California Climate & Local Weather Patterns Ch. 11 lesson 4

1. California Climate & Local Weather PatternsCh. 11 lesson 4 Objective: To know that California’s climate is primarily Mediterranean and Highland.

2. Mediterranean &Highland Climates • Areas of Ca with a Mediterranean climate experience mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers.

3. High altitudes in CA experience a highland climate. Temperatures in these regions are lower and rain is greater.

4. California’s Fog Belts • Valley Fog: also known as ground fog, forms during late fall and winter when moisture in the air is cooled to the dew point by the cold ground below. • Coastal Fog: When warm, moist air crosses over cold water in the Ca Current, the moisture cools to the dew point & condenses to coastal fog. • -Fog drip is moisture that condenses on plant, then drips onto the ground.

5. Rain ShadowsAn area of low rainfall on the downwind slope of a mountain. • 3. The now-dry air passes over the mountains. As it sinks, it becomes warm. • 4. Dry, hot weather exists on the downwind slope part of the mountain. • 1. Prevailing winds carry warm air over oceans, where it gains moisture in the form of water vapor. • 2. As the air approaches mountains, it rises, cools, & condenses. Precipitation falls in the form of rain or snow.

6. Local Winds • Land Breezes: A wind that blows from the land to the sea. • At night, the ocean cools more slowly than the land. • Cool air sinks over the land, creating an area of high pressure. • Sea Breezes: A wind that blows from the sea to the land. • During the day, cool ocean air moves toward lower pressure over land. • Air warmed over land rises, creating an area of low pressure.

7. Local Winds continued… • Both of these breezes are considered convection currents. Because they are formed ad the land heats up and cools down. They form a circular current in which warm air rises and cold air sinks, transferring heat. • Valley Breezes: Blow upward from the valley along the mountain slopes. Occur during the daytime. • Mountain Breezes: Flow downward from the mountains. Occur at night in wide valleys that were exposed to the sun during the day. After sunset, air along the exposed mountain slopes cools more rapidly than the air in the valleys.

8. Santa Ana Winds • In southern Ca hot, dry winds that blow from the east or northeast and continue toward the coast are called Santa Ana winds. • Blows from the Mojave Desert into Los Angeles Basin and San Fernando Valley.