Elevation
Elevation is important because temperatures will be cooler at higher altitudes. Think about the Rocky Mountains. Some of the mountains are at the same latitude as Missouri. However some of the highest peaks are snow covered all year long.

Locations that are close to large bodies of water will typically have a smaller range of temperatures than locations that are not close to water. Honolulu, Hawaii rarely has a temperature above 90 or below 60. In St. Louis, Missouri the warmest temperature ever was 115 degrees, the lowest was -18. Check out the climate data for Honolulu and St. Louis by following these links:

Honolulu, Hawaii- The range of the "average max. temperature" is from 80 to 88 degrees in Hawaii.

St. Louis, MO - The range of the "average max. temperature" is from 38 to 89 degrees in Hawaii.

Mountain ranges greatly influence the climate of the surrounding area. As the wind flows toward a mountain range, it is forced upward, cooling the air until rain and snow begin to fall. As the air comes back down on the opposite side of the mountain it will warm and will not contain as much moisture as it did before climbing the mountain. Deserts are common on the warm dry side of the mountain, like in Arizona and New Mexico.