Maritime Climate

maritime climate, the opposite of a continental climate, has a relatively narrow annual range of temperatures. Places with a maritime climate tend to be near oceans or other large bodies of water (see lake effect, for example). Compared with nearby inland regions, spring temperatures tend to be lower, autumn temperatures higher, because effectively water masses gain and lose heat more slowly than land masses. There is also less difference between daily maximum and minimum in summer. For the effects on wine quality and style, see climate.