Differences in elevation have huge impacts not only with respect of what kind of precipitation type a certain area will receive, but also with temperature ranges. Typically, lower elevations would have a warmer climate, while higher terrain is typically cooler. Reasons for this phenomenon deal with the location of air relative to sea level.

Side Note: When an elevation is recorded, the elevation is recorded as the height above sea level. For example, a regular beach along an ocean is at sea level, while locations inland are above that level.

When air is at a lower elevation, its more condensed then air at an elevated surface. Additionally, air at a lower elevation has higher pressure associated with it. The combinations of those two elements aid the warmth of air closer to sea level. At a higher elevation, air is expanded and has lower pressure, representing a cooler climate.

Air can also warm up rapidly when pushed in the right direction. Mountains are the key here once again to differ the elevation. If air is taken from a higher elevation and sent down to a much lower elevation, the air will quickly compress, dry and warm. Here in Maine, that occur does occur (we call it down sloping), where a northwest wind will send down air from the higher terrain to the coast with coastal location being the warmest. However, this weather feature takes place on a much larger scale over the western US.

Since the Rocky Mountains have a substantially higher elevation then the Appalachians, air has more time to warm and accelerate down the steep slopes. On the eastern facing slopes of the Rockies, this is called the Chinook Wind, where as the western facing slopes of the Rockies, this is called the Santa Ana Wind.

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