Typical Weather Patterns Across the Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic's weather varies dramatically by latitude and season. Three broad zones dominate:

Tropical Atlantic (Equator to ~25°N/S)

• Warm & Humid: SSTs 25–28°C (77–82°F) year-round.
• Rainfall: Heavy, frequent thunderstorms (ITCZ migration).
• Hurricane Season: June–November; Cabo Verde-type storms track westward.
• Trade Winds: Steady easterlies (NE trades north, SE trades south).

Mid-Latitudes (~25°–50°N/S)

• Temperate & Variable: Seasonal SST swings (warm summer, cool winter).
• Westerlies & Storm Tracks: Dominant west-to-east flow; extratropical cyclones bring rain, wind, temperature swings.
• Gulf Stream/North Atlantic Drift: Warms NW Europe; fuels nor'easters off US East Coast.
• Fog: Common where warm currents meet cold air (Grand Banks, Newfoundland).

Subpolar North Atlantic (~50°–70°N)

• Cold & Stormy: SSTs <5°C (41°F); frequent intense lows.
• Sea Ice: Winter formation off Greenland, Labrador, Iceland.
• Polar Lows: Small, intense maritime cyclones.
• Irminger & Labrador Seas: Deep convection sites driving global overturning circulation.

Localized conditions (upwelling, coastal geometry, SST fronts) create microclimates. The Atlantic is a dynamical engine of global weather.