Why is Seattle warmer in the winter than Yellowstone, even though both locations are at similar latitudes

Although Seattle is near mountains like Denver, it is also a coastal city. The Pacific Ocean moderates the climate. I think certain currents nearby give the Pacific Northwest area a somewhat subtropical climate.

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throwdolbeau throwdolbeau · Answer 2 · 2019-09-05T08:07:35+02:00

Answer:

Seattle and Yellowstone, both are located at the same latitudes but experience different types of weather patterns. Seattle is situated in the western part of North America and is a low lying area in comparison to the Yellowstone.

Seattle city experiences a warmer temperature than the Yellowstone because the elevation of Seattle is only about 160m from the sea level and in this region, the air molecules are dense and compacted. As a result of which it contracts and gets heated up forming warm air mass. But Yellowstone is at an altitude of about 2500m above the sea level. At this height, the air molecules are quite less and are in a scattering manner. Due to this, there occurs expansion and cools.

So the temperature decreases with the increasing height

Hence, Seattle is warmer than Yellowstone during the winter.