I never said the hot and cold tail for an entire year are averaged in figuring the zone.The hot and cold tails are not averaged in figuring the zone.IECC climate zones are based on the average annual number of heating and cooling degree-days. If polar vortexes are sitting over the area for longer, it will not change the climate zone as long as they are offsn et by equally large positive temperature deviations.
I said that climate zones are based on the heating and cooling degree-days. Those are two separate numbers. The hot tail is in the cooling degree-days, and the cold tail is in the heating degree-days. Therefore, they are not averaged with each other.
Greater variability may make the lows more extreme, but they will also make the lows less extreme. A polar vortex may reduce a day's temperature from 30°F to 10°F, but the jet stream may also rise to higher latitudes and increase the next day's temperature from 30°F to 50°F. Both are temperature departures: a -20°F departure and a +20°F departure.
Statistics: Posted by talzara — Mon Feb 03, 2025 10:26 pm — Replies 35 — Views 1952