Weather Patterns and Forecast

PFA Weather & Climate: Climate Intro

Weather & Climate

We hear about weather and climate all of the time. Most of us check the local weather forecast to plan our days. And climate change is certainly a “hot” topic in the news. There is, however, still a lot of confusion over the difference between the two.

Think about it this way: Climate is what you expect, weather is what you get.

Open Ended

Climate is what you expect, weather is what you get.

What do you think that phrase means?

What is Weather?

Weather is what you see outside on any particular day. So, for example, it may be 75° degrees and sunny or it could be 20° degrees with heavy snow. That’s the weather.

Multiple Select

Which factors would be included in a weather report?

• Historical Average

• Precipitation

• Sky conditions

• Temperature

What is climate?

Climate is the average of that weather. For example, you can expect snow in the Northeast in January or for it to be hot and humid in the Southeast in July. The climate record also includes extreme values such as record high temperatures or record amounts of rainfall. If you’ve ever heard your local weather person say “today we hit a record high for this day,” she is talking about climate records.

Multiple Select

Which factors would be included in a climate report?

• Historical Average

• Precipitation

• Record High

• Sky Conditions

Weather vs Climate

So when we are talking about climate change, we are talking about changes in long-term averages of daily weather. In most places, weather can change from minute-to-minute, hour-to-hour, day-to-day, and season-to-season. Climate, however, is the average of weather over time and space; typically 30 years or more.

Multiple Choice

Summers here are warm and humid

• Weather

• Climate

Multiple Choice

Cumulus clouds presently cover the entire sky

• Weather

• Climate

Multiple Choice

The lowest temperature last winter was 35^oF

• Weather

• Climate

Multiple Choice

December is our foggiest month

• Weather

• Climate

Open Ended

What do weather and climate have in common?

What are their similarities?

Open Ended

What are the differences between weather and climate?