Desert Climate

Seasons

Wet Season• Our fall and winter.• Deserts have lowest

temperatures in this time.• Deserts receive the most

rainfall in the wet season.

Dry Season• Our spring and summer.• Hottest weather in the

desert in the dry season. • Little to no rain in the

months of the dry season.

Temperatures

• There is a very wide temperature range in the desert.

• Can reach as high as 110° F.

• At night, the desert can drop to 32°.

Temperature Graph

Precipitation

• About 10 inches total per year.

• Winter and fall is when most of the precipitation falls.

• The dry season, (summer and spring) receives a small percentage of the total rain fall.

Precipitation Graph

Humidity

• In the day, humidity levels can be as dry as 20%.

• At night, levels can rise to 100%, leaving a coat of dew on plants.

Sunlight Totals and Wind Speed

Sunlight Totals• In the summer, there is

about 12 hours sunlight, 12 hours darkness.

• It is roughly the same in the winter, because deserts are near the equator.

Wind Speed• Wind speeds will vary based

on each desert.• Wind speeds can be

stronger the other biomes because there is little vegetation to slow down the wind.

• Heavy winds can cause sand drifts (sand dunes) and sand storms.

Effects on Organisms

Plants• Causes many plants to

adapt.• Cacti store water in their

stems.• Many bushes have few

leaves.• Many different plants have

a large root system to absorb water.

Animals• The intense climate causes

the desert to be uninhabitable by many animals.

• The animals that can survive in the desert have adapted to cool themselves.