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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 8 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 rains there every day
  • B.It sits right beside the Atlantic Ocean
  • C.The Sierra Nevada blocks moist air from the Pacific
2.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
3.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
4.Why do the Great Plains get so many tornadoes?
  • A.The Plains are covered by thick forest
  • B.Warm, moist air from the Gulf meets cool, dry air from the north and west
  • C.Tornadoes form only near the ocean
5.Why is the Pacific Northwest so rainy?
  • A.It has no mountains to stop the clouds
  • B.Moist air from the Pacific rises over the mountains and drops rain
  • C.It is the closest region to the equator
6.Why does Hawaii stay warm all year?
  • A.It is covered in ice
  • B.It is in the tropics and surrounded by warm ocean
  • C.It is near the North Pole
7.Why does the Gulf Coast get hurricanes?
  • A.These storms form over warm ocean water
  • B.Cold mountain air causes them
  • C.Hurricanes form only over deserts
8.Why do cities on the eastern shores of the Great Lakes get heavy snow?
  • A.The lakes freeze solid every summer
  • B.Cold air picks up moisture crossing the lakes and drops it as snow
  • C.The lakes are saltier than the ocean

LessonPrint · D2.Geo.10.3-5 · Set 8 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Why Climate Differs Across the US

Set 8. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.The Sierra Nevada blocks moist air from the Pacific
  2. 2.A cold ocean current cools the air near the shore
  3. 3.Air is colder at higher elevations
  4. 4.Warm, moist air from the Gulf meets cool, dry air from the north and west
  5. 5.Moist air from the Pacific rises over the mountains and drops rain
  6. 6.It is in the tropics and surrounded by warm ocean
  7. 7.These storms form over warm ocean water
  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.