Editing Temperate climate (section)

{{Short description|Main climate class}}
{{Redirect2|Temperate|Temperateness|the usage of the term in virology|Temperateness (virology)}}
{{For|the history of the term|geographical zone}}
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{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}
[[File:Koppen-Geiger_Map_v2_C_1991–2020.svg|thumb|upright=1.8|A [[Köppen climate classification|Köppen–Geiger climate map]] showing temperate climates for 1991–2020|400x400px]] <!-- The following map actually shows the climates of the C group in the Köppen–Geiger scheme, which comprises maritime-influenced climates that are to a large part rather subtropical than temperate in the usual sense (or, as in Florida and parts of Africa, even tropical), and fails to include all continental climates, may have belong to the temperate zones, so it got stuffed up as well as subarctic climates, which are usually included in the temperate climate zones as well, as "cool-temperate" or "cold-temperate".
[[File:Koppen classification worldmap C.png|thumbnail|upright=0.9|Temperate climate (shown in green in the map)]] -->[[File:Latitude zones.png|thumb|upright=1.8|The different geographical zones of the world. The temperate zones, in the sense of geographical regions defined by latitude, span from either north or south of the [[subtropics]] (north or south of the orange dotted lines, at 35 degrees north or south) to the [[polar regions of Earth|polar circles]].|400x400px]]
{{Weather}}

In [[geography]], the '''temperate climates''' of [[Earth]] occur in the [[middle latitudes]] (approximately 23.5° to 66.5° N/S of the Equator), which span between the [[tropics]] and the [[polar regions of Earth]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/weatherandclimatechange/climate/worldclimates/temperate.asp |title=Weather & Climate Change: Climates around the world |publisher=[[Education Scotland]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160414115206/http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/weatherandclimatechange/climate/worldclimates/temperate.asp |archive-date=14 April 2016}}</ref> These zones generally have wider [[temperature]] ranges throughout the year and more distinct [[season]]al changes compared to [[tropical climate]]s, where such variations are often small; they usually differ only in the amount of [[precipitation]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-01-21 |title=Tropics |url=https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/tropics/ |access-date=2022-03-27 |website=[[National Geographic Society]] |language=en}}</ref>

In temperate climates, not only do [[latitude|latitudinal positions]] influence temperature changes, but various sea currents, prevailing wind direction, continentality (how large a landmass is) and altitude also shape temperate climates.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What Are the Forty Factors That Influence OurWeather? |url=https://education.seattlepi.com/four-factors-influence-weather-4416.html |access-date=2022-03-27 |website=Education – Seattle PI|date=19 December 2013 }}</ref>

The [[Köppen climate classification]] defines a climate as "temperate" '''C''', when the mean temperature is above {{convert|-3|C|F|1}} but below {{convert|18|C|F|1}} in the coldest month to account for the persistence of frost. However, some adaptations of Köppen set the minimum at {{convert|0|C|F|1}}. [[Continental climate|Continental climates]] are classified as '''D''' and considered to be varieties of temperate climates, having more extreme temperatures, with mean temperatures in the coldest month usually being below {{convert|-3|C|F|1}}.