Tundra climate
According to the Blue Planet Biomes website, the tundra is a bleak, treeless area with year round freezing temperatures and very little precipitation. The summer months in the tundra are short and provide almost 24 hours of sunlight while the winter months are completely the opposite with darkness lasting almost all day long. The word "tundra" is described by The University of California Museum of Paleontology as coming from the Finnish word tunturi meaning treeless plain.
Geography
The climate of the tundra is described by the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point Geology Department website as being transitional as it bridges the gap between the subarctic and ice cap climates. The tundra spans countries such as Greenland, northern Canada, northern Russia and parts of Alaska. Areas described by The University of Wisconsin Stevens point as having a tundra climate can also be found around Antarctica in the Southern Hemisphere.
Precipitation
According to Blue Planet Biomes, the climate of the tundra is extremely dry with precipitation levels similar to those of tropical deserts. The average precipitation, including melting snow, in the tundra is between 6 and 10 inches per year. Coupled with strong drying winds, the annual precipitation makes the tundra an area of extreme weather. Melting snow blown from high plateaus collects in the valleys of the tundra and melts slowly to leave the ground soggy despite the dry climate.
Types
The University of California Museum of Paleontology describes two types of tundra climates, Arctic and Alpine. The main differences between the two are that Alpine tundras are located at high elevations of mountains where trees cannot grow. The ground of the Alpine tundra has better drainage for precipitation than its Arctic relative, giving the Alpine tundra a growing season for vegetation of around three times that of the Arctic at 180 days.
Amounts
The precipitation found in the tundra is reported by The University of Wisconsin Stevens Point to be concentrated in the summer months where temperatures rise and the surface of the ground attempts to melt in the sun. Inland areas of the tundra receive their largest amounts of rainfall in July. Coastal areas receive precipitation a month later around August. Areas on the edge of the tundra region are reported by The University of Wisconsin Stevens Point as receiving almost double the amount of precipitation as other tundra regions. The regions that receive more rainfall include western and eastern tundra regions in North America.
Latitude
The high latitude of the tundra regions causes a reduction in the moisture in the air, reducing annual precipitation. The University of Wisconsin Stevens Point explains that this high latitude is coupled with long periods of high pressure, reducing the chances of precipitation in the tundra. Some moisture comes into the region when moist ocean air blows into the region where it is cooled to its dew point by the frigid air to become fog.
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