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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 4 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 the Great Plains get so many tornadoes?
  • A.Warm, moist air from the Gulf meets cool, dry air from the north and west
  • B.The Plains are covered by thick forest
  • C.Tornadoes form only near the ocean
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 sun never shines there
  • B.A cold ocean current cools the air near the shore
  • C.The city is in the far north of Alaska
5.Why are the tops of the Rocky Mountains cold even in summer?
  • A.The Rockies are under the ocean
  • B.Air is colder at higher elevations
  • C.The mountains are near the equator
6.Why is the Great Basin so dry?
  • A.It rains there every day
  • B.The Sierra Nevada blocks moist air from the Pacific
  • C.It sits right beside the Atlantic Ocean
7.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
8.Why does Hawaii stay warm all year?
  • A.It is in the tropics and surrounded by warm ocean
  • B.It is near the North Pole
  • C.It is covered in ice

LessonPrint · D2.Geo.10.3-5 · Set 4 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Why Climate Differs Across the US

Set 4. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.Warm, moist air flows in from the Gulf of Mexico
  2. 2.Warm, moist air from the Gulf meets cool, dry air from the north and west
  3. 3.These storms form over warm ocean water
  4. 4.A cold ocean current cools the air near the shore
  5. 5.Air is colder at higher elevations
  6. 6.The Sierra Nevada blocks moist air from the Pacific
  7. 7.Cold air picks up moisture crossing the lakes and drops it as snow
  8. 8.It is in the tropics and surrounded by warm ocean

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