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A powerful and inspiring landscape, the Grand Canyon?overwhelms our senses through?its immense size. Unique combinations?of geologic color and?erosional forms?decorate a canyon that is?277 river miles (446km) long, up to 18 miles (29km) wide, and a mile (1.6km) deep.
Climate Overview for the Grand Canyon Region
With an elevation spanning from around 2000 feet to over 8000 feet (760-2440m), the Grand Canyon area experiences a variety of weather conditions. This weather variety includes cold winters and mild pleasant summers, moderate humidity, and considerable diurnal temperature changes at the higher elevations, with hot and drier summers at the bottom of the Grand Canyon along with cool damp winters. Summer thunderstorms and winter snowfall adds to the weather variety in this region.?
The Grand Canyon holds a diverse amount of habitat, nearly every habitat of the Southwestern United State save alpine tundra.
The Grand Canyon and its collection of side canyons cut through over a mile of rock, from the heights of 9,200 feet above sea-level on the North Rim down to 1,200 feet above sea level by the time the Colorado River reaches Lake Mead. With such a range in elevation and slope aspect, a multitude of habitats in which wildlife species can thrive have been established. The Mojave Desert influences the western sections of the canyon, Sonoran Desert vegetation covers the eastern sections, and ponderosa and pinyon pine forests grow on both rims. Natural seeps and springs percolating out of the canyon walls are home to 11% of all the plant species found in the Grand Canyon. The Canyon itself can act as a connection between the east and the west by providing corridors of appropriate habitat along its length.The canyon can also be a genetic barrier to some species, like tasseled eared squirrels.