5.8A Weather and Climate 2.0

How are weather and climate different?

• Weather refers to conditions nearer to the ground than climate.

• Climate is related to the amount of sunlight; weather is not.

• Weather conditions include precipitation, but climate does not.

• Climate covers larger areas and longer times than weather.

Which of the following is a description of climate?

• Today it is hot and sunny in Phoenix, Arizona.

• Summers are usually mild in Lansing, Michigan.

• Last week it rained every day in San Antonio, Texas.

• Yesterday was cold and windy in Anchorage, Alaska.

Weather data is different than climate data. Which of the following is an example of weather data? 

• The average high temperature in May is 21°C in the Midwest of the United States.
• Central Australia usually receives less than 110 mm of rainfall all year.
• The relative humidity was 24% at noon on July 23 in Tempe, Arizona. 
• On average, there is 88 mm of rain in the Gulf Coast region in July.

Which of the following is a description of weather data?

• The Sahara desert gets very little rainfall each year.

• The average daytime high in the Amazon is 25°C.

• Temperatures in the Arctic are usually below freezing.

• It rained two inches in Miami, Florida on May 5th.

Which of the following is a description of climate data? 

• New York had a 2 inches of rainfall on Wednesday.
• Lima, Peru had a low temperature last night of 17°C.
• Winds are currently from the south in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
• The coast of Antarctica has very short summers. 

Weather is best described as which of the following?

• How fast the wind is blowing
• The amount of water in the air
• How much air is pressing down on a particular area
• The condition of the atmosphere at one particular time and place

What is the difference between weather and climate?

• Weather can be predicted, climate cannot
• Weather can change, climate cannot
• Weather is short-term, climate is long-term
• Weather is long-term, climate is short-term

What is the weather conditions in an area over a long period of time?

• climate
• temperature
• elevation
• precipitation

What climate does a desert have?

• Tropical
• Polar
• Arid/Dry
• Temperate

Winters in Maine can reach temperatures below zero.

• Climate
• Weather