A) the amount of cloud cover that exists
B) the amount of light energy per unit area hitting it
C) whether there's an El Niño that year
D) the amount of precipitation it receives

A) France is surrounded by mountains that buffer it from all severe weather conditions.
B) Nova Scotia isn't near a large body of water, but France is located adjacent to the ocean.
C) There are more people in France than Nova Scotia; thus human activity warms up the former region during colder periods of the year.
D) The Gulf Stream brings warm water from the tropical Atlantic to France, modifying its climate.

A) when the sun reaches its northern maximum
B) when the South Pole is closest to the sun
C) when solar irradiance is at its minimum
D) when lengths of day and night are equal at all latitudes