures is smaller than typical climates at these latitudes due to the constant stable marine air masses that pass through oceanic climates, which lack both very warm and very cool fronts. Contents 1 Precipitation 2 Temperature 3 Causation 4 Locations 4.1 Europe 4.2 The Americas 4.3 Africa 4.4 Asia and Oceania 4.5 Indian Ocean 5 Varieties 5.1 Subtropical highland variety ( Cfb, Cwb ) 5.2 Temperate ( Cfb ) 5.3 Subpolar variety ( Cfc, Cwc ) 6 See also 7 References 8 External links Precipitation Precipitation in an oceanic climate must have at least 40 millimeters per month. All months must have adequate rain and cloudy conditions are common in oceanic climates. London is an example of an oceanic climate. It experiences reliable and constant precipitation throughout the entire year. In most areas with an oceanic climate, precipitation comes in the form of rain for the majority of the year. However, some areas with this climate see some snowfall annually during winter. Most oceanic climate zones, or at least a part of them, experience at least one snowfall per year. In the poleward locations of the oceanic climate zone ( `` subpolar oceanic climates, '' described in greater detail below ), snowfall is more frequent and commonplace. Temperature Overall temperature characteristics of the oceanic climates feature cool temperatures and infrequent extremes of temperature. In the Köppen climate classification, Oceanic climates have a mean temperature of 0 ° C ( 32 ° F ) or higher in the coldest month, compared to continental climates where the coldest month has a mean temperature of below 0 ° C ( 32 ° F ). Summers are cool, with the warmest month having a mean temperature below 22 ° C ( 72 ° F ). Poleward of the latter is a zone of the aforementioned subpolar oceanic climate ( Köppen Cfc ), with long but relatively mild ( for their latitude ) winters and cool and short summers ( average temperatures of at least 10 ° C ( 50 ° F ) for one to three months ). Examples of this climate include parts of coastal Iceland in the Northern Hemisphere and extreme southern Chile and Argentina in the Southern Hemisphere ( examples include Ushuaia and Punta Arenas ). Causation Oceanic climates are not necessarily always found in coastal locations on the aforementioned parallels ; however, in most cases oceanic climates parallel higher middle latitude oceans. The polar jet stream, which moves in a west to east direction across the middle latitudes, advancing low pressure systems, storms, and fronts. In coastal areas of the higher middle latitudes ( 45 -- 60 ° latitude ), the prevailing onshore flow creates the basic structure of most oceanic climates. Oceanic climates are a product and reflection of the ocean adjacent to them. In the fall, winter, and early spring, when the polar jet stream is most active, the frequent passing of marine weather systems creates the frequent fog, cloudy skies, and light drizzle often associated with oceanic climates. In summer, high pressure often pushes the prevailing westerlies north of many oceanic climates, often creating a drier summer climate ( for example in the Northwest coast of America, bathed by the Pacific Ocean ). The North Atlantic Gulf Stream, a tropical oceanic current that passes north of the Caribbean and up the East Coast of the United States to North Carolina, then heads east - northeast to the Azores, is thought to greatly modify the climate of Northwest Europe. As a result of the Gulf Stream, west - coast areas located in high latitudes like Ireland, the UK, and Norway have much milder winters ( for their latitude ) than would otherwise be the case. The lowland attributes of western Europe also help drive marine air masses into continental areas, enabling cities such as Dresden, Prague, and Vienna to have maritime climates in spite of being located well inland from the ocean. Locations London, England, UK Climate chart ( explanation ) J J J O 55 8 41 8 42 11 44 14 6 49 18 9 45 21 12 45 24 14 50 23 14 49 20 11 69 16 8 59 10 5 55 8 Average max. and min. temperatures in ° C Precipitation totals in mm Source : Met Office Imperial conversion J J J O 2.2 47 36 1.6 47 36 1.6 52 39 1.7 58 42 1.9 64 48 1.8 70 53 1.8 74 57 1.9 74 57 1.9 68 53 2.7 60 47 2.3 50 41 2.2 47 37 Average max. and min. temperatures in ° F Precipitation totals in inches Europe This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( March 2018 ) Oceanic climates in Europe occur mostly in Northwest Europe, from Ireland and Great Britain eastward to central Europe. Most of France ( away from the Mediterranean ), Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Norway, the north coast of Spain ( Basque Country, north of Navarre, Galicia, Asturias and Cantabria ), the western Azores off the coast of Portugal, the south of Kosovo and southern portions of Sweden, also have oceanic climates. Examples of oceanic climates are found in Glasgow, London, Bergen, Dublin, Berlin, Bilbao, Donostia - San Sebastian, Biarritz, Bayonne, Zürich, Copenhagen, Skagen and Paris. With decreasing distance to the Mediterranean Sea, the oceanic climate of Northwest Europe gradually changes to the subtropical dry - summer or Mediterranean climate of southern Europe. The line between Oceanic and Continental climate in Europe runs in a generally north to south direction. For example, western Germany is more impacted by milder Atlantic air masses than is eastern Germany. Thus, winters across Europe become colder to the east, and ( in some locations ) summers become hotter. The line between oceanic Europe and Mediterranean Europe normally runs west to east and is related to changes in precipitation patterns and differences to seasonal temperatures. The americas Tofino, British Columbia, Canada Climate chart ( explanation ) J J J O 487 8 336 9 330 10 270 12 153 15 7 130 17 9 71 19 11 88 19 11 133 18 9 342 14 6 492 10 440 8 Average max. and min. temperatures in ° C Precipitation totals in mm Source : Environment Canada Imperial conversion J J J O 19 47 36 13 48 35 13 50 37 11 53 39 6 58 44 5.1 62 48 2.8 66 51 3.5 66 51 5.2 64 48 13 56 43 19 50 38 17 47 35 Average max. and min. temperatures in ° F Precipitation totals in inches The oceanic climate exists in an arc spreading across the north - western coast of North America from the Alaskan panhandle to northern California, in general the coastal areas of the Pacific Northwest. It includes the western parts of Washington and Oregon, the Alaskan panhandle, western portions of British Columbia, and north - western California. In addition, some east coast areas such as some higher elevations along the southern Appalachian Mountains as well as Block Island, Cape Cod, Martha 's Vineyard, and Nantucket have a similar climate. The oceanic climate is found in isolated pockets in eastern Mexico. An extensive area of oceanic climates distinguishes the coastal regions of southern Chile and extends into bordering Argentina. All mid-latitude oceanic climates are classified as humid. However, some rainshadow climates feature thermal régimes similar to those of oceanic climates but with steppe - like ( BSk ) or even desert - like ( BWk ) scarcity of precipitation. Despite the oceanic - like thermal regimes, these areas are generally classified as steppe or desert climates. These arid versions of oceanic climates are found in eastern Washington and Oregon to the east of the Cascade Range in the United States, in the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia in Canada, Patagonia in southern Argentina, and the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. Africa The only noteworthy area of Maritime Climate at or near sea - level within Africa is in South Africa from Mossel Bay on the Western Cape coast to Plettenberg Bay, with additional pockets of this climate inland of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu - Natal coast. It is usually warm most of the year with no pronounced rainy season, but slightly more rain in autumn and spring. The Tristan da Cunha archipelago in the South Atlantic also has an oceanic climate. Asia and Oceania Auckland, New Zealand Climate chart ( explanation ) J J J O 73 23 15 66 24 16 87 22 14 99 20 12 113 18 10 126 16 8 145 15 7 118 15 8 105 17 9 100 18 10 86 20 12 93 22 14 Average max. and min. temperatures in ° C Precipitation totals in mm Source : NIWA Climate Data Imperial conversion J J J O 2.9 74 59 2.6 75 60 3.4 72 58 3.9 68 54 4.4 64 51 5 60 47 5.7 58 45 4.7 59 46 4.1 62 48 3.9 64 51 3.4 67 54 3.7 71 57 Average max. and min. temperatures in ° F Precipitation totals in inches The oceanic climate is prevalent in the more southerly parts of Oceania. A mild maritime climate is in existence in New Zealand. It occurs in a few areas of Australia, namely in the southeast, although average high temperatures during summers there tend to be higher and the summers drier than is typical of subtropical highland climates, with summer maxima sometimes exceeding 40 ° C ( 104 ° F ), Tasmania, Victoria and southeastern New South Wales. It can also be found along the western areas of the south coast of Western Australia, parts with steppe - like ( BSk ) or even desert - like ( BWk ) scarcity of precipitation. This climate is found on the Asian mainland in mountainous areas of the tropics, such as the foothills of the Himalayas and south - west China. Indian ocean Île Amsterdam and Île Saint - Paul, both part of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands, are located in the subtropics and have an oceanic climate ( akin to Tristan da Cunha ; see above ). Varieties Subtropical highland variety ( Cfb, Cwb ) This article possibly contains original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed. ( November 2012 ) Mexico City Climate chart ( explanation ) J J J O 11 21 6 4.3 23 7 10 26 9 26 27 11 56 27 12 135 25 12 175 23 12 169 23 12 145 22 12 67 22 10 12 22 8 6 21 7 Average max. and min. temperatures in ° C Precipitation totals in mm Source : WMO Imperial conversion J J J O 0.4 70 42 0.2 73 45 0.4 78 49 80 51 2.2 80 53 5.3 76 54 6.9 73 53 6.7 74 53 5.7 72 53 2.6 72 50 0.5 71 46 0.2 69 44 Average max. and min. temperatures in ° F Precipitation totals in inches Addis Ababa Climate chart ( explanation ) J J J O 17 23 9 36 24 9 68 25 11 89 25 12 76 25 13 124 23 12 259 21 12 278 20 12 174 22 12 41 23 10 8.3 23 8 10 22 8 Average max. and min. temperatures in ° C Precipitation totals in mm Source : NMAE Imperial conversion J J J O 0.7 74 48 1.4 76 49 2.7 76 51 3.5 77 54 77 55 4.9 74 54 10 69 54 11 68 53 6.9 71 53 1.6 73 50 0.3 73 47 0.4 72 46 Average max. and min. temperatures in ° F Precipitation totals in inches São Joaquim, Brazil Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka The subtropical highland variety of the oceanic climate exists in elevated portions of the world that are within either the tropics or subtropics, though it is typically found in mountainous locations in some tropical countries. Despite the latitude, the higher altitudes of these regions mean that the climate tends to share characteristics with oceanic climates, though it also tends to experience noticeably drier weather during the lower - sun `` winter '' season. In locations outside the tropics, other than the drying trend in the winter, subtropical highland climates tend to be essentially identical to an oceanic climate, with mild summers and noticeably cooler winters, plus, in some instances, some snowfall. In the tropics, a subtropical highland climate tends to feature spring - like weather year - round. Temperatures there remain relatively constant throughout the year and snowfall is seldom seen. Areas with this climate feature monthly averages below 22 ° C ( 72 ° F ) but above − 3 ° C ( 27 ° F ) ( or 0 ° C ( 32 ° F ) using American standards ). At least one month 's average temperature is below 18 ° C ( 64 ° F ). Without their elevation, many of these regions would likely feature either tropical or humid subtropical climates. These regions are usually designated Cwb ( or even Cfb `` temperate highland '' ). This type of climate exists in parts of east, south and southeastern Africa, interior southern Africa and elevated portions of eastern Africa as far north as Mozambique and of western Africa up to the southwestern Angola highlands also share this climate type. The exposed areas of High Atlas, some mountainous areas across southern Europe, mountainous sections of North, Central and South America and in the highest parts of the states of Minas Gerais, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, Paraná and São Paulo, in Brazil, some mountainous areas across Southeast Asia, parts of the Himalayas and parts of Sri Lanka. Temperate ( Cfb ) Temperate oceanic climates, also known as `` marine mild winter '' climates or simply oceanic climates, are found either at middle latitudes or in equatorial areas at higher altitudes. They are often found on or near the west coast of continents ; hence another name for Cfb, i.e. `` marine west coast '' climates. Cfb climates are predominant in central parts of Western Europe, including Belgium, Britain, France, Ireland and the Netherlands. They are the main climate type in New Zealand and the Australian states of Tasmania, Victoria and southeastern New South Wales ( starting from the Illawarra region ). In North America, they are found mainly in Washington State, Oregon, Vancouver Island and neighbouring parts of British Columbia, as well as many coastal areas of southwest Alaska. There are pockets of Cfb in most South American countries, including many parts of Southern Chile, parts of the provinces of Chubut, Santa Cruz and Buenos Aires in Argentina. In Western Asia small pockets are found close to sea level on the Black Sea coast of northern Turkey and Georgia. While Cfb zones are rare in Africa, one dominates the coastline of the Eastern Cape in South Africa. This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. ( December 2017 ) Subpolar variety ( 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. Subpolar oceanic climates feature only one to three months of average monthly temperatures that are at least 10 ° C ( 50 ° F ). As with oceanic climates, none of its average monthly temperatures fall below - 3.0 ° C ( 26.6 ° F ) or 0 ° C depending on the isotherm used. Typically, these areas in the warmest month experience daytime maximum temperatures below 17 ° C ( 63 ° F ), while the coldest month features highs near or slightly above freezing and lows just below freezing. It typically carries a Cfc designation, though very small areas in Yunnan, Sichuan and parts of Argentina and Bolivia have summers sufficiently short to be Cwc with fewer than four months over 10 ° C ( 50 ° F ). Copacabana, Bolivia, is one the few confirmed towns that features this rare variation of the subpolar oceanic climate. This variant of an oceanic climate is found in parts of coastal Iceland, the Faroe Islands, small sections of the Scottish Highlands, northwestern coastal areas of Norway such as Lofoten and reaching to 70 ° N on some islands, uplands near the coast of southwestern Norway, the Aleutian Islands of Alaska and northern parts of the Alaskan Panhandle, the far south of Chile and Argentina, and a few highland areas of Tasmania, and the Australian and Southern Alps. This type of climate is even found in the very remote parts of the Papuan Highlands in Indonesia. The classification used for this regime is Cfc. In the most marine of those areas affected by this regime, temperatures above 20 ° C ( 68 ° F ) are extreme weather events, even in the midst of summer. Temperatures above 30 ° C ( 86 ° F ) have been recorded on rare occasions in some areas of this climate, and in winter temperatures down to − 20 ° C ( − 4 ° F ) have seldom been recorded in some areas. Punta Arenas, Chile Climate chart ( explanation ) J J J O 42 14 7 31 14 7 38 12 5 40 10 41 7 27 − 1 29 − 1 30 5 0 27 8 27 10 30 12 5 33 14 6 Average max. and min. temperatures in ° C Precipitation totals in mm Source : Dirección Meteorológica de Chile Imperial conversion J J J O 1.6 58 44 1.2 57 44 1.5 54 41 1.6 49 38 1.6 44 34 1.1 39 30 1.1 39 30 1.2 41 32 46 34 1.1 50 37 1.2 54 40 1.3 56 43 Average max. and min. temperatures in ° F Precipitation totals in inches Tórshavn, Faroe Islands Climate chart ( explanation ) J J J O 158 6 115 6 132 6 90 7 63 9 5 58 11 7 74 13 9 96 13 9 120 12 8 147 9 5 139 7 135 6 Average max. and min. temperatures in ° C Precipitation totals in mm Source : Danish Meteorological Institute Imperial conversion J J J O 6.2 42 35 4.5 42 34 5.2 43 35 3.5 45 37 2.5 49 41 2.3 52 45 2.9 55 48 3.8 56 49 4.7 53 46 5.8 49 42 5.5 45 38 5.3 43 36 Average max. and min. temperatures in ° F Precipitation totals in inches See also Climate classification Temperate climate Polar climate References Jump up ^ Lauren Springer Ogden ( 2008 ). Plant - Driven Design. Timber Press. p. 78. ISBN 978 - 0 - 88192 - 877 - 8. Jump up ^ Climate ( 19 June 2009 ). `` Oceanic Climate ''. Retrieved 30 January 2011. ^ Jump up to : Tom L. McKnight & Darrel Hess ( 2000 ). Climate Zones and Types : The Köppen System. Physical Geography : A Landscape Appreciation. Prentice Hall. pp. 226 -- 235. ISBN 0 - 13 - 020263 - 0. Jump up ^ `` The Gulf Stream ''. About Education -- Geography. Retrieved 1 June 2015. Jump up ^ http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/climate/gcpsvf37b Jump up ^ `` Standard climate values for Pamplona ''. Aemet.es. Retrieved 9 August 2016. Jump up ^ `` Calculation Information for 1981 to 2010 Canadian Normals Data ''. Environment Canada. Archived from the original on 14 June 2013. Retrieved 9 July 2013. Jump up ^ M.C. Peel ; B.L. Finlayson & T.A. McMahon ( 11 October 2007 ). `` Updated world map of the Köppen - Geiger climate classification '' ( PDF ). Hydrology and Earth System Sciences. 11 : 1638 -- 1643. doi : 10.5194 / hess - 11 - 1633 - 2007. Retrieved 30 January 2011. Jump up ^ `` Auckland 1981 -- 2010 averages ''. NIWA. Retrieved 13 December 2015. Jump up ^ Bureau of Meteorology ( 2011 ). `` Climate of Canberra Area ''. Commonwealth of Australia. Archived from the original on 20 March 2011. Retrieved 30 January 2011. Jump up ^ Michael Pidwirny, 2017, Appendix 3 : Köppen Climate Classification : Single appendix from the eBook Understanding Physical Geography. Kelowna BC, Canada ; Our Planet Earth Publishing, pp. 8, 24. Jump up ^ ( hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/docs/00/29/88/18/PDF/hessd-4-439-2007.pdf ) Jump up ^ Weather statistics for Hasvik ( Finnmark ) Jump up ^ Tapper, Andrew ; Tapper, Nigel ( 1996 ). Gray, Kathleen, ed. The weather and climate of Australia and New Zealand ( First ed. ). Melbourne, Australia : Oxford University Press. p. 300. ISBN 0 - 19 - 553393 - 3. Jump up ^ `` Estadistica Climatologica Tomo III ( pg 512 -- 537 ) '' ( PDF ) ( in Spanish ). Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil. March 2001. Retrieved 15 January 2013. Jump up ^ `` Monthly means and extremes 1961 -- 1990 and 1981 -- 2010 for air temperature, atmospheric pressure, hours of bright sunshine and precipitation -- Denmark, The Faroe Islands and Greenland '' ( PDF ). Danish Meteorological Institute. pp. 16 -- 19. Retrieved 18 January 2015. External links University of Wisconsin -- Stevens Point : Marine ( Humid ) West Coast Climate EPIC Data Collection On - line ocean observational data collection NOAA In - situ Ocean Data Viewer Plot and download ocean observations https://web.archive.org/web/20061206100140/http://www.ace.mmu.ac.uk/eae/Climate/Older/Maritime_Climate.html Climate types under the Köppen climate classification Class A Tropical rainforest ( Af ) Tropical monsoon ( Am ) Tropical savanna ( Aw, As ) Class B Desert ( BWh, BWk, BWn ) Semi-arid ( BSh, BSk, BSn ) Class C Humid subtropical ( Cfa, Cwa ) Oceanic ( Cfb, Cwb, Cfc, Cwc ) Mediterranean ( Csa, Csb, Csc ) Class D Humid continental ( Dfa, Dwa, Dfb, Dwb, Dsa, Dsb ) Subarctic ( Dfc, Dwc, Dfd, Dwd, Dsc, Dsd ) Class E Tundra ( ET ) Ice cap ( EF ) Alpine ( ET, EF ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Oceanic_climate&oldid=837243365 '' Categories : Climate Köppen climate classifications Climate of Africa Climate of Australia Climate of Europe Climate of South America Hidden categories : CS1 Spanish - language sources ( es ) Use dmy dates from March 2017 Pages using div col with deprecated parameters Articles needing additional references from March 2018 All articles needing additional references All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from December 2017 Articles that may contain original research from November 2012 All articles that may contain original research Articles to be expanded from December 2017 All articles to be expanded Articles using small message boxes Talk Contents About Wikipedia Asturianu Azərbaycanca Беларуская Беларуская ( тарашкевіца ) ‎ Català Čeština Dansk Deutsch Eesti Ελληνικά Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Français Galego 한국어 Հայերեն Hrvatski Bahasa Indonesia Íslenska Italiano עברית Қазақша Кыргызча Lietuvių Magyar Македонски Bahasa Melayu Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Norsk nynorsk Occitan Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча Polski Português Română Русский Scots Simple English Slovenčina Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska ไทย Türkçe Українська Tiếng Việt 中文 43 more Edit links This page was last edited on 19 April 2018, at 16 : 10. 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Question: for a continental area to experience a cfb climate it must be located
Answer: either at middle latitudes or in equatorial areas at higher altitudes