APES
Climate and Climatograms
OBJECTIVE: To construct a climatogram for the three data sets and determine which of three cities each
climatogram represents. Also, to correlate climate data with locations without plotting a climatogram.
INFORMATION: A climatogram (or climograph or climate graph) is a simple graphic representation of
monthly temperature and precipitation for a specific weather station and can be used to classify the general
climate of the weather station location. The customary climatogram has 12 columns, one for each month,
and two vertical axes – one for temperature (line graph) and the other for precipitation (bar graph).
The sample for Nome, Alaska has been completed as an example:
Precipitation (inches)
30
28
100
26
80
24
22
70
20
50
18
40
16
30
14
20
12
10
Temperature (°F)
Precipitation (inches)
90
60
10
0
8
-10
6
-20
4
-30
2
-40
0
Nome
Temperature (°F)
J
F M A M J
J A S O N D
-50
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
5
1.0
5
.94
9
.86
21
.78
36
.70
46
.94
50
2.26
48
3.8
43
2.7
30
1.6
16
1.1
7
0.9
To correlate a climatogram with a particular location, remember what you know about latitudinal and
continental/marine climate differences.
•
Locations in the northern hemisphere have warmer temperatures during the six months from April
through September (our summer); those in the southern hemisphere have colder temperatures (their
winter) during those same months.
•
General temperature patterns reflect latitudinal control (a progressive decrease in temperature poleward
from the equator).
•
Generally, continental locations have greater annual temperature ranges than coastal locations at the
same latitude.
Plot the following three climatograms and identify the city that corresponds to each one.
_____ Buenos Aires, Argentina
_____ Miami, Florida
_____ Moline, Illinois
A. Climatogram 1
B. Climatogram 2
C. Climatogram 3
Precipitation (inches)
30
28
100
90
26
80
24
22
70
20
50
18
40
16
30
14
20
12
10
10
0
60
8
-10
6
-20
4
-30
2
-40
0
Data 1
Temperature (°F)
Precipitation (inches)
Temperature (°F)
J
67
2.1
J F M A M J J A S O N D
F
68
2.1
M
72
1.9
A
75
3.1
M
79
6.5
J
81
9.2
Precipitation (inches)
J
20
1.6
J
83
6.0
A
83
7.0
S
82
8.1
O
78
7.1
N
73
2.7
D
69
1.9
Temperature (°F)
30
28
100
90
26
80
24
22
70
20
50
18
40
16
30
14
20
12
10
10
0
60
8
-10
6
-20
4
-30
2
-40
0
Data 2
Temperature (°F)
Precipitation (inches)
-50
J F M A M J
F
25
1.3
M
36
2.8
A
50
4.0
J A S O N D
M
61
4.2
J
71
4.3
J
75
4.9
-50
A
73
3.8
S
65
3.7
O
54
2.7
N
39
2.0
D
26
1.9
Precipitation (inches)
30
28
100
26
80
24
22
70
20
50
18
40
16
30
14
20
12
10
90
60
10
0
8
-10
6
-20
4
-30
2
-40
0
Data 3
Temperature (°F)
Precipitation (inches)
J
74
3.4
Temperature (°F)
J F M A M J
F
74
3.4
M
68
4.6
A
63
3.6
J A S O N D
M
57
3.1
J
52
2.2
J
51
2.2
-50
A
53
2.7
S
57
3.5
O
62
3.5
N
68
3.3
D
72
3.7
Determine which set of data below goes with each station. Make the determination based on what you
know about latitudinal and continental/marine climate differences. Climatograms are plotted for you.
Yakutsk, Russia
Manaus, Brazil
Santiago, Chile
San Diego, CA
Goodland, KS
Mpls/St Paul, MN
=
=
=
=
=
=
Data Set ____
Data Set ____
Data Set
Data Set
Data Set
Data Set
Data 1
Temperature (°F)
Precipitation (inches)
J
29
0.3
F
33
0.6
M
40
1.0
A
50
1.8
M
59
2.5
J
70
2.8
J
77
2.7
A
74
2.5
S
66
1.6
O
54
1.0
N
41
0.6
D
30
0.6
Data 2
Temperature (°F)
Precipitation (inches)
J
-49
0.2
F
-34
0.2
M
-10
0.1
A
17
0.1
M
40
0.4
J
58
1.1
J
64
1.8
A
57
1.6
S
42
1.0
O
17
0.4
N
-20
0.3
D
-43
0.2
Data 3
Temperature (°F)
Precipitation (inches)
J
57
2.1
F
58
1.4
M
59
1.6
A
61
0.8
M
63
0.2
J
66
0.1
J
70
0.04
A
72
0.1
S
71
0.2
O
68
0.3
N
62
1.1
D
57
1.4
Data 4
Temperature (°F)
Precipitation (inches)
J
69
0
F
67
0.1
M
62
0.2
A
57
0.6
M
51
2.4
J
46
3.3
J
46
2.8
A
49
2.1
S
52
1.3
O
57
0.5
N
62
0.2
D
67
0.2
Data 5
Temperature (°F)
Precipitation (inches)
J
11
0.8
F
18
0.9
M
29
1.7
A
46
2.1
M
59
3.2
J
68
4.1
J
73
3.5
A
71
3.6
S
61
2.5
O
50
1.9
N
33
1.3
D
19
0.9
Data 6
Temperature (°F)
Precipitation (inches)
J
79
10.8
F
79
10.8
M
79
11.7
A
79
11.1
M
79
7.5
J
81
3.9
J
81
2.4
A
82
1.6
S
82
2.4
O
82
4.4
N
81
6.4
D
81
8.6