Section 1
Describe the Climate for the location. Include the Koppen Classification.
I chose to focus on the west coast of Florida, specifically the Tampa area, as it is only a 45-minute drive to where my dad lives. I enjoy visiting and will probably one day retire down in Florida, this is a good opportunity to study the climate and historical events in this region.
The Tampa area has a humid subtropical climate with warm and humid summers with frequent thunderstorms and drier winters with freezing temperatures occurring every 2–3 years. The area experiences a significant summer wet season, as nearly two-thirds of the annual precipitation falls in the months of June through September.
Temperature
The warmest month in Tampa is August with an average high temperature of 90.9°F/32.7°C. The hottest day on record was June 18th, 1998 when the temperature hit 111.0°F/43.8°C. During January the overnight temperature drops to an average of 49.8°F/9.8°C with the lowest temperature of 19.0°F/-7.2°C being recorded on December 27, 1983.
Rain
The wettest month in Tampa, FL is August with an average of 7.2 inches of rain falling on 18 to 19 days. The driest month by average rainfall in Tampa, FL is November with an average of 1.6 inches of rain falling on 5 to 6 days. Although in April it typically rains on less days with 2.5 inches falling in 5 to 6 days
The Koppen Climate Classification System is the most widespread system used to classify the climates of places on our planet. The system was developed German climatologist and amateur botanist Wladimir Koppen (1846-1940) who divided the world's climates into several major categories based upon general temperature profile related to latitude. The Koppen system classifies a location’s climate mainly using annual and monthly averages of temperature and precipitation.
Tampa, and much of the southeastern United States are categorized as: Cfa- Humid Subtropical - Mild with no dry season, and a hot summer. Average temperature of warmest months are over 22°C/72°F. Average temperature of coldest month is under 64°F/18°C/. Year around rainfall but highly variable