Regions close to the equator are usually warmer than other regions and the regions near the pole are usually colder. The climate is hotter near the equator because the Sun’s light is directly overhead at the equator. On the other hand, the North and South Poles are cold because the Sun’s light and heat are least direct there.Using this information, in the late 1800s and early 1900s a German climate scientist named Wladimir Köppen divided the world's climates into categories. His categories were based on the temperature, the amount of precipitation and the times of year when precipitation occurs. The categories were also influenced by a region’s latitude—the imaginary lines used to measure our Earth from north to south from the equator. Today, climate scientists split the Earth into approximately five main types of climates. They are:

• A - Tropical: In this hot and humid zone, the average temperatures are greater than 64°F (18°C) year-round and there is more than 59 inches of precipitation each year.
• B - Dry: These climate zones are so dry because moisture is rapidly evaporated from the air and there is very little precipitation.
• C - Temperate: In this zone, there are typically warm and humid summers with thunderstorms and mild winters.
• D - Continental: These regions have warm to cool summers and very cold winters. In the winter, this zone can experience snowstorms, strong winds, and very cold temperatures—sometimes falling below -22°F (-30°C).
• E - Polar: In the polar climate zones, it’s extremely cold. Even in summer, the temperatures here never go higher than 50°F (10°C).