GnomishNotions

  Map of the Southern Deserts - by Me! The southern deserts consist of two broad areas divided into western and eastern halves by the Sierra Madre and Gila Mountains. In the east lies the Chihuahuan desert that transitions to the Great Plains to the north and the Atlantic further east. In the west the desert is divided between the low lying Sonoran in the south and the higher Mojave in the north. North of the Mojave lies the Great Basin, while the western limits of both deserts are marked by the Sierra Nevada. Further south of this desert heat and humidity grow so oppressive that human survival becomes untenable Great Canyon on the Gila River - Seth Eastman The region has a subtropical desert climate that transitions to a semi-arid and steppe climate on mountainsides and a severe alpine climate at the highest peaks. The region tends to have hot summers and mild winters. In the deserts temperature averages around 30 C to around 13 C at the highest peaks. Rainfall is also highly seasonal