Glossary · Climate
Marine climate
Also called: marine zone · marine climate zone
A mild coastal climate with cool, wet winters and dry summers, like the US Pacific Northwest and coastal British Columbia.
What it means
Building America defines it by a coldest-month average between −3°C and 18°C (27–65°F), a warmest month under 22°C (72°F), at least four months averaging above 10°C (50°F), and a wet winter with a dry summer. In the IECC it's the 'C' moisture regime. Homes face long, damp heating seasons more than extreme cold.
Why it matters in an audit
Moisture management, ventilation and rainscreen walls matter a lot here, and heat pumps run very efficiently in these mild winters.
Typical numbers
Reference values with their sources. Your auditor’s report gives the figure for your own house.
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Building America definition | Coldest month mean −3°C to 18°C (27–65°F); warmest month mean under 22°C (72°F); 4+ months above 10°C (50°F); wettest cold-season month gets at least 3 times the rain of the driest month of the rest of the year | energy.gov ↗ |
| IECC equivalent | Zones 3C and 4C | energy.gov ↗ |