The middle latitudes contain the widest variety of climatic types, from deserts hot and cold through mild, rainy woods to snowy pine forests. Cartographically speaking, they range roughly from 38° to 52° north and south. However, because of terrain, winds, and ocean currents, mid-latitude climatic types can vary considerably from this rather arbitrary definition.
Under the Köppen-Tregartha system, there are four basic types of climate found in the middle latitudes. B climates are steppes and deserts, C represents humid subtropical climates (including marine west coast and Mediterranean climates), and D encompasses continental climates with greater seasonal fluctuations. H is a catchall for high, rugged mountains that contain localized microclimates too varied and scattered to categorize.
By Dave Bryant, copyright 2002