There are many regions across the United States that declare "if you don't like the weather, wait a minute." Though this statement is said in an assuring tone, very few locations can live up to its representation. New England is the exception to the rule. Very few regions of America are able to witness blizzards, heavy rainfall, hurricanes, tornadoes, and extreme temperature differences in a very short period of time. Due to location, the weather of New England has arguably one of the most dynamic and varied atmospheric conditions in the world.
On a daily basis, New England receives a wide range of weather. A twenty to forty-degree temperature difference in three hundred miles is not an unusual aspect to the weather. The coastline can experience fog and cool temperatures while a few miles inland can receive sun and warmth during the same time. Even more phenomenal is the wide range of severe weather that can occur. The blizzard and ice storm are the most frequent storms to affect the area, which have had the ability to produce both beauty and devastation. Hurricanes and heavy rainstorms have dumped over twenty inches of precipitation in a short period of time, while tornadoes have contributed to death and destruction.
The reasoning behind the wide range of weather in New England is primarily due to its location, as well as three other aspects. New England is located halfway between the Equator and the North Pole. The location serves as the perfect battleground between warm, moist air to the south and cold, dry air towards the north. The battlefield is primarily made up of warm, cold, and stationary fronts that continuously move in rapid succession from one air mass to the next air mass. The second reasoning behind New England's wild weather is because the area does not have a maritime climate. Instead, our climate consists of a dry airflow, which moves into our area from the west.
New England is dominated by a cold water current along its eastern coastline and a warm water current along its south shore, which aids in contributing to the third factor of our weather. The water temperature differences effect both summertime recreation, as well as sea breeze occurrences. The abundance of the sea breeze helps to intensify the extreme change in conditions between the coastal plain and the inland mountains of the area. For this reason, many thunderstorms usually develop.
Last, but certainly not least, North Conway's very own mountains play a very important role in New England's weather. The mountains have the ability to enhance precipitation on the windward side, while decreasing precipitation on the downwind side. This only proves that mountains have a large role in our atmospheric conditions, as does oceans and plains.