Hot Deserts:

Hot deserts can reach extremely high daytime temperatures (up to 50°C).
Lack of cloud cover means that temperatures can fall to 0°C at night.
Evaporation rates regularly exceed rainfall rates.
Rainfall is usually very low and concentrated in short bursts between long rainless periods.
Soils are course-textured, shallow, rocky or gravely with good drainage and have no subsurface water.
Plants are mainly ground-hugging shrubs and short woody trees.
Lack of plants means that winds are stronger and aeolian erosion can occur.

Semi-Arid Environments:

The summers are moderately long and dry, and like hot deserts, the winters normally bring low concentrations of rainfall.
Summer temperatures range from 21-27°C.
Evening temperatures are warmer than in the hot desert, at around 10°C. Cool nights help both plants and animals by reducing moisture loss from transpiration and sweating.
As in the hot desert, rainfall is often very low and concentrated. The average rainfall ranges from 2-4 cm annually.
The soil can range from sandy and fine-textured to loose rock fragments, gravel or sand.
Plants are generally spiny with waxy leaves.

Cold Deserts:

Cold deserts receive a large amount of snowfall in winter. The mean annual precipitation range is 15-26 cm.
Short, wet moderately warm summers. Mean average summer temperature 21-26ºC.
Mean average winter temperature -2-4ºC.
Cold deserts have heavy, relatively porous soils with a lot of silt and salt.
Animals generally burrow to avoid harsh temperatures.

Defining Desert Landscapes