Köppen Climate Classification

System that uses monthly precipitation and temperature data and total annual precipitation data to classify a location's climate into one of five main categories: Tropical Moist Climates; Dry Climates; Moist Mid-latitude Climates with Mild Winters; Moist Mid-Latitude Climates with Cold Winters; and Polar Climates. These categories are futher divided into number of subcategories. First developed in 1918 by German biologist W. Köppen, this system has undergone a number of modifications.