upright=1.8| Subarctic climate worldwide The subarctic climate  (also called subpolar climate, or boreal climate) is a climate characterised by long, usually very cold winters, and short, cool summers. It is found on large landmasses, away from the moderating effects of an ocean, generally at latitudes from 50° to 70°N poleward of the humid continental climates. Subarctic or boreal climates are the source regions for the cold air that affects temperate latitudes to the south in winter. These climates represent Köppen climate classification Dfc, Dwc, Dsc, Dfd, Dwd and Dsd. Description The first D indicates continental . s: A dry summer — the driest month in the high-sun half of the year (April to September in the Northern Hemisphere, October to March in the Southern Hemisphere) has less than / of rainfall and has exactly or less than the precipitation of the wettest month in the low-sun half of the year (October to March in the Northern Hemisphere, April to September in the Southern Hemisphere) , w: A dry winter — the driest month in the low-sun half of the year has exactly or less than one‑tenth of the precipitation found in the wettest month in the summer half of the year , f: Without dry season — does not meet either of the alternative specifications. The third letter denotes temperature: c: Regular subarctic , only 1–3 months above , coldest month below . d: Extreme subarctic , only 1–3 months above , coldest month at or below . Precipitation Most subarctic climates have little precipitation, typically no more than over an entire year. Away from the coasts, precipitation occurs mostly in the warmer months, while in coastal areas with subarctic climates the heaviest precipitation is usually during the autumn months when the relative warmth of sea vis-à-vis land is greatest. Low precipitation, by the standards of more temperate regions with longer summers and warmer winters, is typically sufficient in view of the very low evapotranspiration to allow a water-logged terrain in many areas of subarctic climate and to permit snow cover during winter. A notable exception to this pattern is that subarctic climates occurring at high altitudes in otherwise temperate regions have extremely high precipitation due to orographic lift. Mount Washington, with temperatures typical of a subarctic climate, receives an average rain-equivalent of of precipitation per year.Mount Washington Observatory: Normals, Means, and Extremes, Retrieved July 1, 2009. Coastal areas of Khabarovsk Krai also have much higher precipitation in summer due to orographic influences (up to in July in some areas), whilst the mountainous Kamchatka peninsula and Sakhalin island are even wetter, since orographic moisture isn't confined to the warmer months and creates large glaciers in Kamchatka. Labrador, in eastern Canada, is similarly wet throughout the year due to the semi-permanent Icelandic Low and can receive up to of rainfall equivalent per year, creating a snow cover of up to that does not melt until June. Vegetation and land use Vegetation in regions with subarctic climates is generally of low diversity, as only hardy species can survive the long winters and make use of the short summers. Trees are mostly limited to conifers, as few broadleaved trees are able to survive the very low temperatures in winter. This type of forest is also known as taiga, a term which is sometimes applied to the climate found therein as well. Even though the diversity may be low, numbers are high, and the taiga (boreal) forest is the largest forest biome on the planet, with most of the forests located in Russia and Canada. The process by which plants become acclimated to cold temperatures is called hardening. View of pines in the Kuysumy mountains in Siberia Northern Eurasia The majority of Siberia The Kamchatka Peninsula and the northern and central parts of the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin Island The northern inland regions of Fennoscandia (milder winters in coastal areas), including most of Finland and the Hardangervidda plateau The Western Alps between , and the Eastern Alps between Central Romania Some parts of central Germany The Tatra Mountains in Poland and Slovakia, above . The Pyrenees, between The Northeastern Anatolia Region and the Pontic Alps, between Mountain summits in Scotland, most notably in the Cairngorms and the Nevis Range Dsc and Dsd distribution Climates classified as Dsc or Dsd, with a dry summer, are rare, occurring in very small areas at high altitudes around the Mediterranean Basin, Iran, Kyrgyzstan,  Tajikistan, Turkey, Alaska and other parts of the northwestern United States (Eastern Washington, Eastern Oregon, Southern Idaho, California's Eastern Sierra) and the Russian Far East, such as in Seneca, Oregon or Atlin, British Columbia.  Further north in  Siberia, continentality increases so much that winters can be exceptionally severe, averaging below , even though the hottest month still averages more than . This creates Dfd , Dwd and Dsd climates. See also Boreal ecology Köppen climate classification Subantarctic Taiga
upright=1.8| Sub-Arctic climate worldwide The sub-Arctic climateEditorial guidelines – sub-Arctic (also called subpolar climate, or boreal climate) is a climate characterised by long, usually very cold winters, and short, cool summers. It is found on large landmasses, away from the moderating effects of an ocean, generally at latitudes from 50° to 70°N poleward of the humid continental climates. Subarctic or boreal climates are the source regions for the cold air that affects temperate latitudes to the south in winter. These climates represent Köppen climate classification Dfc, Dwc, Dsc, Dfd, Dwd and Dsd. Description The first D indicates continental : s: A dry summer — the driest month in the high-sun half of the year (April to September in the Northern Hemisphere, October to March in the Southern Hemisphere) has less than / of rainfall and has exactly or less than the precipitation of the wettest month in the low-sun half of the year (October to March in the Northern Hemisphere, April to September in the Southern Hemisphere) . w: A dry winter — the driest month in the low-sun half of the year has exactly or less than one‑tenth of the precipitation found in the wettest month in the summer half of the year . f: Without dry season — does not meet either of the alternative specifications. The third letter denotes temperature: c: Regular sub-Arctic , only 1–3 months above , coldest month below . d: Extreme sub-Arctic , only 1–3 months above , coldest month at or below . Precipitation Most sub-Arctic climates have little precipitation, typically no more than over an entire year. Away from the coasts, precipitation occurs mostly in the warmer months, while in coastal areas with subarctic climates the heaviest precipitation is usually during the autumn months when the relative warmth of sea vis-à-vis land is greatest. Low precipitation, by the standards of more temperate regions with longer summers and warmer winters, is typically sufficient in view of the very low evapotranspiration to allow a water-logged terrain in many areas of subarctic climate and to permit snow cover during winter. A notable exception to this pattern is that sub-Arctic climates occurring at high altitudes in otherwise temperate regions have extremely high precipitation due to orographic lift. Mount Washington, with temperatures typical of a sub-Arctic climate, receives an average rain-equivalent of of precipitation per year.Mount Washington Observatory: Normals, Means, and Extremes, Retrieved July 1, 2009. Coastal areas of Khabarovsk Krai also have much higher precipitation in summer due to orographic influences (up to in July in some areas), whilst the mountainous Kamchatka peninsula and Sakhalin island are even wetter, since orographic moisture isn't confined to the warmer months and creates large glaciers in Kamchatka. Labrador, in eastern Canada, is similarly wet throughout the year due to the semi-permanent Icelandic Low and can receive up to of rainfall equivalent per year, creating a snow cover of up to that does not melt until June. Vegetation and land use Vegetation in regions with sub-Arctic climates is generally of low diversity, as only hardy species can survive the long winters and make use of the short summers. Trees are mostly limited to conifers, as few broadleaved trees are able to survive the very low temperatures in winter. This type of forest is also known as taiga, a term which is sometimes applied to the climate found therein as well. Even though the diversity may be low, numbers are high, and the taiga (boreal) forest is the largest forest biome on the planet, with most of the forests located in Russia and Canada. The process by which plants become acclimated to cold temperatures is called hardening. View of pines in the Kuysumy mountains in Siberia Northern Eurasia The majority of Siberia The Kamchatka Peninsula and the northern and central parts of the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin Island The northern inland regions of Fennoscandia (milder winters in coastal areas), including most of Finland and the Hardangervidda plateau The Western Alps between , and the Eastern Alps between Central Romania Some parts of central Germany The Tatra Mountains in Poland and Slovakia, above . The Pyrenees, between The Northeastern Anatolia Region and the Pontic Alps, between Mountain summits in Scotland, most notably in the Cairngorms and the Nevis Range Dsc and Dsd distribution Climates classified as Dsc or Dsd, with a dry summer, are rare, occurring in very small areas at high altitudes around the Mediterranean Basin, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Tajikistan, Turkey, Alaska and other parts of the northwestern United States (Eastern Washington, Eastern Oregon, Southern Idaho, California's Eastern Sierra) and the Russian Far East, such as in Seneca, Oregon or Atlin, British Columbia. Dfd/Dwd distribution Further north in eastern Siberia, continentality increases so much that winters can be exceptionally severe, averaging below , even though the warmest month still averages more than . This creates Dfd and Dwd climates, where the letter d indicates extremely cold winters. Summers can be quite hot, such as in Yakutsk which averages in July, which is warmer than temperate coastal cities like Copenhagen and Seattle. However, Yakutsk also averages an ice cold in January. See also Boreal ecology Köppen climate classification Sub-Antarctic Taiga
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