Köppen-Geiger climate classification · continental
Dfa — Hot-summer humid continental
- Climate
- Hot summers, cold winters, precipitation in all seasons.
- Growing period
- A warm but frost-bounded summer season; frost dates define the crop calendar.
- Soils & vegetation
- Deep, fertile mollisols in the core belts.
- Agricultural relevance
- Maize, soybean, and wheat — the US/Eurasian grain belts.
- Where it occurs
- US Corn Belt, southern Ukraine/Russia, northeast China.
- Classification
- Köppen-Geiger (Kottek et al. 2006; Beck et al. 2018)
Limitations
- Zone boundaries are climatological averages; local microclimate, elevation, and soils vary within a zone.
- Membership in a broad zone does not by itself indicate crop suitability or a recommendation.
Sources
This article draws on the following authoritative sources. See our sources & methodology for how they are selected.
- [1]WMO — World Meteorological Organization (opens in a new tab)Authoritative
World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
Cited for: Climate classification context
- Type:
- Intergovernmental organization
- Jurisdiction:
- Global
- Accessed:
- 2026-07-12
- [2]NOAA — National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (opens in a new tab)Authoritative
U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Cited for: Climate normals context
- Type:
- Government agency
- Jurisdiction:
- United States
- Accessed:
- 2026-07-12