Describe the climate feature of British Columbia's coast and name its main climate type.

• A. Maritime climate with mild, wet winters and cool summers; high precipitation due to moist westerlies.
• B. Arid climate with hot summers.
• C. Continental climate with extreme seasons.
• D. Subarctic climate with long winters.

Answer: (A)

The coast of British Columbia is best described by a maritime climate. The Pacific Ocean keeps temperatures mild year-round, so winters are wet but not severely cold and summers are cool rather than hot. Moist westerly winds bring a lot of moisture, producing high precipitation throughout the year, with especially heavy rainfall in many coastal areas. The mountains along the coast also push air upward, causing additional rainfall in the westerly flow, which reinforces the wet climate.

This fits why an arid climate, with hot summers and very low rainfall, doesn’t match; a continental climate with large seasonal temperature swings isn’t typical for the coast; and a subarctic climate with long, extreme winters isn’t accurate for this region. The defining feature here is the ocean-influenced, mild, wet pattern—the maritime climate.