The climate in this region is affected by two ocean currents. Bringing cold water south from the Arctic, the Labrador Current results in freezing during the winter in the northern part of this region while the Gulf Stream brings warm water north from the Caribbean and along the coast of North America. This meeting provides a fitting breeding ground for fish. Mixed coniferous, evergreens, and deciduous trees originally forested this region heavily. Although the mountain soil could be poor and unproductive, these trees could survive despite the poor soil and, where the soil was much more productive, could thrive on the plateaus and in the river valleys. Balsam fir and white and black spruce spread out across the land. On the higher more exposed peaks, rock barrens and krummholz dwell. Krummholz are thickets of stunted twisted spruce and fir.
Varying greatly, the climate in this region is very extreme, with little precipitation. Cold snowy winters occur while the summers are hot and humid. The southern parts are subject to hurricanes due to the subtropical climate that is present there. The reason for the violent weather is due to the air from the Gulf of Mexico which flows north, clashing into the air from Canada creating tornadoes, blizzards, and hailstorms. The soil in this region is primarily very sandy; strongly acidic making it nutrient poor. Due to the unproductive soil, harsh climate, and salt spray from the sea, the growth of trees along the coast are slow. However, salt tolerant, white spruce is extremely present along the most exposed areas. It is also made up of black spruce and stunted forests of balsam fir. Mixed-wood forests consisting of red spruce, white pine, red oak and red maple are found inland of this region. Fire and wind have a strong impact on the vegetation resulting in large sections of bare rock, bogs, and barren-lands.
This region contains a humid continental climate, which is a climate characterized by bodies of water nearby. The temperature range is large and precipitation is low. The reason for the humid climate is due to the Great Lakes, which cause humidity in the summer by supplying the moisture in the air. Winters are cool to cold while summers range from warm to hot. Originally, due to the fertile soils, this region was heavily treed. Because its soil and climate conditions allowed, maple, beech, hickory, and black walnut trees thrived. The vegetation consists of mixed forests such as maple, beech, oak, ash, and birch.
Far from the influence of oceans, the Interior Plains contain an extreme continental climate -long, hot summers and cold winters. This region rarely receives precipitation, only more than eleven inches per year. However, due to the cold, dry air, light snowfalls occur. The climate in the farther north have similar characteristics with the Arctic - winters are extremely colder and longer while summers are shorter and cool. The lowest temperature ever recorded: -63 °C at Snag, Yukon, in 1947. The vegetation of this region contains dwarf shrubs, sedges and herbs. On mostly dry areas, woody species such as dwarf birch, willow, Labrador tea, alder and different species of the blueberry clan are typical. On wet sites, sedges and willows are present.
Varying throughout the vast region, winters in the north are long and cold while the summers are changing, becoming shorter and cooler.
More suitable for the thin, sandy soil, evergreens such as spruce, pine, and fir thrive throughout this region. No trees are able to grow in some areas due to the little precipitation and permafrost. More than 95% of the Canadian Shield is rock barren.
Varying from north to south, the west is moist and mild. This part is among the wettest places that receive the most precipitation on the earth. Because of the pacific ocean, winters are generally above freezing with cool summers. Vancouver BC, which is part of the Western Cordillera, has over 161 rainy days, receiving 1457 mm of rain per year. North Vancouver, however, receives 2522 mm of rain per year. Because of the heavy rainfall and moderate temperatures, this region results in such breath-taking growth. The vegetation varies greatly from one side of a mountain to the other. In the most windward location, evergreens such as douglas fir, western hemlock, and western red cedar grow to immense age and size with some as high as a 30-storey office building. Vegetation on the tops of the mountains are similar to tundra (vast, flat, and treeless) or growth stops entirely. Due to less rainfall, evergreens stop growing farther south.
The Intermountain Region’s climate is affected by its location and elevation. In some parts of the region, winters can be cool and wet or hot and dry. In the southern portion, winters are short and warm while the northern portion receives little precipitation. The climate is more moderate with moist winters and hot and dry summers. The vegetation varies greatly and ranges between sparse grasslands to plants, which can survive in the desert-like conditions. Although they aren’t the dominant plant species, a variety of shrubs is found here. Trees, shrubs, forbs (flowering plants), and grasses occupy this region.
The climate in the Arctic is very severe due to the big distance from the equator. Winter lasts for 10 months in the far north. Summers are short and not very warm. Because of it being a polar desert, there is little precipitation. Daily temperatures in some parts can be as low as -20°C. In the coldest parts of Canada’s Arctic, the northwest parts of Ellesmere Island, -50°C are typical and usual. There are very few life forms. Because of the cold and dry climate, no trees grow. However, small shrubs, mosses, and lichens, are present because they cling to the ground. This allows them to soak up the small amount of warmth and moisture available.