Coeur dâAlene sits on a small spit at the north end of a large lake of the same name. The setting is decidedly attractive, with lake views on three sides of downtown and mountains on all sides looking south. The mountains are densely forested with fir trees, while trees in the immediate area of the town are sparse.
Each hemisphere has two primary jet streams â a polar and a subtropical. The polar jet streams form between the latitudes of 50 and 60 degrees north and south of the equator, and the subtropical jet stream is closer to the equator and takes shape at latitudes of 20 to 30 degrees.
Jet streams form a border between hot and cold air. Because air temperature influences jet streams, they are more active in the winter when there are wider ranges of temperatures between the competing Arctic and tropic air masses. Temperature also influences the velocity of the jet stream. The greater the difference in air temperature, the faster the jet stream, which can reach speeds of up to 250 mph (402 kph) or greater, but average about 110 mph (177 kph).