Why is it so much warmer in European cities than U.S. cities that lie on the same latitude?

Question

This question is kind of confusing, but I'm from Chicago and realized that Chicago is basically on the same latitude as Rome, Italy. Usually it gets warmer the closer you are to the equator and colder the further you are from it, yet it seems to be so much warmer in southern Europe (like Spain and Italy) than it does in northern U.S., which are pretty much on the same latitudes. It can get extremely hot in Chicago in the summer, but gets well below freezing in the winter with snow and everything and is generally pretty cool for most of the year. In Italy and most of southern Europe, the average temperature rarely gets below freezing and it's warm/hot for most of the year. seems more like weather in Northern Mexico if you ask me... Just wondering why that is

Answer 1

As written above, the Gulf Stream helps north Europe to be ice-free, all the way to the north of Norway, at latitude 72 north! But there is also the fact that western Europe has a maritime climate, as opposed to Chicago.



The water is 300 times denser than the air and during the summer, it stores heat energy that is then released during the winter. It also has a diurnal effect, making the nights less cold than inland.



Rome, that you compare to, is on the shore of the Mediterranean. Chicago is on the lee side of the Rocky mountains, in the middle of the American continent. If you want to compare, you are on the same latitude as north California, which also has a milder climate during the winter.



I live in southern Norway and my sister, in Quebec (we, Belgians, like to emmigrate! ;-) She complains about the cold weather in the winter. I keep telling her that she lives at the same latitude as the Alps in Europe and if it can get cold in Quebec, the days are longer and the sun is higher.



Here, near Oslo, at latitude 60 N, at this time of the year, we get only six hours of daylight. It is dark when I go to work and it is dark when I come home and if the sun shines, it is only 7.5 degrees over the horizon at noon. In Chicago, the sun is 90 - 41 - 22.5 = 26.5 degrees over the horizon at noon and the winter solstice.

So ... enjoy the sun, my friend! ;-)



EDITED: Sorry, I forgot to mention it: Chicago has a typical continental climate, that's what it is called.

Answer 2

Rome Italy Latitude

Answer 3

It's because of the gulf stream, a current of warm water flowing north from the equator, around the gulf of mexico, north and east all the way over to northern europe. Warms the whole place up.



I was taught that some transitory disruption of this current was what led to what they call the little ice age in those parts, a few hundred years ago they say

Answer 4

extremely tough step try searching onto bing and yahoo it can help