AbstractTwo relatively neglected aspects of climatic temperature variability are mean interdiurnal temperature variability (MITV), and the lag of maximum and minimum temperature behind their respective solstices. After determining the length of record to attain stability for the former, and the dates (of the year) on which temperatures are a maximum and minimum, these parameters are mapped for North America. For MITV there is a general association with continentality and the location of the surface polar front zone; the lag patterns bear only a slight resemblance to continentality.