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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 24 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 are summers in the Southeast so humid?
  • A.Warm, moist air flows in from the Gulf of Mexico
  • B.There are no rivers or oceans nearby
  • C.Dry desert air blows in from Canada
2.Why do cities on the eastern shores of the Great Lakes get heavy snow?
  • A.The lakes are saltier than the ocean
  • B.The lakes freeze solid every summer
  • C.Cold air picks up moisture crossing the lakes and drops it as snow
3.Why does the Gulf Coast get hurricanes?
  • A.These storms form over warm ocean water
  • B.Hurricanes form only over deserts
  • C.Cold mountain air causes them
4.Why do summers stay cool along the coast near San Francisco?
  • A.The city is in the far north of Alaska
  • B.The sun never shines there
  • C.A cold ocean current cools the air near the shore
5.Why do the Great Plains get so many tornadoes?
  • A.The Plains are covered by thick forest
  • B.Tornadoes form only near the ocean
  • C.Warm, moist air from the Gulf meets cool, dry air from the north and west
6.Why did the western Great Plains have grass but few trees before settlers came?
  • A.There was not enough rain for most trees to grow
  • B.Too much rain drowned the trees
  • C.Trees there grew too tall to count
7.Why are the tops of the Rocky Mountains cold even in summer?
  • A.Air is colder at higher elevations
  • B.The mountains are near the equator
  • C.The Rockies are under the ocean
8.Why is northern Alaska cold for most of the year?
  • A.It is surrounded by warm water
  • B.It is close to the equator
  • C.It is far north, near the Arctic

LessonPrint · D2.Geo.10.3-5 · Set 24 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Why Climate Differs Across the US

Set 24. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.Warm, moist air flows in from the Gulf of Mexico
  2. 2.Cold air picks up moisture crossing the lakes and drops it as snow
  3. 3.These storms form over warm ocean water
  4. 4.A cold ocean current cools the air near the shore
  5. 5.Warm, moist air from the Gulf meets cool, dry air from the north and west
  6. 6.There was not enough rain for most trees to grow
  7. 7.Air is colder at higher elevations
  8. 8.It is far north, near the Arctic

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