The factor that makes the basic difference between maritime climate and continental climate is that there is less variation in temperature in the former, while the climate does fluctuate in the latter, such that we can have either hot summers or cold winters. There are fewer changes in temperature when it comes to the maritime climate, while the temperature highly varies in a continental climate.
When it comes to the case of a continental climate, it can have winters that are quite freezing and summers that are very hot. On the contrary to the continental climate, the maritime climate usually experiences mild winters and cool summers, with a lesser annual temperature range.
Then, the continental climate is characterized by little rainfall, cold winters, and hot summers, typical of a continent interior. Just like those present on the west coast of the US, maritime climates are usually influenced by oceanic patterns of air.