Climate and Various Regions

Climate is a pattern of weather that occurs over a long period of time. For example, the Mojave Desert located in parts of California and Nevada is the driest desert in North America.

There is little to no rainfall in this desert because the mountain ranges that border it block rain-producing weather. The climate in this region doesn't change much--it's almost always hot and arid.

Scientists have classified climate into five categories: tropical, mild, dry, cold, and polar. Under these categories are sub-categories that define regions with one or more weather patterns.

The different colors on this map of the United States represent the different types of climate each region has. Click on each region to learn about the climate there.