Kansas's "big sky," dramatic sunsets, and great variability in temperature
and precipitation are all important aspects of the regional personality.
Because the state is remote from the moderating influences of oceans, it
has a wide annual temperature range. Precipitation is highly
variable and has a marked regional pattern. Average rainfall is 1,140 mm
(45 in) in the southeast, a pattern related to distance from the Gulf of
Mexico moisture source. About 75 percent of the annual precipitation falls
between April and September, but summer is often a moisture-deficient season
because of high evaporation rates. Because precipitation is dependent on
the chance meeting of moist air from the Gulf of Mexico and low-pressure
systems, yearly totals are highly variable. Sharply contrasting air
masses frequently clash over the Kansas plains, bringing violent weather.
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