Chapter 17: Pacific Northwest

Santa Clarita and Pacific Northwest

The Pacific Midwest is one of the smaller regions in North America.  It really only consists of half of Washington, half on Oregon, a small part of British Columbia in Canada, and the very small tip of the top of California.  Although small, this region is very much different than its neighbors: Intermontane and California. The presence of the US-Canadian border has had a great effect on the earlier life and settlement.  This area also is one of the smaller populated regions in North America due to its size.

Santa Clarita Climate and Pacific Northwest Climate

Due to it's marine climate, the Pacific Northwest is a very "wet" place to be.  This is not the same in comparison the the desert-like climate that is in Santa Clarita with it only averaging 0-5 inches monthly.  The Pacific Midwest is one of the wettest places in the United States.  They can have anywhere from 250 inches of precipitation annually.  This marine type climate is a result of their proximity  to their neighbors, the Rockies and the Pacific Ocean.  Due to this, a lot of their water comes from snowmelt, 70% of it to be more specific.