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The Importance Of Weather Patterns And Extremes

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Weather Patterns and Extremes
The Central Valley has many weather hazards that can be linked to cyclones and various frontal formations, with the most common hazards being droughts and heat waves. Chang et al. (2015) evaluated the change in precipitation due to extratropical cyclone activity and found that most of the precipitation that the region receives during the winter is due to extratropical cyclones and their fronts. When evaluating three consecutive winters, results showed that precipitation was below average. This lack of precipitation, paired with higher than average temperatures, caused extreme dryness, and as a result, much of California, including the Central Valley, experienced a drought (Chang et al. 2015).
Severe droughts …show more content…

The geography of the valley seems to play a large role in its climate type. El Bosque, Chile has geography that is very similar to Sacramento, California. Just like Sacramento, El Bosque is a city that is centrally located in a bowl-shaped valley and has mountain chains located to the east and west of it. Additionally, both cities are separated from the Pacific Ocean by a western mountain chain (The Geography of Chile). Also noteworthy is the fact that both cities are classified as hot Mediterranean climates (Csa). El Bosque and Sacramento both receive moderate amounts of precipitation in the winter and hot temperatures in the summer with dryness. This shows that geographical features, specifically proximity to the ocean and mountain ranges, can greatly affect an area’s climate.
However, latitude also appears to play a role. Bakersfield and San Pedro de Atacama, in California and Chile respectively, retain the same aforementioned geographical features, yet they have a different climate type (BWh) than Sacramento and El Bosque do. This can be attributed to their latitudes, as they lie closer to the equator than their counterparts.
Climate Change
The climate of the Central Valley has seen various ups and downs in its past, especially in regards to temperature. Many of these changes can be seen by looking at sediment cores and fossilized vegetation. About 150 million years ago, the Central Valley was an inland sea that slowly filled over time

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