this post was submitted on 27 Nov 2024
162 points (98.2% liked)
196
16721 readers
2368 users here now
Be sure to follow the rule before you head out.
Rule: You must post before you leave.
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
Most of the California coast is actually pretty cold compared to the rest of the state. Why, I have no clue.
Also, the place you marked as "indigenous" is also farmland and cowboys, because Oklahoma is where we sent all the indigenous peoples to.
Northern hemisphere currents cycle clockwise, which means on the west coast the current is bringing water from the north down. It's why the water is so fucking cold there, but it keeps temperatures cooler than they would be.
On the east coast we get water coming from the south up, so our water is much more comfortable. It also keeps the temperature warmer than it would be otherwise.
This effect is true for all east/west coasts in the northern hemisphere, and inverse in the south. It's why the English isles are as cold as they are.
Water has a lot of thermal mass too, so just being near water has a huge effect on your local climate. It keeps things much more stable. It's a lot less likely to have big swings in temperature.
The gigantic swamp cooler sitting next to us bringing ice cold water straight from Alaskaa and Siberia is a big factor there.
Water, mainly.