Ch. 9 L. 2 - Climate of the West

Extreme Heat and Cold

  • Death Valley is a desert in southern California that has the most extreme heat.

  • Temperatures often rise to 120 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer.

  • The hottest temperature ever recorded on Earth took place in Death Valley, California. It hit 134 degrees Fahrenheit.

  • A tundra is a level, frozen area in the far north where the temperatures are so cold that trees cannot grow there.

  • The Alaska tundra has extremely cold temperatures in the winter.

Moderate and Tropical Climates

  • Hawaii has a tropical climate.

  • A tropical climate means it is warm all year.

  • The average high temperature for Hawaii is about 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

  • The average low temperature is about 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

  • Tropical rain forests filled with plants and flowers grow on some of Hawaii’s islands.

Precipitation

  • Rainfall varies and is extreme in the West.

  • Death Valley had a two year period when no precipitation fell.

  • Hawaii’s Mount Waialeale receives about 650 inches of rain in an average year.

The Rain Shadow Effect

  • Warm moist air is carried from the Pacific Ocean.

  • As the warm air blows to the east, it forms clouds.

  • As the clouds rise up over the mountains, they become cooler and can no longer hold as much moisture.

  • The water inside the cooled clouds falls as rain or snow.

  • When the clouds pass over the eastern side of the mountains, they have little moisture left inside.

  • Because the eastern side of the Cascades lies in the rain shadow, it receives less rain than the western side.

  • The area in the rain shadow receives little moisture.

Wildlife in the West

  • Desert animals have had to find interesting ways to survive the hot, sandy environment of Death Valley.

  • Some animals spend the hottest part of the day asleep in a hole in the ground.

  • Some animals are nocturnal.

  • Nocturnal means only active at night.

Wildlife of Alaska

  • Alaskan mammals include the arctic fox. The arctic fox has a white coat in the winter. The coat turns reddish brown to provide camouflage while it moves through the grasses.

  • Camouflaging helps the fox sneak up on its prey without being seen.

Wildlife of Hawaii

  • Hawaiian honey-creepers are colorful birds found in the tropical rain forests.

  • Honey-creepers feed on insects, snails, fruit, seeds, and the nectar from flowers.