WEather & Climate

Vers. 07/2021 © Kesler Science, LLC
Presented by Kesler Science

Weather
and Climate

© Kesler Science, LLC

Weather and Climate

Essential Questions:

Reflect on the Essential
Questions before you dive in…

1.

If you were quizzed today,
which questions would you
know the answers to
already?

2.

Which questions would you
need to learn more about
to answer confidently?

1.

How is weather
different from climate?

2.

Where does the energy
come from that drives
weather and climate
patterns?

Type answer here

Type answer here

© Kesler Science, LLC

Weather and Climate

Weather is the short-term conditions of
the atmosphere in an area that can change
by the minute, day, and week.

Weather conditions include:

• Temperature
• Precipitation
• Cloud cover
• Wind speed & direction

How would you describe the
weather today for your
location?

Today’s weather is…

© Kesler Science, LLC

Weather and Climate

Temperature is a measurement of how hot
or cold the air is.

• Air temperature varies by the time of day

and month of the year.

• A thermometer is used to measure air

temperature.

Thermometer

Think About It

© Kesler Science, LLC

Maybe you’ve heard the old saying, “You can tell the temperature

by counting a cricket's chirps.” Well, it’s true!

Crickets are great thermometers! They chirp faster when warm
and slower when cold. Also, they are extremely accurate. Count
their chirps for fourteen seconds. Then, add forty. You have the
temperature (in degrees Fahrenheit) of wherever the cricket is!

Now, try the “cricket thermometer” for yourself! What is the

temperature if the cricket chirped 50 times in 28 seconds?

The temperature is…

© Kesler Science, LLC

Weather and Climate

Precipitation is water that falls to the
surface of Earth as rain, sleet, snow, or hail.

• The form in which precipitation hits the

surface depends on the air temperature.

• A rain gauge measures the amount of

rain that falls to the surface.

"Rain gauge" by Bernt Rostad is licensed with CC BY 2.0

Rain Gauge

© Kesler Science, LLC

Weather and Climate

Cloud cover describes the amount of clouds
in the sky.

• Clouds form when water vapor condenses

into tiny water droplets or ice crystals.

• Terms such as mostly cloudy, partly

cloudy, or mostly sunny are used to
describe the amount of cloud cover.

"Weather forecast for Fukuoka" by jfeuchter is licensed with CC BY 2.0

Which day(s) are going to
be mostly cloudy?

The day(s) that will be most
cloudy is/are…

© Kesler Science, LLC

Weather and Climate

Wind speed describes how fast the air is
moving from one place to another.

• Air is constantly moving from areas of high

pressure to areas of low pressure.

• Wind speed and direction are measured

using an anemometer.

• A windsock or wind vane can also be

used to determine wind direction.

"Ultrasonic anemometer heat exchange over snow" by ubcmicromet is licensed with CC BY 2.0

Windsock

Anemometer

© Kesler Science, LLC

Weather and Climate

Quick Action: INB

Drag each instrument card
below to the weather
condition it matches at the
left.

Precipitation

Temperature

Wind

Brain Work Time!
© Kesler Science, LLC

We just looked at several different weather
instruments. How is each instrument used in
daily life? Have you used any other weather
instruments not yet talked about in today’s

lesson?

These instruments are used in daily life by…
Other instruments I’ve used are…

Weather and Climate

© Kesler Science, LLC

• Energy from the Sun drives

the water cycle, which
creates weather.

• The Sun’s energy causes

water from oceans and
other large bodies to
evaporate.

• Rising air cools and

condenses to form clouds
and precipitation.

• The Sun heats the surface

of Earth unevenly, creating
wind.

What causes weather?

© Kesler Science, LLC

Weather and Climate

Why do weather conditions change?

Weather conditions change as different air
masses move across Earth.

High pressure systems generally bring fair
weather consisting of cool, dry air with lots
of sun.

Low pressure systems generally bring
stormy weather with warm, moist air.

In which areas of the United
States would you expect it to be
stormy?

It would be stormy in…

© Kesler Science, LLC

Weather and Climate

Climate is the general pattern of weather
conditions over 30 or more years.

Climate includes the long-term averages of:

• Temperature
• Precipitation
• Cloud cover
• Wind speed & direction

"North America: Climate Zones" by SEDACMaps is licensed with CC BY 2.0

Compare and contrast weather
and climate.

Weather is…
Climate is…

© Kesler Science, LLC

Weather and Climate

What impacts the climate of an
area?

• Latitude

• Ocean currents

• Elevation

• Global wind patterns

• Proximity to an ocean or large

body of water

• Topography, such as mountains

Global: Climate Zones by SEDACMaps is licensed under CC
BY 2.0

© Kesler Science, LLC

Weather and Climate

Latitude is how far north or south of the
equator you are, and it plays an important
role in climate.

• Latitude affects the amount of the Sun’s

energy that reaches the surface.

• There are 3 general climate zones based

on latitude:

- Polar: North and South Poles
- Temperate: Midlatitudes
- Tropical: Near the equator

Global: Climate
Zones by SEDACMaps is licensed
under CC BY 2.0

Tropical

Polar

Temperate

What climate zone do you
live in?

I live in the…

© Kesler Science, LLC

Weather and Climate

Oceans currents act like belts that carry
water around Earth.

• Ocean currents can carry either warm

water or cold water, which can affect air
temperature.

• Areas near a coast tend to have more

regulated climates. They do not usually
have extreme changes in temperature.

Think About It

© Kesler Science, LLC

Both Miami, Florida and San

Francisco, California are coastal
cities. However, San Francisco has a
cooler climate than Miami. Study the
map of the ocean currents around the
United States. How do you think the

ocean currents contribute to the

different climates in these two cities?

Ocean currents contribute to the climate of the cities
by…

© Kesler Science, LLC

Weather and Climate

Elevation and topography affect climate
because they impact weather conditions like
air temperature and precipitation.

• The higher you go in elevation, the cooler

the air temperature is.

• One side of a mountain gets more wind than

the other side. This wind produces clouds
and precipitation for one side of the
mountain and not the other. This
phenomenon is called a rain shadow.

Is the left or right side of
the mountain in the rain
shadow?

The rain shadow is on the…

Quick Action: INB

© Kesler Science, LLC

Weather and Climate

Read each statement and
figure out if it refers
to weather or climate.

Move the “Weather” or
“Climate” box to see if you
judged correctly.

Weather

Statement

Climate

High temperatures in the summer
have increased over many decades.

July is usually the hottest month in

the southeast.

There will be thunderstorms this

afternoon.

Today’s high temperature is 80

degrees Fahrenheit.

The temperature decreased as a

cold front moved through.

New York’s winters are usually cold

and wet.

© Kesler Science, LLC

Weather and Climate

Miami, FL

Miami has a

tropical climate

with warm winters

and hot, humid
summers with

temperatures in the

80s.

It receives

approximately 60

inches of rainfall per

year.

Phoenix, AZ

Phoenix has a

desert climate and
very hot summers
with temperatures
over 100ºF. Winter

is cooler.

It receives

approximately nine

inches of rainfall

per year.

How do you think the average rainfall per year
affects the types of plants and animals found in a
desert climate compared to a tropical climate?

The rainfall affects the types of plants and animals in the desert
by… and in the tropics by…

© Kesler Science, LLC

Weather and Climate

• Tropical: Temperatures remain constant

throughout the year and stay above 64º
F. Annual precipitation is greater than 59
inches.

• Desert/Dry: There is more evaporation

than precipitation.

• Humid Subtropical: Hot and humid

summers with thunderstorms and cold to
mild winters

Southern Florida

is tropical.

Most of Arizona is

desert.

Western Oregon is
humid subtropical.

What climate zones does the
United States have?

© Kesler Science, LLC

Weather and Climate

• Humid Continental: Large seasonal

temperature differences with warm to
hot summers and cold winters,
precipitation throughout the year

• Highlands: Found in the mountains

where changes in elevation play a
major role in climate

Northern Minnesota

is humid

continental.

Mountains in Colorado

are highlands.

What climate zones does the
United States have?

Brain Work Time!
© Kesler Science, LLC

In your own words, come up with definitions for

weather and climate. Find a picture that represents each

of these.

Definition for

weather

Definition for

climate

Picture for

climate

Picture for
weather

Type answer here

Type answer here

Last Look

Weather and Climate

Complete the paragraph
by dragging the correct
term to each blank.

_______________ refers to conditions of the

atmosphere at a given time and place. These conditions

include _______________, _______________,

_______________, and _______________.

_______________ is different from weather because it is

the average weather conditions of a place over many

years. Factors such as _______________,

_______________, and _______________ can impact

the climate of an area. The main energy source for both

weather and climate is the _______________.

Give your best answer to...

1.

How is weather different from climate?

2.

Where does the energy come from that drives weather and
climate patterns?
Check for

Understanding

Weather is different from climate…

The energy that drives weather and climate comes from…

Still have
questions?

Which essential questions do you still need help to understand?

Type answer here