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Cape Hatteras is a cape on the coast of North Carolina, and is protected as the namesake feature of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. 〔USC 459〕 It is the point that protrudes the farthest to the southeast along the northeast-to-southwest line of the Atlantic coast of North America. It is also the nearest landmass to Bermuda, which is about to the east-southeast. ==Geography== Cape Hatteras is a bend in Hatteras Island, one of the long thin barrier islands that make up the Outer Banks. It is the site where the two great basins of the East Coast meet. The cape's shoals are known as Diamond Shoals. Somewhat analogous to Point Conception in Southern California, this on-the-edge placement at the confluence of the Labrador and Florida currents leads to unusually diverse biological assemblages. Many species' ranges have either a southern or northern terminus at the cape. ===Climate=== Cape Hatteras has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen ''Cfa''), with mild winters, and warm to hot, humid summers, and is part of USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 9.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=The Arbor Day Foundation )〕 It is surrounded by large bodies of water, with Pamlico Sound to the west and northwest, and the Atlantic Ocean to all directions from northeast through southwest. The proximity to water moderates conditions throughout the year, producing cooler summers and warmer winters than inland areas of North Carolina.〔 (【引用サイトリンク】title= Local Climatological Data–Annual Summary with Comparative Data: Cape Hatteras )〕 The warmest days in July and early August have an average high temperature of less than . As a result of its proximity to water, temperatures above are rare, with an average of only 2.3 days per summer above ;〔 one to three years out of each decade will not see any 90 °F readings. The coolest month, January, has a daily mean of , with lows normally well above freezing (32 F). The average window for freezing temperatures is from December 12 to March 11 (allowing a growing season of 275 days), between which there is an average of 21 nights with lows at or below the freezing mark,〔 though only once every several years does the thermometer stay at or below the freezing mark all day. Extremes in temperature range from on January 21, 1985 up to on June 27, 1952. Snowfall is observed occasionally, and usually light.〔 Precipitation, mostly in the form of rain, is over per year, making it the wettest coastal location in North Carolina.〔 Precipitation is evenly distributed throughout the year in which July to September are the wettest months.〔 On average, August is the wettest month, owing to high frequencies of both summer thunderstorms and tropical systems (hurricanes, tropical storms and tropical depressions) that affect the area, mostly from August to early October. Cape Hatteras is virtually the highest-risk area for hurricanes and tropical storms along the entire U.S. Eastern seaboard. Cape Hatteras can experience significant wind and/or water damage from tropical systems moving (usually northward or northeastward) near or over North Carolina's Outer Banks, while other areas (i.e. Wilmington, NC or Myrtle Beach and Charleston, SC to the south and Norfolk, VA and Maryland's Eastern Shore to the north) experience much less, minimal or no damage. The Cape Hatteras area is infamous for being frequently struck by hurricanes that move up the East Coast of the United States. The strike of Hurricane Isabel in 2003 was particularly devastating for the area. Isabel devastated the entire Outer Banks and also split Hatteras Island between the two small towns of Frisco and Hatteras. NC 12, which provides a direct route from Nags Head to Hatteras Island, was washed out when the hurricane created a new inlet. Students had to use a ferry to get to school. The inlet was filled in with sand by the Army Corps of Engineers which took nearly two months to complete. The road, electrical and water lines were quickly rebuilt when the inlet was filled. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Cape Hatteras」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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