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Why Climate Differs Across the US is a free printable Grade 3 to Grade 5 social studies worksheet on why climate differs across US regions, aligned to C3 Framework indicator D2.Geo.10.3-5. It prints 8 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two students in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.

Set 21 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.

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Set 1 has all 25 in a single PDF. All 25 sets ask different questions.

Why Climate Differs Across the US

D2.Geo.10.3-5

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

1.Why is the Great Basin so dry?
  • A.It sits right beside the Atlantic Ocean
  • B.It rains there every day
  • C.The Sierra Nevada blocks moist air from the Pacific
2.Why does the Gulf Coast get hurricanes?
  • A.Cold mountain air causes them
  • B.These storms form over warm ocean water
  • C.Hurricanes form only over deserts
3.Why are summers in the Southeast so humid?
  • A.Dry desert air blows in from Canada
  • B.Warm, moist air flows in from the Gulf of Mexico
  • C.There are no rivers or oceans nearby
4.Why is northern Alaska cold for most of the year?
  • A.It is surrounded by warm water
  • B.It is far north, near the Arctic
  • C.It is close to the equator
5.Why are winters milder in Florida than in Minnesota?
  • A.Florida is much closer to the equator
  • B.Florida is much farther north
  • C.Florida has taller mountains
6.Why do summers stay cool along the coast near San Francisco?
  • A.A cold ocean current cools the air near the shore
  • B.The sun never shines there
  • C.The city is in the far north of Alaska
7.Why does Hawaii stay warm all year?
  • A.It is covered in ice
  • B.It is near the North Pole
  • C.It is in the tropics and surrounded by warm ocean
8.Why do cities on the eastern shores of the Great Lakes get heavy snow?
  • A.Cold air picks up moisture crossing the lakes and drops it as snow
  • B.The lakes freeze solid every summer
  • C.The lakes are saltier than the ocean

LessonPrint · D2.Geo.10.3-5 · Set 21 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Why Climate Differs Across the US

Set 21. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.The Sierra Nevada blocks moist air from the Pacific
  2. 2.These storms form over warm ocean water
  3. 3.Warm, moist air flows in from the Gulf of Mexico
  4. 4.It is far north, near the Arctic
  5. 5.Florida is much closer to the equator
  6. 6.A cold ocean current cools the air near the shore
  7. 7.It is in the tropics and surrounded by warm ocean
  8. 8.Cold air picks up moisture crossing the lakes and drops it as snow

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to D2.Geo.10.3-5 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.