Blog #3

On a mesoscale level, the Continental Polar air mass affects Ann Arbor during the winter. This air mass is cold and dry due to its origins over inland Cananda. The city is also affected by the maritime tropical air mass during the summer, bringing warm, humid air to the north. Michigan is unique because it is a region with large water bodies in the middle of a continental mass, resulting in climate characteristics that are specific to the region.

On a microscale level, as the cold Continental Polar air mass reaches the Great Lakes, the Lake Effect is created due to cold air over warmer water. As the cold air and warm water meet, water evaporates into the air and is carried southwest toward the continental United States. When this humid air mass reaches orographic barrierrs, particularly mountains, Michigan experiences heavy snow or rain.

Although Ann Arbor is near a body of water and the temperature would seem to be fairly stable, the winter months and summer months have noticeable contrast. Ann Arbor is close enough to the Great Lakes to experience the Lake Effect in the winter months, but is too far inland to be cooled by the breeze from the Great Lakes during the summertime, causing differentiation between winter and summer seasonal temperatures. However, Ann Arbor remains humid throughout the year and experiences thunderstorms in the summer, causing the growth of lush greenery.

In comparison with Puerto Limon, Costa Rica, Ann Arbor, Michigan has some interesting similarities and differences. Puerto Limon experiences high sunlight intensity due to its location near the equator, steady rainfall, and steady temperatures due to its coastal location. Ann Arbor also has somewhat steady precipitation, it tends to be more concentrated during the winter months, as well as temperature fluctuations between seasons. While Puerto Limon is affected exclusively by the maritime tropical air mass, Ann Arbor is affected by several air masses including the continental polar, continental tropical, and maritime polar air masses depending on wind patterns.