Weather vs. Climate

Before Video

• Weather is the day-to-day variation of the atmosphere’s condition locally.

• Climate is the year-by-year variation of the atmosphere’s condition over a large area.

• Weather is what happens to the conditions around you in the short term (the next day or week). Climate is what you expect the conditions to be like in the longer term (like how you might expect it to be hot in the summer and cold in the winter depending upon where you live).

• No, weather conditions vary a lot depending on where you live. It can be raining in one place and sunny in another.

After Video

• No, each day the temperature changes. Whether or not it is going to be sunny or cloudy also changes.

• Zoe and Izzy live in a climate where it is typically warm in June. They expected it to be warm but didn’t check the weather forecast before they got dressed.

• Dr. Jeff knew that although the weather where he lives is usually warm in June, it can change day-to-day. He checked the forecast and realized it was cold so he put on warm clothes.

• Zoe and Izzy look at a graph of average monthly temperatures for their region over the past 10 years. It shows that the weather is usually warm in June. This is why they were surprised to find out that it was cold.

• Vera is the name of the meteorologist the team meets at the weather station. She studies the atmosphere to predict and understand the weather. She collects weather data such as temperature, precipitation (amount of rain), wind speed, wind direction and air pressure using tools at a weather station. She also uses data from other meteorologists and satellites. She uses her understanding of all this data to make predictions about the next few days of weather in her area (Los Angeles, California). She creates a forecast based on data and presents it on TV using maps and graphics projected on a green screen.

• Weather stations are a combination of several different tools that measure weather conditions. These include thermometers to measure temperature, anemometers to measure wind speed and direction, barometers to measure air pressure and rain gauges to measure precipitation (amount of rain or snow).

• A drought occurs when an area doesn’t get the amount of rain that it needs to sustain its environment.

• Changes in air pressure, measured by a barometer, happen when the weather is changing. If a barometer reading falls quickly, rain is likely. High pressure readings indicate clear skies.