ESS5
Prof.
Jin-Yi Yu
Continental Polar (cP) Air Mass
q Continental Polar air masses form over
large, high-latitude land masses,
such as northern Canada or Siberia.
q cP air masses are cold and extremely
dry.
q Wintertime cooling over these land areas
cause the atmosphere to become
very stable (even inversion).
q The combination of dry and stable conditions
ensure that few if any clouds
form over a cP source region.
q Summer cP air masses are similar to winter
cP, but much less extreme and
remain at higher latitudes.