Personal climate classification systems

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Personal climate classification systems Sept 7, 2021 2:00:55 GMT -5

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Post by Deleted on Sept 7, 2021 2:00:55 GMT -5

Feb 5, 2021 16:15:12 GMT -5 Babu said:

This way, climates groups really do have things in common, and it's also very easy to tell what features are shared between different groups and what differs.
Basically, Chicago and Minneapolis becomes Scandinavia but with hot summers, NYC and Washington DC become central Europe but with hot summers, and Raleigh/Atlanta becomes NYC/Washington but just overall warmer (especially in winter), and Mouteka/Auckland/Melbourne become London/Berlin but just warmer overall (especially in winter), throw in the s climate and you've got all the mediterranean pattern twins, like San francisco and Wellington. Also Raleigh, Atlanta and New Orléans become New Zealand with hotter summers.

It really makes so much sense, and it's very easy to know exactly what all the letters and combinations mean since they're the exact same as the Trewartha and Köppen letter that everyone already knows about, as opposed to inventing an entirely new system.

Interesting -without numbers, this classification is self-explanatory for weather and geography folk.

Last Edit: Sept 7, 2021 2:02:24 GMT -5 by Deleted

desiccatedi85
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Personal climate classification systems Sept 7, 2021 23:08:31 GMT -5 AJ1013, psychedamike24, and 1 more like this

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Post by desiccatedi85 on Sept 7, 2021 23:08:31 GMT -5

Metsfan257's Climate Classification System (with examples provided in parenthesis) Version 2 (after edits)

This climate classification system has a grand total of 46 climates split up into 5 temperature-based groupings. It does away with a separate group for dry climates, instead putting them into specific groups based on temperatures. This classification system is also based on imperial units (ºF, inches) so sorry to any strictly metric users, as I'm just more fluent in imperial.

Group A (tropical) - all months have mean temperature of at least 62F, annual mean temperature at least 70F

Equatorial subdivision - annual mean temperature is at least 80F

Equatorial rainforest (Are) - at least 80" of annual rainfall, and driest month over 3" of rain (Singapore)
Equatorial monsoonal (Ame) - at least 80" of annual rainfall, and driest month less than 3" of rain (Manila)
Equatoria dry forest (Afe) - 35"-80" of annual rainfall, and wettest 3 months less than 5x the rain of driest 3 months (Montego Bay)
Equatorial savanna (Ase) - 35"-80" of annual rainfall, and wettest 3 months more than 5x the rain of driest 3 months (Lagos)
Equatorial semiarid (Aze) - 20"-35" of annual rainfall (Maracaibo, Venezuela)
Equatorial desert (Ade) - less than 20" annual rainfall (Oranjestad, Aruba)

Tropical subdivision - annual mean temperature is 70F-80F

Tropical rainforest (Art) - at least 70" of annual rainfall, and driest month over 3" of rain (Hilo, Hawaii)
Tropical monsoonal (Amt) - at least 70" of annual rainfall, and driest month less than 3" of rain (Cairns, Australia)
Tropical dry forest (Aft) - 30"-70" of annual rainfall, and wettest 3 months less than 5x the rain of driest 3 months (West Palm Beach, Florida)
Tropical savanna (Ast) - 30"-70" of annual rainfall, and wettest 3 months more than 5x the rain of driest 3 months (Naples, Florida)
Tropical semiarid (Azt) - 15"-30" of annual rainfall (Culiacán, Mexico)
Tropical desert (Adt) - less than 15" annual rainfall (Piura, Peru)

Group B (subtropical) - coldest month has a mean temperature of 42F-62F
Hot summer (B_a) - hottest month mean temperature at least 75F
Mild summer (B_b) - hottest month mean temperature below 75F

Humid subtropical (Bfa) - at least 20" of annual precip in a uniform pattern (Columbia, South Carolina)
Monsoonal subtropical (Bma) - at least 20" of annual precip with the wettest 3 summer months having 3x precip of the 3 driest winter months (Fuzhou)
Mediterranean subtropical (Bsa) - at least 20" of annual precip with wettest 3 winter months having 2x precip of the 3 driest summer months (Izmir)
Hot semiarid subtropical (Bza) - 10"-20" of rainfall (Los Angeles)
Hot desert subtropical (Bda) - Less than 10" of rainfall (Phoenix)
Warm oceanic (Bfb) - same as (Bfa) except for summer temperatures (Auckland)
Warm oceanic monsoonal (Bmb) - same as (Bma) except for summer temperatures (Mexico City)
Warm oceanic mediterranean (Bsb) - same as (Bsa) except for summer temperatures (San Francisco)
Warm oceanic semiarid (Bzb) - same as (Bza) except for summer temperatures (Santa Monica)
Warm oceanic desert (Bdb) - same as (Bda) except for summer temperatures (San Diego)

Group C (temperate) - coldest month has a mean temperature of 32F to 42F
Hot summer (C_a) - hottest month mean temperature at least 70F
Mild summer (C_b) - hottest month mean temperature between 60F and 70F
Cool summer (C_c) - hottest month mean temperature between 50F and 60F

Humid warm temperate (Cfa) - at least 20" of annual precip in a uniform pattern (New York City)
Monsoonal warm temperate (Cma) - at least 20" of annual precip with wettest 3 summer months having 3x precip of 3 driest winter months (Tokyo)
Mediterranean warm temperate (Csa) - at least 20" of annual precip with wettest 3 winter months having 2x precip of 3 driest summer months (Portland)
Warm temperate semiarid (Cza) - 10"-20" of rainfall (Madrid)
Warm temperate desert (Cda) - Less than 10" of rainfall (Baku)
Temperate oceanic (Cfb) - at least 15" of annual precip in a uniform pattern (London)
Temperate monsoonal oceanic (Cmb) - at least 15" of annual precip with wettest 3 summer months having 3x precip of 3 driest winter months (Kunming)
Mediterranean temperate (Csb) - at least 15" of annual precip with wettest 3 winter months having 2x precip of the 3 driest summer months (Seattle)
Temperate semiarid (Czb) - 10"-15" of rainfall (Penticton, British Columbia)
Temperate desert (Cdb) - Less than 10" of rainfall (Puerto San Julián, Argentina)
Subpolar oceanic (Cfc) - at least 15" of annual precip in a uniform pattern (Puerto Edén, Chile)
Monsoonal subpolar oceanic (Cmc) - same as (Cmb) except for summer temperatures (Puno, Peru)
Mediterranean subpolar oceanic (Csc) - same as (Csb) except for summer temperatures (Tatoosh Island, Washington)
Subpolar semiarid (Czc) - 10"-15" of rainfall (Río Grande, Argentina)
Subpolar desert (Cdc) - Less than 10" of rainfall (Río Gallegos, Argentina)

Group D (microthermal) - coldest month has a mean temperature of below 32F
Hot summer (D_a) - hottest month mean temperature at least 70F
Mild summer (D_b) - hottest month mean temperature 60F to 70F
Cool summer (D_c) - hottest month mean temperature 50F to 60F

Humid continental (Dfa) - at least 15" of annual precip in a uniform pattern (Chicago)
Monsoonal continental (Dma) - at least 15" of annual precip with the wettest 3 summer months having 3x precip of the 3 driest winter months (Beijing)
Mediterranean continental (Dsa) - at least 15" of annual precip with wettest 3 winter months having 2x precip of 3 driest summer months (Hakkâri, Turkey)
Cold semiarid (Dz) - 7"-15" of annual precip (Yerevan)
Cold desert (Dd) - Less than 7" of annual precip (Turpan)
Humid microthermal (Dfb) - at least 15" of annual precip in a uniform pattern (Turku)
Monsoonal microthermal (Dmb) - at least 15" of annual precip with wettest 3 summer months having 3x precip of 3 driest winter months (Vladivostok)
Mediterranean microthermal (Dsb) - at least 15" of annual precip with wettest 3 winter months having 2x precip of 3 driest summer months (Sivas, Turkey)
Humid subarctic (Dfc) - at least 10" of annual precip in a uniform pattern (Fraser, Colorado)

Group E (polar) - coldest month mean below 32F and hottest month mean below 50F

Tundra (Et) - hottest month mean temperature above 30F (Esperanza Base, Argentina)
Glacier (Eg) - hottest month mean temperature below 30F (Summit Camp, Greenland)

Last Edit: Dec 20, 2021 22:56:43 GMT -5 by desiccatedi85

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psychedamike24
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Personal climate classification systems Dec 15, 2022 22:17:42 GMT -5

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Post by psychedamike24 on Dec 15, 2022 22:17:42 GMT -5

Original version:

I was inspired by QIDb602's thread to make one on my own climate classification system that I created a while back.

TL;DR- basically a mashup of Köppen and Trewartha with a more nuanced precipitation threshold.

The main distinguishing feature or innovation of my system is that the semi-arid and arid climates are automatically assigned to a primary temperature regime (tropical, subtropical, etc.) The second major innovation is temperature-based subcategories for Tropical climates to better distinguish altitude levels and heat regimes.

I think it's important to create a climate classification system centered around human comfort and survivability, especially in a world that is facing rapid and unpredictable climate change in the foreseeable future.

First Letter- primary temperature letter (focused on coldest month). I used 10 C as a threshold for subtropical climates because it's already used to define growth seasons in subpolar and polar climates.

A = Tropical: all months > 18 C

B = Subtropical: all months > 10 C, coldest month < 18 C

C = Temperate: 4-11 months > 10 C, coldest month -3 C to 10 C

D = Continental: > 3 months > 10 C, coldest month < -3 C

E = Subarctic/Subalpine: <= 3 months > 10 C

O = Polar/Alpine: all months < 10 C
OT = Polar Tundra (at least 1 month > 0 C)
OF = Polar Ice Cap (all months < 0 C)

Second Letter- precipitation letter. The dry-summer and dry-winter thresholds are the same as Köppen's. I got the idea to change the tropical rainforest climate threshold from Bisfbath's Af/BSh thread.

For dry climates:
- R = arid (Gk. xeRos): actual precip. less than 0.5 of precip. threshold
- Z = semi-arid (Gk. aZaleos): actual precip. between 0.5-1.0 of precip. threshold

For tropical:
- f = rainforest: different from Köppen (<= 3 months <100 mm, instead of all months >60 mm)
- m = monsoon: same as Köppen (driest month greater than (100-(total/25)) mm)
- w = savanna: same as Köppen (driest month less than (100-(total/25)) mm)
- s = same as above but with summer dry season

For non-tropical:
- s = dry summer: (wettest month > 3 * driest month, driest month < 40 mm)
- w = dry winter: (wettest month > 10 * driest month)
- f = default: no other conditions are fulfilled

Third Letter- secondary temperature (focused on warmest month). I added a third letter for Tropical climates to distinguish between equatorial climates (which have virtually no seasonal temperature variation) and non-equatorial tropical climates, and to distinguish very hot tropical climates (>28 C) like those found in the Asian continent.

For tropical:
- A = very hot: coldest month > 22.5 C AND annual average > 28 C
- e = equatorial: average monthly temp range < 3 C
- E = very hot equatorial: equatorial if annual average > 28 C
- b = cool: annual average < 22.5 C [optional]
- a = default: does not fit any of the other categories

For non-tropical:
- a = hot-summer: hottest month > 22.5 C
- b = warm-summer: hottest month 10 C - 22.5 C

For subpolar/subalpine only:
- b = equatorial: coldest month > 6 C [optional]
- c = maritime: coldest month -3 C to 6 C
- d = continental: coldest month < -3 C

For polar/alpine only [optional]:
- m = mild: coldest month > -3 C

Precipitation threshold: adjusted for average annual temperature and seasonality. The threshold increases faster at higher temperatures due to higher potential evapotranspiration and increased risk of desertification.

Let threshold Q be a function of T and U where T = average annual temperature and U = (sun-high season precip)/(annual precip).

if (T < 10 C) {Q = 100 + 10*T}
else if (T < 20 C) {Q = 200 + 20*(T-10)}
else if (T < 30 C) {Q = 300 + 30*(T-20)}
else {Q = 400 + 40*(T-30)}

if (U < 0.1) {Q += 0}
else if (U < 0.9) {Q += 350*(U-0.1)}
else {Q += 280}

If the threshold Q < 0 then the climate is non-dry by default.

Optional "extreme" designation:
For tropical: >= 6 months average temp > 32 C, must fulfill conditions for third letter A or E
Created with the Red Sea and Persian Gulf regions in mind. Could feasibly appear in South Asia under extreme warming scenarios

For subtropical: >= 3 months average temp > 32 C
Created with the Greater Sahara region and West + South Asia in mind. Could feasibly appear in China under extreme warming scenarios

For subpolar/subalpine: coldest month < -35 C
Created with the Russian Far East in mind, hypothetical category for hyper-continental high-latitude climates

For polar/alpine: coldest month < -50 C, >= 3 months < -40 C
Created with Antarctica in mind, hypothetical category for continental ice sheets

Examples:
London: Cfb
New York City: Cfa
Beijing: Dwa
Dubai: ARa/ARA
Hong Kong: Bwa
Paris: Cfb
Shanghai: Cfa
Singapore: Afe/AfE
Sydney: Bfa
Tokyo: Cfa
Bangkok: AmA/AmE
Istanbul: Csa
Los Angeles: Bsa/BZa
Mexico City: Bwb
Moscow: Dfb
Madrid: Csa
Miami: Awa
Johannesburg: Cwb
Lisbon: Bsa
Montreal: Dfb/Dfa
Riyadh: [xtrm] BRa
Santiago: CZb/Csb

SPOILER: Click to show

BONUS-
Lima: BRb
Vostok: [xtrm] OF
Yakutsk: [xtrm] Efd
Dallol: [xtrm] ARA
Hyderabad India: Awa/AZa
Hyderabad Pakistan: [xtrm] BRa/ARa

Revised version:

//www.city-data.com/forum/weather/3030392-psyche_da_mike24s-climate-classification-system.html

Revisited version of my 2019 climate classification system. The same general ideas apply, but the subtropical category is narrower, which forced me to modify the "temperate" and "continental" groups accordingly.

B = Subtropical: all months > 10 C && mean of 6 warmest months >= 18 C

C = Warm Temperate: either 1) all months > 10 C, OR 2) mean of 6 warmest months >= 18 C [provided that the coldest month > -3 C]
C1 = "Tropical Highland" subtype with warm winters but not sustained summer heat
C2 = "Continental" subtype with cool (but not freezing) winters and sustained summer heat

In practice, most C climates with warmest months under 22.5 C are in subtype C2, because most warm-summer locations with a coldest month above 10 C still have summers warm enough to meet the other temperature requirement for Category B.

-------

Examples:
London: Dfm
New York City: Cfa [2]
Beijing: Dwa
Dubai: ARa/ARA
Hong Kong: Bwa
Paris: Dfm
Shanghai: Cfa [2]
Singapore: Afe/AfE
Sydney: Bfa
Tokyo: Cfa [2]
Bangkok: AmA/AmE
Istanbul: Csa [2]
Los Angeles: Bsa/BZa
Mexico City: Bwb
Moscow: Dfb
Madrid: Csa [2]
Miami: Awa
Johannesburg: Cwb [2] / Bwb
Lisbon: Bsa
Montreal: Dfb/Dfa
Riyadh: [xtrm] BRa
Santiago: CZb/Csb [2]

BONUS-
Lima: BRb
Vostok: [xtrm] OF
Yakutsk: [xtrm] Efd
Dallol: [xtrm] ARA
Hyderabad India: Awa/AZa
Hyderabad Pakistan: [xtrm] BRa/ARa
San Francisco: Csb [1]
Quito: Cfb/Csb [1]
A Coruña: Csb [1] / Bsb

I guess there's a few categories for winter temperatures.

1) No winter/cool season: typically equatorial climates. Ex Singapore, that has no meaningful temperature difference from one part of the year to the other.

2) Frost free cool season: climate features a season that is noticeably cooler than the hottest part of the year, which may influence when plants bloom/fruit, but is still frost free. Ex Brisbane

3) Non-dormant cool season with freeze risk: Most plants remain green and typically actively growing throughout the cool season, but they need to be frost tolerant because plants with multi-year lifespans should expect to experience a frost. Ex Daytona Beach

4) Dormant typically thawed cool season: ex Phialadelphia? Most plants go dormant in winter. As do most insects. Some broadleaf plants may remain evergreen but will not be actively growing in January. Cold air blasts may cause shallow ground freezes and snow on occasion, but they are not the norm.

5) Frozen cool season: ex Montreal. All plants and insects are dormant in winter. Ground is frozen the overwhelming majority/entirety of winter, typically to significant depth.

After that it's just a question of how long the winters last, and how intense the cold is (and how resilient plants need to be to survive that). But a 5) type winter is basically a "proper", "classic", "stereotypical" winter.

I do think it's reasonable to describe a place like Philadelphia as having "winters" or a "4 season climate" even if it's typically above freezing though. It's a different kind of winter from Montreal, but I think the fact that no growth or insect activity is occurring makes for a legitimate winter. It's probably quite short though, as I would assume the early spring flowers are already starting to grow in February.

Last Edit: Dec 15, 2022 22:22:02 GMT -5 by psychedamike24

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Personal climate classification systems Mar 15, 2024 13:03:09 GMT -5 desiccatedi85 likes this

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Post by Cadeau on Mar 15, 2024 13:03:09 GMT -5

Climate classifications should be kept as simple as possible(ideally less than 20) yet able to distinguish between climates that are far from each other in characteristics. If you want to look at more detail then take a look at climate table instead. Which is more intuitive than figuring out what the letters stand for. My revised Köppen climate classification has 18 types(can be 19-20 including highland climates).

Criteria A: 100-(P/25)
P = Annual Precipitation (mm)

Criteria B: (T*20)+(P*3)
T = Annual Mean Temp (°C)
P = Percentage of total precipitation receives in higher sun/longer days(APR to SEP in NH, OCT to MAR in SH) (mm)

Af (Tropical Rainforest): Coldest month mean above 18°C, Driest month has higher value than Criteria A
Aw (Tropical Savannah): Coldest month mean above 18°C, Driest month has lower value than Criteria A

BWh (Hot Desert): Annual precipitation has less than half of Criteria B
BWk (Cold Desert): Annual precipitation has less than Criteria B
BSh (Hot Steppe): Annual precipitation has less than half of Criteria B
BSk (Cold Steppe): Annual precipitation has less than Criteria B

Cpa (Humid Subtropical): Coldest month mean above 10°C, Warmest month mean above 22°C
Cpb (Mild-winter Oceanic): Coldest month mean above 10°C, Warmest month mean below 22°C
Cfa (Humid Temperate): Coldest month mean above 0°C, Warmest month mean above 22°C
Cfb (Cool-winter Oceanic): Coldest month mean above 0°C, Warmest month mean below 22°C
Csa (Hot-summer Mediterranean): Coldest month mean above 0°C, Warmest month mean above 22°C, Driest month of summer less than 40mm, Wettest month of winter receives 3 times more than the driest month of summer
Csb (Warm-summer Mediterranean): Coldest month mean above 0°C, Warmest month mean below 22°C, Driest month of summer less than 40mm, Wettest month of winter receives 3 times more than the driest month of summer

Dfa (Hot-summer Humid Continental): Coldest month mean below 0°C, Warmest month mean above 22°C
Dfb (Warm-summer Humid Continental): Coldest month mean below 0°C, Warmest month mean below 22°C

Cfc (Subpolar Oceanic): Coldest month mean above 0°C, 1-3 months mean above 10°C
Dfc (Subarctic): Coldest month mean below 0°C, 1-3 months mean above 10°C

ET (Tundra): Warmest month above 0°C & below 10°C
EF (Ice Cap): Warmest month below 0°C

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