It's been discussed, but Ala Mhigo (and the Gyr Abania region) is a part of Abalathia's Spine, the mountain range that stretches across northern Aldenard and forms the land bridge between this continent and Ilsabard. As it is similar latitude and elevation to Ishgard and Coerthas, we can assume similar climates to that of Ishgard pre-Calamity. I say pre-Calamity because up until five years ago, Coerthas saw warm, wet summers, as well as the harsh, cold winters we've become accustomed to seeing in 2.0. The Calamity brought an unseasonably early winter that never lifted from Coerthas for five years.
Again, this isn't to say that it's always snowy or cold in Ala Mhigo, but that it, like Coerthas and the rest of Abalathia's Spine, has cold, snowy winters and hot summers.
As for why you don't see snow in Gridania even though it lies at the foot of Coerthas... well normally, Gridania does have snow. There was actually a 1.0 quest called "Winter's Knell" discussing how Eorzea as a whole had seen a rise in temperatures lately and they had been having later and later winters for reasons unknown. "Winter's Knell" is actually an Ala Mhigan celebration revolving around snow, so, another confirmation that Ala Mhigo at least has cold, snowy winters.
Hope this helps! ^^
Sightseeing Vista #070 Wrote:The Frozen Fang
In years past, the hot alpine summers would have seen this fallen Dravanian outflyers blown with maggots and reduced to bones in a matter of days. Now, in the endless winter wrought by the Calamity, the carcass rests in the permafrost under a thick blanket of snow, perfectly preserved since the day he was pierced through the heart by a ballista.
Sightseeing Vista #074 Wrote:Snowcloak
The bitter cold which swept over the Coerthas highlands following the Calamity did not only blanket the region in snow and ice, but transformed the water of Twinpools and the Swiftrun into a mountainous flow of ice - a flow which has slowly crept through the western Coerthas highlands and now has completely engulfed Gargoyle Crossing, preventing passage.
Dusk Vigil Journal Wrote:The men we rescued from the collapsed wing have not fared well. Given our dwindling supplies and this seemingly endless blizzard, we may be forced to make difficult decisions soon. This unseasonable weather grows worse with every passing day, and the toll it has taken on morale is plain. We have yet to receive reinforcements from the Holy See, and I fear none shall come. Nevertheless, Ser Yuhelmeric remains steadfast in his decision and will not suffer any talk of withdrawal.
Lore Train Wrote:A: We’re finally going to get to see some of Abalathia’s Spine! That sounds a bit like there’s some mythology involved… Is Abalathia an entity?
KF: Mr. Oda doesn’t want to talk about the mythology just yet, but we wanted to talk a bit about the makeup of Abalathia’s Spine so you get a better idea than the map might give you. There are four different regions. Northern Abalathia is where the Hellsguard come from; the caves are close to the magma sleeping beneath the mountains, so they believed themselves to be the guardians of the entrances of hell. Right now, you can’t go there. In southern Abalathia, you have Coerthas. Western Coerthas is basically the foothills and lower Abalathia. In the west, you have Dravania, the forelands and hinterlands. This is all controlled by dragons, and the hinterlands are where Sharlayan was, and yes, you can go there. Of course, then you have eastern Abalathia, which is connected with Xelphatol, the Ixal’s main area, and also Gyr Abania, where Ala Mhigo is. You can’t go there, yet. Floating above all that, though, you have the Sea of Clouds and the Churning Mists and all that.
Again, this isn't to say that it's always snowy or cold in Ala Mhigo, but that it, like Coerthas and the rest of Abalathia's Spine, has cold, snowy winters and hot summers.
As for why you don't see snow in Gridania even though it lies at the foot of Coerthas... well normally, Gridania does have snow. There was actually a 1.0 quest called "Winter's Knell" discussing how Eorzea as a whole had seen a rise in temperatures lately and they had been having later and later winters for reasons unknown. "Winter's Knell" is actually an Ala Mhigan celebration revolving around snow, so, another confirmation that Ala Mhigo at least has cold, snowy winters.
Oliver Goodfellow Wrote:The North Shroud is unseasonably warm this year. In fact, there are some as say winter has yet to arrive. This makes yet another strange phenomenon assailing the land, and consternation is writ plain on the faces of Gridanians. Between this and the bloody-red hue of Dalamud, the citizens can scarce be begrudged their sense of apprehension.
An odd few have been heard expressing that they would as soon skip the harshness of winter in favor of an early spring. This way of thinking, however, is dangerously naïve, warns Fufucha of the Botanists’ Guild. The bounty of ice and snow is no less important than that yielded in warmth, stresses the Lalafell, before going on to remind us in a motherly tone that nature is dependent upon the turn of the seasons. The coming of the cold tells plants to shed their leaves against the chill, and animals to hoard what food they can. A late winter would cause seeds to sprout prematurely, only to wither before the onslaught of biting wind.
Far be it from this paper’s intent to incite panic, but the situation is grimmer than one might think. This grimness certainly was not lost upon an Ala Mhigan refugee named Waldomar, who took it upon himself to approach Stillglade Fane with a proposal: the holding of a festival hailing from his homeland called Winter’s Knell. The festival entails the building of Father Frost, a giant of snow, in a ritual to usher in the blessing of winter and pray for the well-being of loved ones.
Ninipu Wrote:The weather up in the North Shroud don't seem t' be gettin' as cold as it rightly should this time o' year, ye see, an' them Gridanians is bloody wailin' about it. Bah! We're it up t' me, I'd strike the season from the reckonin' an' go straight to spring, but ye could be sure them tree-botherers would spout some bilge about the bleedin' circle o' life.
Hope this helps! ^^
