How are climate zones created?

No one can say exactly where certain climatic characteristics start or where exactly they stop on the earth surface. Climatic zones are somewhat arbitrary, even though with some significant degree of precision, thanks to Science. read more

Building America determines building practices based on climate zones to achieve the most energy savings in a home. This page offers some general guidelines on the definitions of the various climate regions based on heating degree-days, average temperatures, and precipitation. read more

The higher the latitude, the colder and vice-versa. The closer an area is to the equator, the hotter. Hot climatic zones are then subdivided based on their distance from the equator. The closer an area is to the extreme poles North and South, the colder. Cold climatic zones are then subdivided based on their distance from the polar regions. read more

The three main climate zones are delineated by their position relative to the equator. As a result, they do not precisely describe weather patterns. Proximity to the equator is just one factor among many that influence an area's temperature and weather patterns. read more