What climate type is Yosemite?

What climate type is Yosemite?

Koppen climate type: Yosemite is a classified by the Koppen’s climate classification as a Mediterranean climate. Mediterranean climates are characterized by hot, dry summers, and cool, wet winters. In general, Mediterranean climates are located between 30° and 45°latitudes on the western side of the continents.

Which air mass has the most influence on California’s weather?

Maritime polar air masses
Maritime polar air masses, abbreviated mP on weather maps, tend to dominate the Pacific coast region. These air masses form over a cold ocean current in the northern Pacific Ocean. Although mP air masses originate at northerly latitudes, they do not feature as cold of air as continental polar air masses.

What is an air mass that develops over land?

Continental air masses
Continental air masses form over land and are dry. Therefore, an air mass that develops over northern Canada is called a continental polar air mass and is cold and dry. One that forms over the Indian Ocean is called a maritime tropical air mass and is warm and humid.

What elevation is Yosemite?

4,000 feet
Yosemite Valley sits at 4,000 feet above sea level and is not an area of concern for altitude sickness. When hiking in Yosemite’s higher elevations, such as Tuolumne and areas around the rim of the Valley, you will generally be above 8,000 feet and should be conscious of your body’s condition.

Is Yosemite Smokey?

Fire and smoke are as much a part of the Yosemite ecosystem as water and ice.

Which air masses have the greatest impact on the Pacific coast?

Maritime polar air masses, abbreviated mP on weather maps, tend to dominate the Pacific coast region. These air masses form over a cold ocean current in the northern Pacific Ocean. Although mP air masses originate at northerly latitudes, they do not feature as cold of air as continental polar air masses.

What tectonic plate is Yosemite on?

As the North American Plate overrode the Farallon Plate — a process geologists call subduction — the Farallon Plate was pushed several miles beneath North America, where extreme heat and pressure melted its leading edge. Vast pools of magma rose up under California, some of which reached the surface to form volcanoes.

What created Half Dome in Yosemite?

The domes were formed about 65 million years ago, when molten, igneous rock solidified into granite deep within the Earth and was pushed up under pressure to the surface. The granite was shaped into domes as the uplifted, curved layers of rock cleaved off.

What type of air mass would form over Mexico?

Maritime tropical air forms in subtropical regions such as the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. It is associated with warm, humid weather and thunderstorms.

What kind of air quality does Yosemite have?

The Clean Air Act Amendment of 1977 designates Yosemite National Park as a Class I area, setting high standards for air quality and visibility in and around the park. While protected, the park’s air quality is far from perfect.

Is the fire at Yosemite bad for the air?

Wood fires are prohibited park-wide. Yosemite National Park is experiencing poor air quality due to the Creek Fire, which is an ongoing wildfire burning near Yosemite National Park. The smoke from this fire is degrading air quality throughout the park by creating unhealthy levels of particulate matter.

How is the weather in Yosemite National Park?

Yosemite National Park is a changing environment where weather can vary by the minute, with increased chances of change at higher elevations. Temperatures at the 4,000-foot Yosemite Valley can rise to more than 100°F in the summer with lows in the 20s and nearly 30 inches of snowfall, on average.

How does Yosemite National Park affect the environment?

Yosemite National Park’s environment is healthy in many ways, yet Yosemite can be affected by environmental issues. Some of these, like climate change, are especially challenging because they originate outside the park.