The three tropical zones based on the Koppen system are the tropical moist climates, which include rain forests; wet-dry tropical climates, which includes savannas; and dry tropical climates, which include deserts, according to the website Blue Planet Biomes. These zones extend from 10 degrees south to 25 degrees north.
While the Koppen system does not identify a subtropical or a semi-subtropical climate zone, some climatologists have defined subtropical zones to include places on Earth with mean temperatures between 42.8 and 64.4 degrees Fahrenheit during the coldest months, according to the website Biology Daily. Conditions in subtropical environments vary greatly and can include arid, semiarid and humid precipitation zones.
A humid subtropical environment shares characteristics of some tropical and semi-arid environments, though climatologists do not refer to this as a semi-subtropical zone. Humid subtropical zones can be thought of as a temperate rainy climate zone with traditionally hot summers, according to the website Nation Master. This theoretical climate zone extends between 24 and 37 degrees latitude and would be mostly contained to the southeast side of continents.
A humid subtropical zone has hot summers and cool to mild winters, with rainfall distributed throughout the year, according to the website Nation Masters. It could have temperatures ranging from 10 to 110 degrees. This zone would include many major U.S. cities, including Atlanta; Jacksonville, Florida; Charlotte, N.C.; Dallas; New Orleans; and Baltimore. Each of those areas is affected by a wide range of weather, including snow in some places and extreme heat and humidity in others. Some of the southern parts of the humid subtropical zone have monsoon-type rains instead of consistent annual rain, according to the website Nation Masters.
