actually, a desert is defined as:
A barren or desolate area, especially:
A dry, often sandy region of little rainfall, extreme temperatures, and sparse vegetation.
A region of permanent cold that is largely or entirely devoid of life.
An apparently lifeless area of water.
An empty or forsaken place; a wasteland: a cultural desert.
Archaic. A wild, uncultivated, and uninhabited region.
so, technically there could be a desert up north (Dictionary.com)