<p>The difference is mainly related to the different mechanism that lead to clouds and precipitation formation under different temperature regimes.</p>
<p>In high latitude regions precipitating clouds are mainly related to the influence of extra-tropical dynamics (so cyclones, fronts...). The air is so &quot;cold&quot; on average that the clouds formed are mainly cold clouds and the accretion mechanisms inside of those usually lead to lighter precipitation rates over a long time range.</p>
<p>Instead, when looking at tropical regions and mid-latitude in summer, the main phenomenon bringing precipitation is convective activity. Here the clouds formed are usually warm clouds and the precipitation-forming mechanisms are way more violent and quick.</p>
<p>Notice I used adjectives like &quot;usually&quot; and &quot;mainly&quot;. This is because there are obviously exceptions. Sometimes convection is strong also in higher latitudes, causing the appearance of thunderstorms even in really cold clouds (someone calls them thundersnows :)). Viceversa, warm clouds with thunderstorms are not the only feature of mid-latitude regions. But you get the idea...</p>

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2024-10-07T10:13:05.417Z
2024-10-07T11:47:50.847Z
2024-10-07T11:47:50.847Z
Droid
<p>High latitude regions, as well as temperate regions during the wintertime, experience a lot of cloudy, 'drizzly' and/or 'misty' days....</p>
<p>...while tropical areas (and temperate places in the summer) have somewhat more total precipitation; but it comes in sudden bursts, with only brief cloud cover....</p>
<p>Why is this?  An online 'SciTable' (public educational supplement of Nature Journal) briefly mentioned temperatures and Earth's spin rate at different latitudes, but I am still confused....</p>

<meteorology><climate><climatology><extreme-weather>
Why is it generally cloudier and drizzlier during the winter (or high latitudes) while during summer (and in tropics) rains are short but intense?
Kurt Hikes
# Why is it generally cloudier and drizzlier during the winter (or high latitudes) while during summer (and in tropics) rains are short but intense?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-10-01)

High latitude regions, as well as temperate regions during the wintertime, experience a lot of cloudy, 'drizzly' and/or 'misty' days....

...while tropical areas (and temperate places in the summer) have somewhat more total precipitation; but it comes in sudden bursts, with only brief cloud cover....

Why is this? An online 'SciTable' (public educational supplement of Nature Journal) briefly mentioned temperatures and Earth's spin rate at different latitudes, but I am still confused....

**Tags:** meteorology, climate, climatology, extreme-weather


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2024-10-07. Score: 1

The difference is mainly related to the different mechanism that lead to clouds and precipitation formation under different temperature regimes.

In high latitude regions precipitating clouds are mainly related to the influence of extra-tropical dynamics (so cyclones, fronts...). The air is so "cold" on average that the clouds formed are mainly cold clouds and the accretion mechanisms inside of those usually lead to lighter precipitation rates over a long time range.

Instead, when looking at tropical regions and mid-latitude in summer, the main phenomenon bringing precipitation is convective activity. Here the clouds formed are usually warm clouds and the precipitation-forming mechanisms are way more violent and quick.

Notice I used adjectives like "usually" and "mainly". This is because there are obviously exceptions. Sometimes convection is strong also in higher latitudes, causing the appearance of thunderstorms even in really cold clouds (someone calls them thundersnows :)). Viceversa, warm clouds with thunderstorms are not the only feature of mid-latitude regions. But you get the idea...


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