Tropical Places That Can Freeze | Odd Geography

00:00 Where Tropical Cold Begins
02:00 Southern China
02:50 Southern Florida
04:45 Northernmost Tropical Climate
05:21 Cold Air Damming
08:00 Tamaulipas & Veracruz
09:10 Forest After a Freeze
10:17 Mesoamericans & Frost
11:00 Friaje
14:30 Eastern Sahara
16:26 Other?
16:53 Animal Responses
18:27 Forest Regeneration

Velasco-Aceves, P. A., Xu, C., & Ginzburg, R. (2021). Chaco region: Forest loss and fragmentation in the context of the territorial planning law. Remote sensing assessment in Formosa, Argentina application case. Global Ecology and Conservation

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Ricarte, R. M. D., Herdies, D. L., & Barbosa, T. F. (2014). Patterns of atmospheric circulation associated with cold outbreaks in southern Amazonia. Meteorological Applications

Marengo, J. A., Nobre, C. A., & Culf, A. D. (1997). Climatic impacts of “Friagens” in forested and deforested areas of the Amazon Basin. AMETSOC.

Marengo, J., Espinoza, J. C., Bettolli, L., Cunha, A. P., Molina-Carpio, J., Skansi, M., Correa, K., Ramos, A. M., Salinas, R., & Sierra, J. (2023). A cold wave of winter 2021 in central South America: characteristics and impacts. Climate Dynamics

Eghdami, M., & Barros, A. P. (2019). Extreme orographic rainfall in the eastern Andes tied to cold air intrusions. Frontiers in Environmental Science

Garreaud, R. (2000). Cold Air Incursions over Subtropical South America: Mean Structure and Dynamics. AMETSOC.

Jaime F. Garcı́a; Enrique Jurado (2003). Influence of plant cover on germination in matorral in northeastern Mexico.

Drezner, T.D. (June 2007). "An analysis of winter temperature and dew point under the canopy of a common Sonoran Desert nurse and the implications for positive plant interactions". Journal of Arid Environments.

Grünwaldt, J. M., Guevara, J. C., Enrique, M. C. E., & Gründwaldt, E. G. (2018, September 1). Effect of Prosopis spp. as a nurse plant on nutrient content and productivity of Opuntia ellisiana Griffiths.

Rocha, J. (2022). Neotropical bromeliads as food sources for birds: a systematic review and perspectives on the management of ecological interactions.

Merola-Zwartjes, M. (1998). Metabolic Rate, Temperature Regulation, and the Energetic Implications of Roost Nests in the Bananaquit (Coereba flaveola).

Will, E. O., Jr. & Universidade Estadual de Campinas. (n.d.). Effects of a cold wave on an Amazonian avifauna in the upper Paraguay drainage, Western Mato Grosso, and suggestions on Oscine-Suboscine relationships. In ACTA AMAZONICA: Vol. fl(3)

Galloway McLean, K. & United Nations University – Traditional Knowledge Initiative. (2010). Advance Guard: Climate Change Impacts, adaptation, Mitigation and Indigenous Peoples – A compendium of case studies. United Nations University – Traditional Knowledge Initiative.

Marengo, J., Cornejo, A., Satyamurty, P., Nobre, C., & Sea, W. (1997). Cold surges in tropical and extratropical South America: the strong event in June 1994. AMETSOC.
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Martin, S. (1958). A biogeography of reptiles and amphibians in the Gomez Farias region, Tamaulipas, Mexico. In MISCELLANEOUS PUBLICATIONS MUSEUM OF ZOOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN.

Pérez García, I. (1996). Major cold air outbreaks affecting coffee and citrus plantations in the eastern and northeastern Mexico. Atmósfera

Di Santo, V., O’Boyle, L. A., Saylor, R. K., Dabruzzi, T. F., Covell, M. A., Kaack, K., Scharer, R., Seger, K., Favazza, N., Pomory, C. M., & Bennett, W. A. (2020). Coral loss alters guarding and farming behavior of a Caribbean damselfish. Marine Biology

Tattersall, G. J., Leite, C. a. C., Sanders, C. E., Cadena, V., Andrade, D. V., Abe, A. S., & Milsom, W. K. (2016). Seasonal reproductive endothermy in tegu lizards. Science Advances

Goolsby, J. A., Jr., Saelao, P., May, M., Goldsmith, B., USDA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (2021). Nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus) mortality levels in South Texas after historic freeze event. In Subtropical Agriculture and Environments

Smith, Erik T.; Sheridan, Scott C. . (2020). Where do Cold Air Outbreaks occur and how have they changed over time?. Geophysical Research Letters

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Extreme Weather: A Guide and Record Book; Christopher Burt; 2007

NOAA

[casualearth-dandavis]

I was asked "so what is the exact opposite of these areas you discussed?" Well, aside from the obvious areas that are surrounded by tropical seas, like Central America, the Indian Subcontinent would be a great example. On the subtropical northern plains, the all-time record lows are barely freezing. In the areas that meet the tropical temperature threshold, like Dhaka (23°N) or Kolkata (22°N), the all-time record lows are not even close to freezing—not even getting below 5°C (41°F). In the Northeast, in particular, this is pronounced—even subtropical Rangpur has never recorded freezing conditions. This is all despite the fact that there is a massive continent to the north of this region, including one of the coldest winter air masses in the northern hemisphere (in Siberia). But the Himalayas, a mountain range whose peaks almost reach the top of the troposphere, sits between them. Mountain ranges play a massive role in cold air outbreaks, and this is the tallest mountain range on Earth.

[SVALINN]

Casual Earth video dropped. Life worth living again

[joaovictor]

In Brazil we had an interesting event in 2022, where a strong cold wave in May reached lower latitudes. Brasília, in the deep interior of the Brazilian Cerrado, a savanna climate, reached really close to freezing point. And also in Brasília theres a record of frost in 1964

[cyanvaughn]

As a central Texas Native I have never understood the national, and even local outrage at our cold weather episodes. In my specific geography one week below 20F is certain every year, yet every year people are surprised. This video helped me understand that the rest of the world has less drastic fluctuations.
It is still no excuse for why Texans pretend to be surprised every year when we have several days of freezing weather

[train]

In some places of the neighbor state of Nuevo León you can also grow tropical plants peacefully until a random freeze wipes them out. Before the 2021 freeze there were over 110 coconut palms scattered around the city of Monterrey, after the freeze only a little more than a half survived. Some of them were in high altitudes in houses that surrounded the mountains of the city where "snow" fell which impressed me. A lot of tropical plants came back with all the amount of rain we've been getting since tropical storm Alberto. Our climate is mostly subtropical but when rain falls and the sun comes out, it feels like tropical.

[StuffandThings_]

One of the interesting questions I've tried to answer is the location of the highest latitude locations which have never frozen (in both hemispheres). For the northern, I'm almost certain that the answer is either Menton (the Wikipedia climate data shows it just barely has but I strongly suspect that the most protected and coastal microclimates have not, due to some circumstantial evidence of well established equatorial plants growing in the gardens there) and if not that then _definitely_ the Azores which haven't even gotten close even for the northernmost ones. For the southern, this is a lot harder, Mallacoota is the best candidate I've found yet that for sure never freezes, but I strongly suspect the more protected parts of the Corner Inlet and/or some islands present in the inlet do not freeze either (once again the data for a few locations here shows they just baaarely froze but these are along some more exposed sites). Cape Grim and King Island are other good candidates. Amazingly, the subpolar Auckland Islands have shockingly mild record minimum temps, and even support a population of tree ferns at a whopping 50 degrees south. Perhaps some ultra protected inlet could have never recorded a freeze? Either way, the temperate areas that _don't_ freeze are just as interesting as the tropical ones that do. Another fun one is coastal Norway, which while it definitely does freeze also has ridiculously mild winter temps, Tromsø has a higher record min temperature than Tallahassee and some places in the Lofoten archipelago like Vågan and Røst barely ever even graze past -10 C despite being above the arctic circle.

edit: Ile Amsterdam in the Indian Ocean is another good candidate, roughly the same latitude as Mallacoota and has never frozen. Its also interesting because the temperature range is ridiculously small on it, under 25 C between the _record_ min and max temps, probably the most oceanic climate on Earth. Additionally, its quite nearby to Kerguelen, an archipelago which basically acts as a mini Antarctica but at an unusually low latitude, complete with a tidewater glacier, barren rocks, and a tundra climate.

edit 2: Bruny Island in Tasmania looks like another really good candidate, once again barely ever froze and is very far south.

[Aztekaspia]

Fun fact: About 1200 years ago, in the classic period, one of the most emblematic cities of maya culture, Palenque, had an abnormal season, so much that it left a trace of plants with frost scars, funnily enough if there's one place you'd say can picture a jungle as accurately as possible it would be Palenque, home of jaguars, monkeys and tropical birds.

[DalerMehndiDeekSheik]

This channel is criminally underrated. Another great, informative video!

[thegeneralist]

Extremely well produced. It fascinates me how geography influences climate and weather.

[luis_zuniga]

8:29 I'm from Tampico, we had hail as recently as 2016. Also, sometimes winters get so cold (between 10 to 5ºc) that the iguanas in our parks get "frozen" and fall from the trees.

[adnchavgrrr]

I'm from the port of Veracruz, the winter Nortes (cold northern winds) really puts a chill to your bones… it is really hard to explain to outsiders how one day you can be chilling at the beach at 30°C, then 12 hours later you’ll be facing 50mph winds and 15°C temperature drops

[ryanschick]

imagine how perfect civilization would be if this dude uploaded weekly

[StuffandThings_]

A particularly fascinating case in my opinion is eastern Australia. Mackay has recorded a freeze (just barely), while Mallacoota has not, despite Mackay being a borderline tropical climate and Mallacoota being solidly temperate, and the latter being a whopping 16 degrees of latitude further south. Both are along the eastern coastline, at sea level. The hardiness map of Australia is exceedingly weird, lots of little pockets of, well... not quite _micro_ climates, but definitely weird local variations dotted all over the place.

[MT-hsry]

1:40 The alps play a big role in regulating the climate of northern Italy (the Po Valley). Compared to the oceanic climates on the other side of the alps, in northern Italy we have less warm winter warm spells caused by mild Atlantic currents, because of temperature inversion (Venice can have 1°C/3°C days with fog while Stuttgart in Germany has 6°C/10°C days), but also much less cold winter cold spells, with relatively dry -3°C/+3°C while Stuttgart experiences -7°C/-3°C extremes or colder. I would love it if you made a video about the climate of the Po valley, I think you could draw some climatic parallels with the US Midwest even if our climate is a lot less extreme (Milan has similar avg annual temperature to Kansas City, with warmer winters, colder summers, and a storm season in summer which can cause violent storms and hail but rarely tornadoes, contrary to the Midwest)

[spritestar]

One of the only ytubers i turn notifications on for. Amazing content!

[alkimozkazanc]

This could be one of the best Youtube channels that I have ever encountered in my life! Thank you for producing such high quality geography videos!

[leonardonatureza]

I've read about frosts in the state of Rondônia (northern region of Brazil) in the 60s, at low altitude and close to the equator, right in the middle of South America in a vast region fully hot tropical climate (Af/Am Koppen). Exactly as you mentioned, because from the extreme south of America to Rondônia is all plain, in fact a corridor between the Andes and the Brazilian highlands. As cold fronts are frequent, the phenomenon of "friagem" eventually reach the very north of the Amazon (crossing the equator) with subtropical temperatures (~10-15 ºC) for a few days up to 2 weeks
Very interesting channel and videos. Congratulations!

[tylernaturalist]

I’ve always found Tamaulipas to be so fascinating due to its botany. You can find many species of epiphytic orchids at their northern limits despite the risk of frost. Reserva Biosfera El Cielo is a lush tropical forest that is the northernmost tropical forest in the Americas.

[erik]

I love that you prefer quality (or geologic oddity) over quantity

[rj-zzim]

I enjoy this type of content. Thanks for sharing! I have always assumed that tropical areas that freeze, are considered subtropical, like where I am in Northern FL. I have found that some of the traditional Southern plants are extremely cold hardy, like the Southern Magnolia, Sable Palm and Live Oak for example. They can handle subzero (subzero F) temps in many cases.