Most people think deserts are very hot. It's true that summer daytime temperatures can rise above 46C (115F) in some deserts. But other deserts are cold. Dryness is the defining characteristic of deserts. Every desert experiences at least one long period of severe drought each year. The entire year often brings less than 200 mm (8 in.) of rain. Some deserts go years without rain. Others have rare years of such bountiful rain that countless, colorful wildflowers carpet the ground. Outside of the one or two brief rainy seasons, water is so scarce in deserts that some plants and animals collect precious dew

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