SPATIAL VARIATION OF CLIMATIC ASPECTS OF TEMPERATURE - INTERDIURNAL VARIABILITY AND LAG

Two relatively neglected aspects of climatic temperature variability a re mean interdiurnal temperature variability (MITV), and the lag of ma ximum and minimum temperature behind their respective solstices. After determining the length of record to attain stability for the former, and the dates (of the year) on which temperatures are a maximum and mi nimum, these parameters are mapped for North America. For MITV there i s a general association with continentality and the location of the su rface polar front zone; the lag patterns bear only a slight resemblanc e to continentality.