3: California’s weather and climate
- Describe the various aspects and elements of weather & differentiate between weather and climate.
- Identify the major climate control factors at play in California.
- Recognize climate change, and the effects it has on the California landscape.
- Characterize the five general types of climate as defined by the Köppen climate classification found in California.
The climate of California varies widely from hot desert to alpine tundra, depending on latitude, elevation, and proximity to the Pacific Coast. California's coastal regions, the Sierra Nevada foothills, and much of the Central Valley have a Mediterranean climate, with warmer, drier weather in summer and cooler, wetter weather in winter. The influence of the ocean generally moderates temperature extremes, creating warmer winters and substantially cooler summers in coastal areas