2/1/23, 9:09 AM Semi-arid climate - Wikipedia

Contents
move to sidebar hide

(Top)
1Defining attributes of semi-arid climates

2Hot semi-arid climates

3Cold semi-arid climates
4Regions of varying classification

5Charts of selected cities

6See also
7References

8External links

Semi-arid climate
(Redirected from BSk)

A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on
regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There
are different kinds of semi-arid climates, depending on variables such as temperature, and they give rise to
different biomes.

Defining attributes of semi-arid climates

A more precise definition is given by the Köppen climate classification, which treats steppe climates (BSk and
BSh) as intermediates between desert climates (BW) and humid climates (A, C, D) in ecological characteristics
and agricultural potential. Semi-arid climates tend to support short, thorny or scrubby vegetation and are Regions with semi-arid climates
usually dominated by either grasses or shrubs as it usually can't support forests.    BSh
   BSk
To determine if a location has a semi-arid climate, the precipitation threshold must first be determined. The
method used to find the precipitation threshold (in millimeters):

multiply by 20 the average annual temperature in degrees Celsius and then

add 280 if at least 70% of the total precipitation falls in the summer half of the year (April–September in the northern hemisphere, October–March in the southern
hemisphere)
add 140 if 30–70% of the total precipitation falls in the summer half of the year

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semi-arid_climate#Cold_semi-arid_climates 1/6
2/1/23, 9:09 AM Semi-arid climate - Wikipedia

add nothing if less than 30% of the total precipitation falls in the summer half of the year

If the area's annual precipitation in millimeters is less than the threshold but more than half or 50% the threshold, it is classified as a BS
(steppe or semi-arid climate).[1]

Furthermore, to delineate hot semi-arid climates from cold semi-arid climates, there are three widely used isotherms: either a mean
annual temperature of 18  °C (64.4  °F), a mean temperature of 0  °C (32.0  °F) in the coldest month, or a mean temperature of −3  °C
(26.6 °F) in the coldest month. A location with a BS-type climate is classified as hot semi-arid (BSh) if its appropriate mean temperature
is above whichever isotherm is being used, and a location with temperature below the given isotherm is classified as cold semi-arid
(BSk). Sahel region of Mali

Hot semi-arid climates

Hot semi-arid climates (type "BSh") tend to be located in the 20s and 30s latitudes of the tropics and subtropics,
typically in proximity to regions with a tropical savanna or a humid subtropical climate. These climates tend to
have hot, sometimes extremely hot, summers and warm to cool winters, with some to minimal precipitation. Hot
semi-arid climates are most commonly found around the fringes of subtropical deserts.

Hot semi-arid climates are most commonly found in Africa, Australia and South Asia. In Australia, a large portion
of the Outback surrounding the central desert regions lies within the hot semi-arid climate region.[2] In South Asia,
both India and sections of Pakistan experience the seasonal effects of monsoons and feature short but well-defined
wet seasons, but are not sufficiently wet overall to qualify as a tropical savanna climate.

Hot semi-arid climates can also be found in Europe, primarily in southeast Spain[3][4] and parts of Greece,[5] Italy,
Portugal and Cyprus. They are also found in parts of North America, such as most of northern Mexico, the ABC
Islands, the rain shadows of Hispaniola's mountain ranges in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, most of the Regions with hot semi-arid climates
Southwestern United States, and sections of South America such as the sertão, the Gran Chaco, and the poleward
side of the arid deserts, where they typically feature a Mediterranean precipitation pattern, with generally rainless
summers and wetter winters.

Cold semi-arid climates

Cold semi-arid climates (type "BSk") tend to be located in elevated portions of temperate zones, typically bordering
a humid continental climate or a Mediterranean climate. They are also typically found in continental interiors some
distance from large bodies of water. Cold semi-arid climates usually feature warm to hot dry summers, though their
summers are typically not quite as hot as those of hot semi-arid climates. Unlike hot semi-arid climates, areas with
cold semi-arid climates tend to have cold and possibly freezing winters. These areas usually see some snowfall
during the winter, though snowfall is much lower than at locations at similar latitudes with more humid climates.

Areas featuring cold semi-arid climates tend to have higher elevations than areas with hot semi-arid climates, and
tend to feature major temperature swings between day and night, sometimes by as much as 20 °C (36 °F) or more.
These large diurnal temperature variations are seldom seen in hot semi-arid climates. Cold semi-arid climates at
higher latitudes tend to have dry winters and wetter summers, while cold semi-arid climates at lower latitudes tend
to have precipitation patterns more akin to subtropical climates, with dry summers, relatively wet winters, and
even wetter springs and autumns. Regions with cold semi-arid climates

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semi-arid_climate#Cold_semi-arid_climates 2/6
2/1/23, 9:09 AM Semi-arid climate - Wikipedia
Cold semi-arid climates are most commonly found in Mongolia, the Middle East and other parts of Asia and Western North America. However, they can also be found in
Northern Africa, South Africa, Europe (Central parts of Spain and Turkey, Crimea and Macedonia), sections of South America and sections of interior southern Australia
(e.g. Kalgoorlie and Mildura) and New Zealand (around Alexandra).

Regions of varying classification

In climate classification, any one of three isotherms may be used to delineate hot from cold semi-arid climates — that of 18 °C (64 °F) average annual temperature; or that of
the coldest month, either 0 °C (32 °F) or −3 °C (27 °F). The warm side of the isotherm of choice is classified as BSh, the cooler side as BSk. As a result of these differing
definitions, some areas can have climates that are classified as either hot or cold semi-arid, depending on the isotherm used. One such location is San Diego, California (at

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semi-arid_climate#Cold_semi-arid_climates 3/6
2/1/23, 9:09 AM Semi-arid climate - Wikipedia
its main airport). The city has cool summers for its latitude, due to prevailing winds off the ocean, so the average annual temperature is below 18 °C (64 °F)); however,
winters are mild, with an average January temperature of 14 °C (57 °F), much closer to the 18.0 °C (64.4 °F) coldest-month isotherm that separates tropical and subtropical
climates than to the 0 or −3 °C (32 or 27 °F) coldest-month isotherm that separates temperate and continental climates.

Charts of selected cities

Patos, Paraíba, Brazil Kalgoorlie, Australia Jaipur (Sanganer), India
Climate chart (explanation) Climate chart (explanation) Climate chart (explanation)

J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D
38 38
32 32 32 32 34 32 32 34
31 30 29 30 31 30 29 29     31 29 30 30
27 27 28   26
        25
   
25
      21 22 22   20
18 17 19   19
22 22 22 22 21 21 20 21 21 21       21
23 22 20
20 20 18 18   19
16 17 17 15
13 14 12
11
9 8 7 9
6 5 6 5
4
                                                                       
     
 

  66  139  213  177   55   28   12   3   1   4   8   22   27   32   25   20   25   27   24   21   14   16   19   16   8   12   6   4   16   66  216  231   80   23   3   3

Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
Precipitation totals in mm Precipitation totals in mm Precipitation totals in mm
Source: [6] Source: [7] Source: India Weather On Web (https://web.archive.org/web/20
110721162913/http://www.mausam.gov.in/WEBIMD/Climatologi
Imperial conversion Imperial conversion
calAction.do?function=getStationDetails&actionParam=1&para
J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D m=2&station=Jaipur(Sanganer))

90 89 89 90 92 90 90 Imperial conversion
88 86 85 88 85
84 81 82 84
   
81     78 79 J F M A M J J A S O N D
      72
  69
64 66  
62   100 100
71 71 71 71 71 69 69 69 70 71  
67 67 65 64   93
61 62     88 86 86
55 58 84 84
52 77
48 47    
43 41 42 66
72   68
                                                  70 73 72
68 66
63 59
  54
  48
45
39 41
                       
  2.6   5.5   8.4   7   2.2   1.1   0.5   0.1   0   0.2   0.3   0.9   1.1   1.3   1   0.8   1   1.1   1   0.8   0.5   0.6   0.7   0.6    

Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
Precipitation totals in inches Precipitation totals in inches   0.3   0.5   0.2   0.2   0.6   2.6   8.5   9.1   3.1   0.9   0.1   0.1

Average max. and min. temperatures in °F

Precipitation totals in inches

Niamey, Niger Murcia, Spain Reno, Nevada, United States

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semi-arid_climate#Cold_semi-arid_climates 4/6
2/1/23, 9:09 AM Semi-arid climate - Wikipedia

Climate chart (explanation) Climate chart (explanation) Climate chart (explanation)

J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D
39 41 40
36 37 38 36
33   34 33 34 33 34 34 33 33
      31 30 29
    27 26
28
23     23  
27 28
26 18
21     20   21
24 23 24 24 17 17 18  
23 21 14  
19 20   20 13
16 17   17 18 11
13 14 8   14 13 8
10 9   11 9
6 8 6 8
5 3 4
                                                   −2   1                −1  
−4 −4

   

  0   0   3.9   5.7   35   69  154  171   92   9.7   0.7   0   25   28   30   27   32   20   5   10   27   44   32   21   26   26   19   12   12   13   4.6   5.8   8.9   13   21   26

Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
Precipitation totals in mm Precipitation totals in mm Precipitation totals in mm
Source: Deutscher Wetterdienst[8] Source: Agencia Estatal de Meteorología[9] Source: NOAA[10]

Imperial conversion Imperial conversion Imperial conversion

J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D
102 106 104
96 99 100 97
91   93 91 94 92 93 94 92 91
      88 87 83
    80 78 82
74     74  
80 82 78 65
70     69
64
  69
73 75 74 74 76 62 63  
69 70 58   55
66 67   64 51
61 62   63
46   58 46
56 57 56
49 48   52 49
43 46 42 46
40 38 39
                                                    29   33                 31  
25 25

   

  0   0   0.2   0.2   1.4   2.7   6.1   6.7   3.6   0.4   0   0   1   1.1   1.2   1.1   1.3   0.8   0.2   0.4   1.1   1.7   1.3   0.8   1   1   0.8   0.5   0.5   0.5   0.2   0.2   0.4   0.5   0.8   1

Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
Precipitation totals in inches Precipitation totals in inches Precipitation totals in inches

Boise, Idaho, United States

Climate chart (explanation)

J F M A M J J A S O N D

34 33
27 27
22
    18
17  
13
17 16   9
8
4 12 11 4
  9
  4 5
   −2   2                 0  
−4 −4

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semi-arid_climate#Cold_semi-arid_climates 5/6
2/1/23, 9:09 AM Semi-arid climate - Wikipedia

  36   25   34   31   37   19   5.3   4.3   11   21   30   39

Average max. and min. temperatures in °C

Precipitation totals in mm
Source: NOAA[11]

Imperial conversion
J F M A M J J A S O N D

93 91
81 80
72
    65
62  
56
62 61   49
46
39 54 53 39
  47
42
  40
    29   35                 32  
26 25

  1.4   1   1.3   1.2   1.4   0.8   0.2   0.2   0.4   0.8   1.2   1.5

Average max. and min. temperatures in °F

Precipitation totals in inches

See also
Continental climate
Dry climate
Desert climate
Dust Bowl (an era of devastating dust storms, mostly in the 1930s, in semi-arid areas on the Great Plains of the United States and Prairies of Canada)
Goyder's Line (a boundary marking the limit of semi-arid climates in the Australian state of South Australia)
Köppen climate classification
Palliser's Triangle (semi-arid area of Canada)
Ustic (Soil Moisture Regime)
Wave height

References
1. Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L.; McMahon, T. A. (March 1, 2007). "Updated world
map of the Koppen-Geiger climate classification" (http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sc
i.net/11/1633/2007/hess-11-1633-2007.pdf) (PDF). hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net.
University of Melbourne: Hydrology and Earth System Sciences. pp. 1633–1644.
Retrieved May 8, 2017.
2. Bureau of Meteorology – climate classification maps (http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-
bin/climate/cgi_bin_scripts/clim_classification.cgi)
3. "ATLAS CLIMÁTICO IBÉRICO" (http://www.aemet.es/documentos/es/conocerma
s/recursos_en_linea/publicaciones_y_estudios/publicaciones/Atlas-climatologic
o/Atlas.pdf) (PDF). administracion.gob.es/. Instituto de Meteorologia de Portugal.
Retrieved May 8, 2017.
4. http://www.aemet.es/documentos/es/conocermas/recursos_en_linea/publicaciones

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semi-arid_climate#Cold_semi-arid_climates 6/6