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Climate Maps
TEMPERATURE MAPS:
New York is a mid-latitude state, and,
therefore has four very definite seasons. Summers are warm (and sometimes
downright hot), and winters can be long and cold, especially in the mountains.
Greater New York tends to have the highest temperatures throughout the
year, and the Adirondacks are the coldest. Long Island, especially on the
eastern end, is moderated by its marine environment. Compare Montauk Point
to New York City.
Places near the Great Lakes are moderated to a smaller degree, especially
along the south shores of Lakes Ontario and Erie. They have less bitter
winters than those places farther inland. This microclimate is important
for the fruit industry (apples, cherries, grapes).
SNOWFALL MAP
Winters in New York bring more than cold
weather; they bring snow. In some infamous snow belts this amount
is very large - over 200 inches in the Tug Hill Plateau east of Lake Ontario.
Winds that cross the Great Lakes from Canada are warmed and they pick up
moisture. They dump this precipitation in prodigious amounts north of Syracuse
and south of Buffalo. This precipitation is referred to as lake effect
snow.
In constast, Downstate New York receives much less snow, since it is
usually above the freezing point even in January. The Adirondacks get less
snow that the belt regions, but what falls usually stays until April.
If you would like a more detailed discussion
on New York's climate visit the Physical Geography
section.
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