As you can see from the images to the left, the tundra climate is cold ALL year. Tundras have very long, cold winters and very short, cool summers. There is also little rain due to the high air pressure. As a result, the average precipitation in such regions is 5 - 15 inches (13 - 38 cm) annually. The warmest month in a tundra region receives a temperature of around 50°F (10°C) and the coldest month averages little below 0°F (-18°C).
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Arctic TundraThe arctic tundra is definitely unique. During the fall, the sun literally disappears for 66 days from mid November to late January. This two month long period of darkness is caused by the Earth's tilt. During this time, the temperature can drop to as low as -70°C (-90°F)! It can be even worse than that because of the strong winds. During the winter in this area, the ground is always covered in ice, completely lifeless. During the spring, thanks to the spring equinox, the tundra is overflowing with life. For exactly 84 days, the sun never sets. This is because the arctic regions of the Earth are always pointed towards the sun. The same happens to this region during the winter, except that the arctic regions are pointed away from the sun, hence why they don't get sunlight during that time of the year. The spring temperatures can reach 30°C (85°F) but they last for a short amount of time.
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Alpine TundraThe alpine tundra shares the same weather characteristics as the arctic tundra. Although, alpine tundra is scattered throughout the Earth, as apposed to the arctic tundra being set in one definite location. Like the arctic tundra, the alpine tundra experiences cold temperatures, blizzards, snow storms, and powerful winds. One of the few differences between the two regions is the rain. It usually rains more the the alpine tundra but the rain runs off, rather than collecting in the soil. As a result, the soil is very dry. Due to the dry soil, the vegetation in the alpine tundra endures destructive rock slides, and avalanches in the winter.
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