Tundra climate zones can be divided into two types: Arctic, occurring at high latitudes; and Alpine, occurring at high altitudes. As their name implies, Arctic tundra climates are found mainly in Arctic regions, such as northern Russia, Canada and Alaska, and coastal Greenland and Iceland. They can also be found in the peninsulas and islands of northern Antarctica. Alpine tundra climates occur at high elevations in mountainous regions, above the tree line. Examples of Alpine tundra climates include the peaks of mountains in the Andes, the Rockies, the Himalayas, the Alps and parts of Norway.
The tundra climate is the second-coldest climate category in the Koppen climate classification system, behind only the polar ice cap designation. This climate category includes subfreezing mean annual temperatures, large temperature differences between winter and summer and low precipitation.
Tundra climates are essentially deserts. Yearly average precipitation varies by region, but generally falls between 5 and 20 inches, consisting primarily of light, fluffy snow. Alpine tundra zones receive more precipitation than their Arctic counterparts. In the Arctic, most of the precipitation occurs during the summer months.
Winters in the tundra are long and brutal. Temperatures remain below freezing for six to 10 months of the year. In the height of winter, temperatures average around minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit. In Arctic regions, there isn't much difference between daytime highs and nighttime lows, as the sun often never rises, or merely hovers briefly on the horizon.
Summers in the tundra are fleeting, lasting only a few weeks in some locations. Daily high temperatures may reach 60 degrees Fahrenheit, but overnight lows dip into the 30s, 20s or lower, resulting in daily average temperatures below 50 degrees. Precipitation in the summer may fall as either rain or snow, and frosts can still occur.
The tundra is snow-covered for the vast majority of the year. High winds, combined with the lack of trees, create blowing and drifting snow. The ground is permanently frozen and known as permafrost, thawing only during the short summer, at which time wildflowers bloom.
