CHAPTER ONE CLIMATE AFFECTS ALL LIFE Arctic Circle Sami People Think of every English word you know that has to do with snow and ice If you list them all it's probably fewer than a dozen But the Sami people of Lapland in northern Scandinavia and Russia have at least 180 words for snow and ice because they live in the Arctic They are used to a cold snowy climate below freezing much of the year An example of how precise Sami words for snow can be the word guoldu means a cloud of snow which blows up from the ground when there is a hard frost without very much wind
A single day of snowfall describes the weather in the Sami people's environment but weather patterns over time describe their climate Rainfall snowfall temperature wind patterns and humidity over time all make up a region's climate The Northern Lights seen above Sami homes Walton Felles HUNGRY REINDEER Sami culture revolves around reindeer Their language has about a thousand words that mean reindeer But increasing Arctic temperatures mean less snow and more rain than in the past When the rain freezes reindeer cannot reach lichen their main food source because it is frozen over
Annual Average Max Temperature °F 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 http climatemaps co cc Source NOAA NCDC 1961 1990 People and animals adapt to the climate where they live New Yorkers own heavier coats than Texans but Texans probably have bigger stocks of sunblock Polar bears have thick fur coats to keep them warm in subzero temperatures and camels bodies store huge amounts of water because they live in such dry climates Texas summers average 90 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit 32 to 38 degrees Celsius for several months
CITIES UNDER WATER By 2100 scientists estimate that 670 U S coastal communities will experience regular flooding because of climate change Major U S cities most threatened by sea level rise include Miami Boston New York City Honolulu New Orleans San Diego Los Angeles and Seattle A region's climate affects nearly every part of animals and people's lives People can only grow citrus fruits such as oranges and lemons in warm climates while most berries grow in cooler climates Climate also affects health Texans must worry more about sunburn and heat stroke than Alaskans and frostbite is a bigger threat to Alaskans UNITED STATES CITRUS GROWING REGION Winters in northern Alaska can average 6 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit 14 to 6 degrees Celsius WARM WEATHER REGION
