Continental climates often have a significant annual variation in temperature (warm to hot summers and cold winters). They tend to occur in central and eastern parts of the three northern-tier continents ( North America , Europe , and Asia ), typically in the middle latitudes (40 to 55 or 60 degrees north), often within large landmasses, where prevailing winds blow overland bringing some precipitation, and temperatures are not moderated by oceans. Continental climates occur mostly in the Northern Hemisphere due to the large landmasses found there. Most of northeastern China , eastern and southeastern Europe , much of Russia south of the Arctic Circle , central and southeastern Canada , and the central and northeastern United States have this type of climate. Continentality is a measure of the degree to which a region experiences this type of climate.
23-797: Bob Creek Wildland Provincial Park is a wildland provincial park located in the Municipal District of Ranchland , in southern Alberta , Canada. It was established on 12 May 1999, modified slightly on 24 June 2003, and is 20,777.69 hectares (51,342.8 acres; 80.2 sq mi) in area. The park is included in the South Saskatchewan Region Land Use Framework and administered by the South Saskatchewan Regional Plan. Because they are so intertwined, Bob Creek Wildland and Black Creek Heritage Rangeland are managed through
46-458: Is folded and faulted sedimentary rock with major fault lines creating ridges. This underlying rock underwent several glaciations and erosion events to create the current topography. The park contains three named ridges while wide valley floors separate the ridges. The eastern ridge, running north to south for approximately 29 km (18 mi), is the Whaleback ridge. Whaleback Peak
69-665: Is at an elevation of 1,783 m (5,850 ft), up from the eastern park boundary of 1,440 m (4,720 ft). On the western boundary is two ridges. The Livingstone ridge, again running north to south, occupies the southern half of the west boundary. From an elevation of 1,394 m (4,573 ft) at the Oldman River at the Livingstone Gap, the Livingstone Ridge climbs going north to an elevation of 2,171 m (7,123 ft) at Thrift Peak. Cutting into
92-482: Is located within Wildlife Management Units where Alberta Fish and Wildlife staff regularly inventory wildlife populations. Hunting is permitted to manage the level of wildlife obtained through these inventories to maintain a healthy population and environment. As of July 2011, the following species can be hunted: black bear, cougar, elk, moose, mule deer, white-tailed deer, and wolves. Within
115-466: Is managed under a “catch and release” regulation. Streams are managed with catch and minimum size limits and seasonal closures. Backcountry hiking and camping are permitted in the park. In addition, hunting and fishing are allowed when properly licensed. The park has extensive trails for horse back trail riding and off-highway vehicles , defined as snowmobiles and quads . Motorized vehicles must remain of established trails. No off trail use
138-671: Is permitted. Normally, the use of off-highway and highway vehicles are not permitted in Heritage Rangeland like Black Creek; however, legislation was created to allow vehicle use on two trails in Black Creek to access Bob Creek. Those trails are the Bob Creek Trail and the Camp Creek Trail. The use of off-highway vehicles is controversial. Wildland Too Many Requests If you report this error to
161-637: Is shared with Black Creek Heritage Rangeland. The park is located on east of the Rocky Mountains on the eastern slopes of the Livingstone Range and contains "The Whaleback" ridge: "The Whaleback [...] encompasses the most extensive, least disturbed and relatively unfragmented Montane landscape in Alberta’s Rocky Mountain natural region." The park is accessed through two points in the southern boundary. The Livingston Gap on
184-697: Is somewhat more stable than winter weather. Continental climates are considered as temperate climate varieties due to their location in the temperate zones, but are classified separately from other temperate climates in the Köppen climate classification system where they are identified by their first letter, a capital D . In the Trewartha climate classification , they are identified as Dc . Continental climate has at least one month averaging below 0 °C (32 °F) and at least one month averaging above 10 °C (50 °F). Annual precipitation in this zone
207-669: Is usually between 600 millimetres (24 in) and 1,200 millimetres (47 in), The timing of intermediate spring-like or autumn-like temperatures in this zone vary depending on latitude and/or elevation. For example, spring may arrive as soon as March (in Northern hemisphere , September in Southern hemisphere ) in the southern (in Northern hemisphere, northern in Southern hemisphere), parts of this zone or as late as May (November) in
230-729: The Montane Cordillera ecozone . Under the OneEarth classification (previously World Wildlife Fund ), the park is in the Northern Rockies conifer forests ecoregion of the Greater Rockies & Mountain Forests bioregion. The geography of the park is rolling fescue grasslands with steep ridges transitioning from grass to forests and many springs and streams along the valley bottoms. The park's geology
253-492: The Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.237 via cp1104 cp1104, Varnish XID 207438640 Upstream caches: cp1104 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Thu, 28 Nov 2024 07:41:44 GMT Continental climate In continental climates, precipitation tends to be moderate in amount, concentrated mostly in the warmer months. Only a few areas—in
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#1732779704689276-446: The average daily temperatures exceeds 10 °C (50 °F) only for July and August while average daily temperatures are less than 0 °C (32 °F) for November through March. Livingstone is to the northwest of the park while Livingstone Gap Auto is to the southwest. At Livingstone, the long-run average precipitation from 1991 to 2020 for the wettest month, June, exceeds 110 mm (4.3 in) per month while Livingstone Gap Auto
299-1064: The dominant grasses. Dominance is affected by elevation, moisture, grazing intensity, and brush and forest encroachment. The bottom of valleys and Riparian zones tend to be moister and contain an abundance and variety of forbs . Rare, uncommon, or unusual plants are found in the protected areas: conimitella , linear-leaved scorpionweed , Pacific bluegrass , silvery everlasting , woolly hawkweed , and yellow paintbrush . At higher elevations and particularly on north and north-east facing slopes grow coniferous forests . Trees and shrubs are found in moist, sheltered locations including valley bottoms and hillsides. Dominant tree species include aspen , Balsam Poplar , Douglas fir , lodgepole pine , and white spruce . Other trees include Engelmann spruce , Limber Pine Subalpine Fir and Whitebark Pine . Dominant shrubs include bog birch , Creeping Juniper , Rocky Mountain goldenrod , shrubby cinquefoil and several willow species. The parks are unique in Alberta as
322-725: The largest tract of montane ecosystems in Alberta. The Whaleback Ridge is the last remaining area of montane wilderness in Alberta. In the National Ecological Framework for Canada used by Environment and Climate Change Canada , the park is in the Blairmore Foothills and Crowsnest Mountains ecodistricts of the Northern Continental Divide ecoregion of the Columbia Montane Cordillera ecoprovince of
345-541: The mountains of the Pacific Northwest of North America and in Iran , northern Iraq , adjacent Turkey , Afghanistan , Pakistan , and Central Asia —show a winter maximum in precipitation. A portion of the annual precipitation falls as snowfall, and snow often remains on the ground for more than a month. Summers in continental climates can feature thunderstorms and frequent hot temperatures; however, summer weather
368-472: The north (south). Summers are warm or hot while winters are below freezing and sustain lots of frost. Continental climates exist where cold air masses infiltrate during the winter from shorter days and warm air masses form in summer under conditions of high sun and longer days. Places with continental climates are as a rule either far from any moderating effect of oceans or are so situated that prevailing winds tend to head offshore. Such regions get quite warm in
391-484: The park from the west is the Chaffen Ridge running northeast to southwest. The peak elevation of the Chaffen Ridge in the park is 2,194 m (7,198 ft). The Köppen climate classification of the park is Continental , Subarctic (Dfc) characterized by long, cold, dry winters, and short, cool, moist summers. Using the data from nearby weather stations, Livingstone and Livingstone Gap Auto, for 1991 to 2020,
414-608: The park, the Oldman River contains bull trout , cutthroat trout , rainbow trout , and mountain whitefish . White Creek contains cutthroat trout and bull trout while Camp Creek produces a cutthroat trout/rainbow trout hybrid. Bob Creek contains cutthroat trout. The Oldman River and the streams within the park are major destinations for trout fishermen. The river and streams are managed under the Eastern Slopes trout stream regulations and are managed through seasonal closures and restrictive possession limits. The Oldman River fishery
437-519: The same Management Plan. The park gets its name from the Bob Creek that runs through the center of the park and drains the surrounding hills. The park is located approximately 50 kilometres (31 mi) west of Claresholm and located between Alberta Highway 40 to the west and Highway 22 to the east and largely north of the Oldman River . Much of the eastern and southern borders of the park
460-690: The southwest corner of the park where the Oldman River cuts through the Livingstone Range as it leaves the Rocky Mountains. And Bob Creek Staging Area through the south-central boundary of the park. The park contains the Alpine , Sub-Alpine and Montane subregions of the Rocky Mountain Natural Region in the Alberta classification system. Together, Bob Creek Wildland and Black Creek Heritage Rangeland preserves
483-569: The summer, achieving temperatures characteristic of tropical climates but are colder than any other climates of similar latitude in the winter. In the Köppen climate system, these climates grade off toward temperate climates equator-ward where winters are less severe and semi-arid climates or arid climates where precipitation becomes inadequate for tall-grass prairies and shrublands. In Europe these climates may grade off into oceanic climates ( Cfb ) or subpolar oceanic climates ( Cfc ) in which
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#1732779704689506-446: The warm Chinook winds clear the snow cover and produce one of Alberta's most important elk wintering ranges. The park is one of the two most significant elk wintering ranges within the province. Mule deer also winter in the park. Carnivores regularly in the park include cougars , coyotes , and wolves . American black bears and grizzly bears frequent the park in the summer as they migrate through and forage for food. The park
529-449: Was only about 75 mm (3.0 in) per month. Conversely, the stations receive less than 50 mm (2.0 in) per month from October through March. Strong Chinook winds , which are common during the winter, and low humidity keep the area intermittently snow-free. South and west-facing slopes and valley bottoms in the park tend to be drier sites and are covered with grasses. Bluebunch Wheatgrass , oatgrasses , and rough fescue are
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