WEATHER AND
CLIMATE
IN CANADA
Ms. Percy
CGC1DG
Your Job…
 Access the J. BOWLER worksheet
online.
 As you go to each station, complete
the worksheet to learn about each
factor that affects climate
 Use your textbook to supplement the
station information
Weather is…
 The short-term, day-to-day
conditions in the atmosphere
 Examples: rain, sun, sleet, snow,
wind
 The weather today can be
described as…
Climate is…
 The weather conditions of a
particular region averaged over
a long period of time
 Example: Prairie, Subarctic,
Mountain, Atlantic…
Introducing J. Bowler
I love my
skateboard
I wonder if they have
any clue how much I
know about climate in
Canada? Hmmmm.
I’m the world’s
best bowler
Factors That Affect Climate
 J – Jet Stream
 B – Bodies of water
 O – Ocean currents
 W – Wind and air masses
 L – Latitude
 E – Elevation and Landforms
 R - Relief
Factor Power
 Certain factors have more of an impact in
certain regions than in others, depending on
geographic location, time of year, etc.
 Therefore, some regions are more heavily
influenced by 1-2 factors compared to other
regions.
Jet Stream (Polar)
•
Layer of fast moving,
high-altitude air that
forms boundary
between cold air
masses from the north
and warm air masses
from the south
•
“Follow the sun” and
change location with
the season
Bodies of Water
 Bodies of water
heat up and
cool down
more slowly
than land
 Consider the
desert
 Bodies of water
affect air
temperature in
the region
Ocean Currents
 Warm and cold
ocean currents
make coastal
locations warmer or
colder than normal
for its latitude
 Ocean current
temperatures
affect atmospheric
conditions
Winds and Air Masses
 Air mass is a huge body of air
that has the characteristics of
where it formed
 Winds blow from areas of high
pressure to areas of low pressure
Continental = formed
over land (dry)
Maritime = formed
over water (moist)
Arctic = cold to very
cold
Polar = cool to cold
Tropic = warm to hot
cA
cP
cT
mP
mT
What type of air mass
would form over
Regina, SK?
Latitude
 Distance from the equator affects
climate
 Canada is located closer to the
north pole than the equator
therefore we have a colder
climate than say Kenya
 Consider the flashlight
demonstration
Elevation/Altitude
 Is the vertical distance (height) of a
landform from sea level to the top of the
landform - altitude
 What happens to the temperature as you
climb up a mountain?
 Temperature drops as elevation increases
 Air gets thinner and pressure decreases as
elevation increases and is less able to
retain heat from the sun
 Air closer to the earth’s surface has higher
pressure = warmer
Relief
 The difference in elevation between
the highest and lowest points in an area
 Change in topography (shape of land)
 Mountainous regions tend to have
more precipitation. As air rises, it
condenses and releases in various forms
of precipitation
 Example: The Rocky Mountains
Elevation and Relief
Windward Side
Rain Shadow
Leeward Side
Define the terms windward, leeward, rain shadow and relief
precipitation
In your own words, how would you describe what this diagram is
showing?
Relief/Orographic
Precipitation
Work It!
 Use pages 145-155 to complete
your chart. You can work
individually or with your elbow
partner.
 Compare your charts and
diagrams with a classmate