Reading a paper this morning and saw two graphs that demonstrates how powerful the ocean currents are in shaping the climate. The Gulf of Alaska and the western part of high-latitude Eurasia are both next to warm currents. They both experience higher precipitation than the eastern parts of the respective continents, and have virtually nowhere with average temperature below 1 degree Celsius in winter.
(images from internet and the paper below)
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2015JD024546