Distance from a large Body of Water
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A large body of water has a tremendous buffering effect on the local
climate. Much more energy is required to heat water than land, and water holds heat much longer than land. As a result, the temperature of a large body of water is generally warmer in winter and cooler in summer than the surrounding area. Depending on the size of the body of water, this buffering effect may also be felt on the land in its vicinity. Winds that move over a large body of water will pick up some of the moisture from the water. The moist air acts as a moderating or buffering influence on any land it blows over.