Rocket dumps out a box of picture cards. Palm trees, cactus, pine trees, ice. "What a mess!" he says.
Raven lines them up. "What do you notice? Some places look alike."
Nova hovers over the rows. "Scientists sort climates into groups too," she says. "Use heat and rain as clues."
NOAA scientists describe five main climate types.
| Climate type | What it is usually like |
|---|---|
| Tropical | Hot and humid all year. Very rainy, more than 59 inches a year. |
| Dry | Very little precipitation. Deserts are dry. |
| Temperate | Warm, humid summers with thunderstorms. Mild winters. |
| Continental | Warm to cool summers. Very cold winters. |
| Polar | Extremely cold. Even in summer, never above 50°F. |
Use the clues from this week to match each place.
Check its temperatures and its yearly rain.
| Minneapolis clue | Does it fit a continental climate? |
|---|---|
| July normal high is about 83°F, a warm summer. | ? |
| January normal high is about 24°F, a very cold winter. | ? |
| It is hot all year long. | ? |
To name a climate type, check two clues.
Clue one: how hot or cold is it in winter and summer?
Clue two: how much precipitation falls in a year?
Put the clues together, then match the description.
Climate detectives, great work! Tomorrow is Launch Lab, a climate packing challenge.