The Koppen-Geiger Climate Classification map classifies Sandpoint, Idaho’s climate as a BSk climate. BSk indicated that Sandpoint’s main climate is Arid, it has a steep precipitation, and cold arid temperature. There greatest meso-scale climate control for Sandpoint is that it is located in a continental region. Because this area is surrounded by land it is not humid and has mostly continental air masses that affect its climate.
 |
| http://koeppen-geiger.vu-wien.ac.at/present.htm |
As for the micro-scale climate of Sandpoint it is much like Denver, Colorado. Sandpoint is orographically situated by a mountain range. They also have a very large mountain range to the west that causes a rain shadow effect on Sandpoint. This rain shadow effect causes Sandpoint to have decreased precipitation amounts and to be effected by strong winds. If looking at the Koppen-Geiger Climate Classification Sandpoint is one of the few areas in the northwest region to be classified as BSk most of that region is subjected to Dfb (snow climate, fully humid precipitation, and warm summers) and Dfc (snow climate, fully humid, and cool summers). Topography really has a large part to do with Standpoint's climatology.
Sandpoint maybe affected at most part with the Big Horn Mountain range and it’s topography, however, its location also has a large part to do with its climatology. For instance another micro-scale climate control is secondary atmospheric circulation patterns and for Sandpoint the polar fronts can cause massive blizzards for Sandpoint. This last year Sandpoint experienced a blizzard February 24, 2011 where it snowed for 24 hours and had wind gust up to 46 mph.
 |
| http://m.spokesman.com/galleries/2011/feb/23/winter-weather-feb-23/ |
 |
 |
| http://m.spokesman.com/galleries/2011/feb/23/winter-weather-feb-23/ |
The best weather data for Sandpoint only goes back to 2003 so I looked at October 2003 and October 2011 to compare the change in Climatology. There was little change overall a few increases in temperatures from 2003 to 2011, but the greatest temperature increase was the mean temperature increased by 11 degrees from 2003 to 2011.
Data from October 2003:
 |
| http://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/KSZT/2003/10/30/MonthlyHistory.html?req_city=NA&req_state=NA&req_statename=NA |
Data from October 2011:
 |
No comments:
Post a Comment