On Jan 27, 10:06*pm, John Hall wrote:
In article
,
*Alastair writes:
On Jan 27, 9:41*pm, John Hall wrote:
In article
,
*Alastair writes:
On Jan 27, 6:34*pm, John Hall wrote:
[re Vancouver]
One factor may be that their northerlies will be considerably colder
than ours, since IIRC the orientation of the coast is such that winds
from that direction will have had a long land track (and before that
probably over Arctic Ocean ice).
I think it is the influence of ocean currents. Because the Pacific is
so much larger than the Atlantic, its eastern boundary current is
cold. *Seehttp://www.kidsgeo.com/images/ocean-current.jpg
Cheers, Alastair.
This map on Wikipedia tells a rather different story:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Co...-oceanicas.gif
It suggests that Vancouver would benefit from the relatively warm Alaska
Current. See also:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska_Current
Note that it is relatively warm! The Wikipedia entry states "Alaska
Current water is characterized by temperatures above 39°F (4°C)"
True, but I imagine that would be its temperature by the time it had
reached the Gulf of Alaska, and that it would still be several degrees
warmer off Vancouver.
--
John Hall
* * * * * *"Acting is merely the art of keeping a large group of people
* * * * * * from coughing."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Sir Ralph Richardson (1902-83)
I think I may have made a mistake, which is common among
climatologists, of believing that air temperature is controlled by
ocean currents rather than by winds!
It would make more sense to blame cold northerly winds directed south
by Rockies for low winter temperatures, just as it is the warm south
westerlies which brings us our mild winters.
That still leaves a problem of explaining the hot summers, which can
be done by saying that the northerly winds will be bringing warm air
heated by by the long Arctic days, or by the influence of the adjacent
continent, or by katabatic winds from the Rockies. The local climate
there is probably just as complicated as the local climate here.
Cheers, Alastair.