The cold desert and semi-desert biomes are found at higher latitudes. Such deserts are located in the interior parts of the continents; owe their aridity because of their distance from moisture sources. Some cold deserts are located in rain-shadow areas or on the lee side of mountains.

The amount of rainfall in this biome is usually sufficient to support a vegetation cover of short grasses. The roaming herbivores graze on these short grasses. The herbivores are eaten by carnivores. Such predators in turn are killed by men.

Winter snows that occur in these cold deserts are generally light. Summers are hot, temperatures ranging from 30°C to 40°C. However, evenings are cool because of high radiative heat loss.

In these cold deserts there are many areas covered by sagebrush and scrub vegetation. Before the onslaught of modern cultural practices, the same areas were covered with dry short grasses.