• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts Logo

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

  • Animals
  • Culture
  • Firsts
  • Food
  • Geography
  • Health
  • History
  • Inventions
  • Language
  • Mythology
  • Odds
  • People
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Space
  • Universe
  • World
You are here: Home / Geography / Why Is San Francisco California On the West Coast Warmer In Winter Than Washington D.C. On East Cost?

Why Is San Francisco California On the West Coast Warmer In Winter Than Washington D.C. On East Cost?

February 25, 2020 by Karen Hill

Latitude is only one factor of several that determine climate in any particular region.

San Francisco’s position between 30° and 40° latitude and its location on the western side of the North American continent place it in the climate subcategory called Mediterranean. People living there experience warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters.

Washington, D.C.’s, climate, on the other hand, is classified as humid subtropical, a type of climate that is usually found on the eastern sides of continents. Features of this type of climate include hot, humid summers and periods of severe winter cold.

Other factors that influence climate include elevation, topography, and distance from a large body of water.

Places at high elevations have cooler temperatures than places at low elevations. High mountains affect climate because they form a barrier that blocks moist air on the windward side from reaching the other side, called the lee side.

Winds in the United States generally blow from west to east. For example, Denver, Colorado, has a cool, dry climate because it is on the lee, or eastern, side of the Rocky Mountains.

Places that are close to oceans or large lakes tend to get more rain or snow because the water that evaporates from them fills the surrounding air with moisture.

For example, coastal areas in Oregon and Washington receive high precipitation because winds filled with moisture that has evaporated from the Pacific Ocean move in from the west and then are blocked by the nearby Cascade Mountains.

Related Facts

  • Why do hurricanes hit the East Coast but not the West Coast of the United States?
  • Which San Francisco earthquake cost more in damages the one in 1906 or 1989?
  • How long did it take to get a letter from coast to coast by Pony Express in the American Old West?
  • Why Is It Colder At the Poles Than At the Equator and Why Is It Warmer At the Equator Than At the Poles?
  • Why Is The Pirate Coast In The Persian Gulf Now Known As The Trucial Coast?
  • Why don't we put up fences on San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge to deter suicide jumpers?

Filed Under: Geography

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « What Is the Difference Between Weather and Climate and What Is the Climate Like In the United States?
Next Post: How Much Hotter Is It Today In the United States Than It Was a Century Ago? »

Footer

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Accomplishments Animals Culture Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Mythology Odds People Religion Science Space Universe World Your Body

About

Zippy Facts empowers the world by serving educational content that is accessible to everyone.

A tribute to growing up, zippyfacts.com showcases interesting and unusual facts about the world.

Our mission is to use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing.

Copyright © 2021 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy