Weather and Climate of Navarre, FL vs. Fairbanks, AK

Fairbanks and Navarre are over 4,000 miles apart. With the great distance between the two locations, means a drastic variance in weather patterns.

Navarre to Fairbanks

Navarre Average High Temp: 77F
Navarre Average Low Temp: 59F


Fairbanks Average High Temp: 37F
Fairbanks Average Low Temp: 16F


Looking first at Fairbanks, it is located on the central interior of Alaska. Here temperatures will dip to -40 degrees Fahrenheit in the Winter, and Summer temperatures will rarely exceed 80 degrees Fahrenheit.


The most commonly known air mass in this region is the Continental Polar. The Polar High is formed out of this air mass as it brings crippling cold, and extremely dry air. "The mP moves in during the winter, blowing cool, humid air from the ocean into the state. This air mass causes a warm-type occluded front.  The warm-type occluded front carries with it cool air from the Pacific Ocean gently nudging the cold air originating over the continent.  This pushes the warm air aloft and forms precipitation"(NSIDC).



Fairbanks in Winter (http://www.rocketbanner.com/images/vinyl-banners-fairbanks.jpg)


Next looking at Navarre, the trends in weather are much different. In northern Florida, summer time temps will top out in the mid 90's and winter night time lows will rarely go below freezing.  


The location in the northern Gulf Coast allow for a mild-dry winters and hot-humid summers. The proximity to the Gulf Coast gives way to a Maritime Tropical air mass the majority of the time. This air mass is created due to the warm surface temperatures of the Gulf of Mexico. On rare occasions, Continental Polar air masses will dip down into the area and push temperatures below freezing during the nighttime low during the winter months.



Navarre in Winter (http://www.destination360.com/north-america/us/florida/destin/images/s/navarre-beach.jpg)


*Sources: Southeast Regional Climate Center
                  National Snow and Ice Data Center 
                  http://cdo.ncdc.noaa.gov/climatenormals/clim20/fl/086997.pdf

Air Masses and Moisture

Navarre's location in the northern Gulf Coast allow for a mild-dry winters and hot-humid summers. The proximity to the Gulf Coast gives way to a Maritime Tropical air mass the majority of the time. This air mass is created due to the warm surface temperatures of the Gulf of Mexico that is fed by the Gulf-stream ocean current. 


The warm waters in the area, especially in the summer, feed into the high amounts of evaporation. As a result of the summer sun bearing down on the mainland, the suns energy is adsorbed and then radiated back into the air saturated with water vapor. With these processes in place it allows for daily afternoon thunderstorms and rain showers because of the rising, and then drastically falling pressure.   


Severe weather systems result often from the passing of large frontal systems of low pressure expanding well into the interior of the country all the way south to the Gulf of Mexico's warm waters. These fronts collide with the high pressure system previously in the area and create inclement weather. These storms typically create severe weather, and commonly spawn tornadoes.

On rare occasions, Continental Polar air masses will dip down into the area and push temperatures below freezing during the nighttime low. This is a result of the Polar high being moved by the jet-stream to the extreme southern United States.

 

(A Map indicating unstable atmospheric conditions from the Gulf joining a Low pressure system coming in from the north. Resulting in Severe weather.)

(A current map of the frontal systems in the area, a current high pressure system is dominating the Southeastern United States)

(Severe weather breaking out ahead of a low pressure area pulling eastward out of the Southern Plains and into the southeast including Northern Florida.)


*Sources: Southeast Regional Climate Center