QUESTIONS 1- Explain how the topography of the United States can affect the weather.

2- Explain why or why not the bodies of water that are in close proximity to the Commonwealth (P.A.) can affect our weather. 3- Explain how sometimes it can we warmer in Alaska in December than here in PA? 4- Explain how the temperature can range 30 degrees in Pittsburgh to 55 Philadelphia during the month of January. 5- Explain how the temperature can range from 75 degrees in Pittsburgh to 45 in Philadelphia during the month of May. 6- Explain how Texas can sometimes be colder than PA during the winter. 7- Explain how Florida can sometimes be cooler than PA during the summer.

ANSWERS 1. The Topography of an area can greatly influence our climatic phenomenon. Tall Mountain ranges are natural barriers to air movement across continents and countries. In United States and particularly California, winds off the Pacific Ocean carry moisture-laden air toward the Californian coast. The Coastal Range allows for some condensation and light precipitation during these periods. On land, the taller Sierra Nevada range rings more significant precipitation in the air and on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada, the sinking air gets warms due to sudden compression, which in turn evaporates the clouds resulting in dry conditions.

Another example can be that of the city of San Francisco's whose climate is greatly influenced by its location on the northern end of a peninsula which is surrounded on three sides by the relatively cool waters of the Pacific Ocean and that of San

Francisco Bay. The normal cool temperatures of the mid-latitude Pacific Ocean and the water temperatures which are modified by the upwelling of cold water along the California coast makes this place cool during summers. The persistence of the Pacific High and the northwest winds that are controlled by the Coast Range to blow parallel to the coastline is the reason for the above phenomenon. Consequently, as the surface waters drift away from the coast we find that there is a continuous replacement by the colder waters from below.

2. Being near the coastal line, Commonwealth in PA is fairly affected by the water bodies which keep the temperature in control and maintain a coastal climate throughout the year.

3. Sometimes it can be warmer in Alaska in December than in PA. The following lines are an explanation to this fact. The large scale atmospheric circulation is such that there is an upper level high pressure area over the North Pacific and across Alaska. This aids in warming the air and bringing some of it from the relatively warm North Pacific. If we consider further to the east, we find that a large low pressure system exists over the Eastern Canada and the Eastern U.S. This allows much cooler air over Canada to move across the Pennsylvania. This is the reason why it can be warmer in Alaska in December.

4. The temperature can range 30 degrees in Pittsburgh to 55 Philadelphia during the month of January. The reason which is most likely is that a low pressure system to the west or southwest of Philadelphia brings some warmer air off the Atlantic North and

northwestward over Philadelphia but not as far west as Pittsburgh. This occurs due to the existence of some sort of front between the two cities.

5. Pittsburgh is near the coastal region whereas Philadelphia is in the western part of the Pennsylvania. So the presence of water bodies keeps the climate in check in Pittsburgh. Therefore it has a lower temperature than Philadelphia in the month of May.

6. Florida can sometimes be cooler than PA during the summer because of thunderstorms that brings relief over there at that time.

7. Texas can sometimes be colder than PA during the winter because of tornadoes and thunderstorms. Also sometimes it has a low pressure zone during winter that allows cold winds to blow thus lowering the temperature in Texas and making it cooler.