Climate classification reference
Köppen-Geiger Climate Classes
The interactive map uses 30 Köppen-Geiger class codes from the committed zone data. Each class belongs to one of five major groups: Tropical (A), Arid (B), Temperate (C), Continental (D), or Polar (E).
| Code | Name | Group | Description | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Af | Tropical rainforest | Tropical | Hot temperatures in every month with abundant rainfall and no dry season. Forest cover is supported by consistently wet conditions. | Amazon basin, Congo basin, Indonesia, Malaysia, southern India |
| Am | Tropical monsoon | Tropical | Hot year-round with a short dry season and very heavy seasonal rains. Rainfall is strongly shaped by monsoon circulation. | Western India, Bangladesh, coastal Myanmar, southern Vietnam, West Africa |
| Aw | Tropical savanna | Tropical | Hot in all months with a pronounced winter dry season and a wetter summer. Seasonal rainfall often supports grasslands and open woodland. | East Africa, central Brazil, northern Australia, Llanos of Venezuela and Colombia |
| BWh | Hot desert | Arid | Annual precipitation is far below the dry-climate threshold, with mean annual temperature above 18 C. Extreme aridity and high heat dominate. | Sahara, Arabian Peninsula, central Australia, SW United States |
| BWk | Cold desert | Arid | Very low annual precipitation with a mean annual temperature below 18 C. Winters can be cold despite persistently dry conditions. | Gobi Desert, Great Basin, Patagonian Desert, Taklamakan Desert |
| BSh | Hot semi-arid | Arid | Dry climate near the desert threshold with mean annual temperature above 18 C. Rainfall is limited but generally enough to support grassland or scrub. | Sahel, Deccan Plateau, NE Brazil, northern Mexico, parts of Australia |
| BSk | Cold semi-arid | Arid | Dry steppe climate with mean annual temperature below 18 C. Large seasonal temperature ranges are common. | Central Asia, US High Plains, interior Spain, Patagonia, Mongolia |
| Csa | Hot-summer Mediterranean | Temperate | Mild, wetter winters and hot, dry summers. Summer drought is strong and shapes vegetation and water demand. | Mediterranean Basin, California valleys, central Chile, SW Australia |
| Csb | Warm-summer Mediterranean | Temperate | Mild, wet winters and warm, dry summers moderated by latitude, elevation, or ocean influence. Summer drought is present but heat is less intense than Csa. | Coastal California, Pacific Northwest uplands, northern Portugal, parts of Chile |
| Csc | Cold-summer Mediterranean | Temperate | A rare dry-summer temperate climate with cool summers and mild to cool winters. It usually occurs in exposed coastal or high-elevation settings. | Coastal Iceland margins, Faroe Islands uplands, high Andes, small Pacific Northwest areas |
| Cwa | Monsoon-influenced humid subtropical | Temperate | Hot summers, mild winters, and a distinct winter dry season. Most precipitation falls during the warm season. | Northern India, southern China interior, northern Vietnam, parts of Paraguay |
| Cwb | Subtropical highland | Temperate | Mild to warm summers, cool winters, and a dry winter season. Elevation commonly moderates temperatures in otherwise tropical or subtropical regions. | Ethiopian Highlands, Mexican Plateau, Andes valleys, Yunnan, southern Africa highlands |
| Cwc | Cold subtropical highland | Temperate | Cool summers, cold winters, and a dry winter season. This rare climate is usually confined to high mountain terrain. | High Andes, Tibetan Plateau margins, isolated East African highlands |
| Cfa | Humid subtropical | Temperate | Hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters with significant precipitation year-round. There is no pronounced dry season. | SE United States, eastern China, southern Brazil, eastern Argentina, NE India |
| Cfb | Temperate oceanic | Temperate | Mild winters, warm but not hot summers, and rainfall spread through the year. Marine influence often keeps temperature extremes modest. | British Isles, western France, New Zealand, southern Chile, Pacific Northwest coast |
| Cfc | Subpolar oceanic | Temperate | Cool summers, mild to cold winters, and frequent precipitation in all seasons. It is common on high-latitude coasts exposed to ocean air. | Faroe Islands, coastal Iceland, southern Alaska coast, Tierra del Fuego |
| Dsa | Hot-summer continental Mediterranean | Continental | Hot, dry summers and cold winters with a strong continental temperature range. It is usually found inland from Mediterranean regions. | Interior Turkey, Iranian Plateau, inland western United States, parts of Central Asia |
| Dsb | Warm-summer continental Mediterranean | Continental | Warm, dry summers and snowy or cold winters. Elevation or latitude keeps summer heat below the hot-summer subtype. | Rocky Mountains, Sierra Nevada, eastern Turkey highlands, parts of Iran |
| Dsc | Cold-summer continental Mediterranean | Continental | Short, cool, dry summers and long cold winters. This rare subtype is mostly found in high mountains near dry-summer climates. | High Sierra Nevada, high Rockies, highlands of eastern Turkey and Iran |
| Dsd | Very-cold continental Mediterranean | Continental | Dry summers combine with extremely cold winters. It is one of the rarest Koppen-Geiger classes and is mostly tied to severe high-elevation interiors. | High mountain interiors of eastern Siberia and Central Asia |
| Dwa | Hot-summer monsoon continental | Continental | Hot summers, very cold winters, and a pronounced winter dry season. Most precipitation arrives in the warm season. | Northeastern China, Korean Peninsula interior, Russian Far East margins |
| Dwb | Warm-summer monsoon continental | Continental | Warm summers, cold winters, and dry winters. It often appears in uplands or higher-latitude monsoon-influenced interiors. | Northeastern China uplands, North Korea highlands, parts of Siberia and Mongolia |
| Dwc | Subarctic monsoon | Continental | Short, cool summers and long cold winters with a strong winter dry season. It is common in severe continental interiors influenced by seasonal pressure systems. | Eastern Siberia, Russian Far East interior, northern Mongolia |
| Dwd | Extreme subarctic monsoon | Continental | Very long, intensely cold winters and brief cool summers, with winters also being dry. This is among the coldest inhabited climate settings. | Yakutia, Verkhoyansk region, Oymyakon region, interior eastern Siberia |
| Dfa | Hot-summer humid continental | Continental | Hot summers, cold winters, and precipitation in all seasons. Seasonal contrasts are strong, with both summer heat and winter freezes. | US Midwest, lower Great Lakes, Balkans, Ukraine, NE China margins |
| Dfb | Warm-summer humid continental | Continental | Warm summers, cold winters, and year-round precipitation. Snow is common in winter and summers are moderate rather than hot. | Southern Canada, northern US, central Europe, southern Scandinavia, western Russia |
| Dfc | Subarctic | Continental | Long, cold winters and short, cool summers with precipitation in all seasons. Forests and boreal landscapes commonly dominate. | Interior Alaska, Canada boreal forest, Scandinavia interior, Siberia |
| Dfd | Extreme subarctic | Continental | Extremely cold winters, short cool summers, and no dry season. It is concentrated in the harshest continental interiors. | Eastern Siberia, Yakutia, high-latitude interior Russia |
| ET | Tundra | Polar | The warmest month stays above 0 C but below 10 C, limiting tree growth. Vegetation is dominated by tundra, mosses, lichens, and low shrubs. | Arctic coastlines, Greenland margins, Antarctic Peninsula, high alpine zones |
| EF | Ice cap | Polar | All months average below 0 C, so permanent ice or snow can persist. Liquid-water growing seasons are effectively absent. | Interior Greenland, Antarctica, highest Himalayan and Andean ice fields |