CLIMATE. 



297 



off Pt. Conception near Santa Barbara, gradually losing it- 

 self southwestward, but still tempering the tropical heat in the 

 Hawaiian Islands. Hence the coast climate is much warmer 

 and less foggy in southern California; but throughout the 

 State in the interior valleys, screened from the coast winds by 

 the Coast ranges, the temperature in summer may rise several 

 degrees above 100 F. for days together; although, owing to 

 the dryness of the air, the heat is not oppressive. 



Contrasting Climates in N. W . America. An even more 

 striking contrast, showing the effects of the warm ocean and 

 air currents, when intercepted by mountain chains, exists on 

 the Pacific coast farther northward, as already mentioned. 

 In Oregon and Washington first the low Coast ranges, and 

 then the higher Cascade mountains, obstruct the eastward 

 progress of the westerly ocean winds. The result is a very 

 heavy rainfall to coastward of and within the Coast ranges, 

 and an almost equally heavy precipitation on the western 

 slope of the Cascades. Standing on the crest of the latter in 

 summer, one may see to westward a rolling sea of clouds, 

 causing almost daily rains ; while to eastward the eye ranges 

 over brown or whitish, dusty plains or rolling lands, almost 

 destitute of tree growth and quivering with heat, under a 

 deep blue sky untroubled by clouds for months. 



A somewhat similar contrast is seen in the Hawaiian islands, 

 which are in the sweep of the subtropical northeast trade 

 winds, and on their windward (eastern) slopes have abundant 

 rains; while on the leeward slopes an almost arid climate pre- 

 vails, calling for extended irrigation. 



Continental, Coast and Insular Climates. From what has 

 been said above, the striking differences of climate caused by 

 the position of any region with reference to the sea or other 

 large bodies of water on the one hand, and to mountain chains 

 on the other, can be readily understood; provided of course 

 that the direction of the winds and the trend of the mountain 

 chains be properly taken into consideration. Western coasts 

 in the temperate and subtropical regions will have a relatively 

 even, temperate and moist climate as compared with the in- 

 terior of continents, from which the tempering influence of 

 the sea is cut off by mountain chains. Where no such chains 

 intervene the coast climate may extend far inland. The lat- 



