Desert climate, also known as an arid climate, is a climate that does not meet the criteria to be classified as a polar climate, and in which precipitation is too low to sustain any vegetation at all, or at most a very scanty scrub.

An area that features this climate usually experiences less than 250 mm (10 inches) per year of precipitation and in some years may experience no precipitation at all. In some instances, an area may experience more than 250 mm of precipitation annually, but is considered a desert climate because the region loses more water via evapotranspiration than falls as precipitation (Tucson, Arizona and Alice Springs, Northern Territory are examples of this).

Dry, at least for a good part of the year. Deserts can be hot (Arabian) or cold (Gobi), arid (most) or humid (Namib or Tihama), and either sandy or rocky (Sahara for both). They are also sometimes subject to flooding. The definition is an area that gets less than 10" of precipitation per year.

Dry. A hot desert is one that has hot summers and mild to hot winters, like Saudi Arabia or Arizona. A cold desert has cold winters and cool to hot summers, like Afghanistan or the Gobi.

Dry, arid and sandy.