Weather vs. Climate and Weather Tools

Weather

Open Ended

What is your favorite kind of weather?

• Weather is the condition of the atmosphere at a specific time and place.

• Weather changes every minute.

• An example of weather would be: It is sunny in Richmond today.

Weather

• Climate is the average temperature, precipitation, and weather events of a region over long periods of time.

• An example of climate would be: California's Mojave Desert is hot and dry during the summer months.

Climate

Categorize

Options (4)

Yesterday, it was cold and rainy in Winchester.

Winters in Maine can reach temperatures below zero.

Texas has long, hot summers.

It is warm and sunny outside in Los Angeles today.

Read the examples. Decide if they are an example of weather or climate.

Weather

Climate

Open Ended

Explain the difference between weather and climate.

Air Temperature

Precipitation

Sunlight

​Three main factors that make the weather:

• ​Air temperature is a measure of how hot or cold the atmosphere is.

• Air temperature can be measured in degrees Celsius or Fahrenheit.

Air Temperature

Air temperature is important because...

• Often, before a storm, the temperature drops.

• The thermometer tells what form of precipitation a storm may bring.

• Precipitation is the water coming from the clouds.

• Precipitation happens when water vapor condenses back into a liquid in the clouds.

• When the clouds get really heavy, the water falls to Earth.

​

Precipitation

Open Ended

Which types of precipitation have you seen?

​Falling drops of water

​​Rain

Tiny ice crystals that fall when the temperature in the clouds is below freezing

​​Snow

Rain that freezes as it falls

​​Sleet

Balls of ice that form when drops of rain freeze and strong winds carry them higher into a cloud

​​Hail

​Types of Precipitation

Match

Match the word to the definition.

• Tiny ice crystals

• Balls of ice

• Falling drops of water

• Rain that freezes as it falls

Snow

Hail

Rain

Sleet

• Snow

• Hail

• Rain

• Sleet

Air Temperature and Precipitation

• If the air temperature is above freezing (above 32° F): it will rain

• If the air temperature is below freezing (below 32° F): it will snow, sleet, or hail

Categorize

Options (4)

rain

snow

sleet

hail

Drag the type of precipitation into the correct category.

Air temperature is ABOVE freezing

Air temperature is BELOW freezing

• Drought happens when there is very little precipitation.

• A drought makes the land very dry and few plants grow because there is no water.

​

Drought

• The sun's radiation warms the atmosphere. Without the sun's heat, the Earth would freeze.

• The sun also causes wind. The sun unevenly heats the Earth's surface. This creates areas of warm, rising air and cooler, sinking air. The movement of air between these different pressures is what we call wind.

​

Sunlight

Meteorologists

• People who study and report on the weather are called meteorologists.

Open Ended

Would you like to be a meteorologist? Why or why not?

• Meteorologists have special tools or instruments to help them track weather patterns.

• Let's learn about some weather tools!

​

Weather Tools

• Measures the amount of thermal energy in the atmosphere

• Units of measurement: °C or °F

Thermometer

Multiple Choice

What is the temperature on this thermometer?

• 20° C

• 25° C

• 27° C

• 27° F

Multiple Choice

What is the temperature on this thermometer?

• 30° C

• 3° C

• 31° C

• 30° F

Multiple Choice

What is the temperature on this thermometer?

• 41° F

• 40° F

• 42° F

• 42° C

Multiple Choice

What is the temperature on this thermometer?

• 5° F

• 10° C

• 100° F

• 10° F

• Measures the amount of precipitation

• Units of measurement: millimeters (mm) or inches (in)

​

​Rain Gauge

• Measures air pressure

• Air pressure is the weight of a column of air pressing down on an area

• Units of measurement: inches of mercury (Hg) or millibars (mb)

​

Barometer

​the weather will be clear and fair

​​When the air pressure on the barometer rises...

the weather will be rainy and stormy

​​When the air pressure on the barometer falls...

• Measures wind speed

• Units of measurement: miles per hour (mph) or kilometers per hour (km/h)

​

Anemometer

• Measures wind direction

• Directions: North (N), South (S), East (E), and West (W)

​

​Wind Vane

Match

Match the weather instrument to the picture.

wind vane

anemometer

barometer

rain gauge

thermometer

• wind vane

• anemometer

• barometer

• rain gauge

• thermometer

Match

Match the word with the definition.

• Measures the amount of precipitation

• Measures the air temperature

• Measures wind direction

• Measures wind speed

• Measures air pressure

rain gauge

thermometer

wind vane

anemometer

barometer

• rain gauge

• thermometer

• wind vane

• anemometer

• barometer

The End!