The Inheritance 4 
summer and of central and southern Arizona 
in winter—delightful that is to those who 
esteem dry air and sunshine, rather than to 
those lovers of mist and dampness in whom 
some subconscious longing for a semi-aquatic 
life still obtains. 
Climatic conditions of Southern California 
are essentially different from those of Arizona, 
New Mexico, or Mexico, all of which differ 
from each other. Winter is here the rainy 
season. Farther south on the west coast 
of Mexico, and everywhere on the plateau of 
Mexico, it is the dry season. On the east 
coast of Mexico, every month is the rainy 
season. In New Mexico, generally speaking, 
the winter is dry but cold with snow in the 
mountains; in central and southern Arizona, 
dry and warmer but with light rain; in north- 
ern Arizona, dry and cold with some snow. 
Conditions vary so greatly with altitude and 
proximity to the sea that it is difficult to gen- 
eralise, though this is usually attempted. 
In California, the climate of the Sierra 
Nevada in summer is very similar to the win- 
ter climate of the Sierra Madre in the States 
of Michoacan, Morelos, and Guerrero. But, 
the winter climate of Santa Barbara—and 
of the entire coast country—is not perpetual 
