microclimate

noun

mi·​cro·​cli·​mate ˈmī-krō-ˌklī-mət 

: the essentially uniform local climate of a usually small site or habitat

microclimatic

ˌmī-krō-klī-ˈma-tik 

adjective

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The microclimate of an industrial park may be quite different from that of a nearby wooded park, since the plants absorb light and heat while asphalt parking lots and rooftops radiate them back into the air. A microclimate can offer a small growing area for crops that wouldn't do well in the wider region, so skilled gardeners take advantage of microclimates by carefully choosing and positioning their plants. San Francisco's hills, oceanfront, and bay shore, along with its alternating areas of concrete and greenery, make it a city of microclimates.

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Now in a moister microclimate, the environment shifts from sunny and spiny to shady and succulent. —Mare Czinar, The Arizona Republic, 7 Aug. 2022

This will evaporate and create a more humid microclimate around your tree. —Mackenzie Nichols, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Aug. 2022

The sleek, 2,000-square-foot home is in an idyllic place for outdoor adventures all year round, thanks to its natural microclimate, so everything from snow cavern spelunking to glacier trekking are options along with plenty of opportunities to catch the northern lights. —Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 2 Dec. 2021

For a guide to looking up air quality in your microclimate, go here. —Kellie Hwang, SFChronicle.com, 23 Aug. 2020

Out where the farm is in Paso Robles, the valley makes for a very active microclimate. —Science & Food, Discover Magazine, 1 May 2012

Loyalty is perhaps best expressed in empty microgestures, bubbles of nothing, inside the volatile microclimate of family life and also inside the microcosm of friendship. —Heather Havrilesky, New York Times, 17 Dec. 2022

Choose a variety suited for your microclimate. —Pam Peirce, San Francisco Chronicle, 2 Apr. 2021

But your choice of plants should also depend on your microclimate, garden orientation and the plants’ tolerance for sun/heat and need for shade. —Nicole Sours Larson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Jan. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1925, in the meaning defined above