BAT extends over 30º of latitude, and hence exhibits a strong north–south variation in climate. The climate becomes increasingly continental farther south along the Antarctic Peninsula, with lower temperatures and generally less precipitation. Precipitation data for polar regions has to be treated with caution, but the western Antarctic Peninsula is technically a semi-arid desert, and the eastern Antarctic Peninsula and continental Antarctica are fully arid.

The effect of climate change is marked. Over the past 50 years, the west coast of the Antarctic Peninsula has been one of the most rapidly warming parts of the planet. Click here for more information.