CEW - Climate and Weather Lesson

 

Climate and Weather

Let's say you are going on trip this weekend. How do you decide what you need to pack? Can you pack a swimsuit? Should you take shorts or pants? A raincoat or heavy jacket? Most people consult a weather app which can do a good job of predicating the fluctuations in the weather over a short period of time.

Recall in the last module you learned that weather is the state of the atmosphere at a place and time in regard to heat, dryness, sunshine, wind, rain, etc. The weather for a specific time depends on the position on the globe, amount of radiation, and the distribution of that radiation via wind and water currents. Weather is what is happening in the atmosphere at a particular place at that moment which is why weather apps are good at helping us pack for a few days.

What if you were going to move to another region of the country? Or maybe to another continent? A weather app wouldn't help you with long term planning; you would need to look at the average weather for the area or the climate. Climate is defined as the weather conditions prevailing in an area in general or over a long period (30 years or more). There are many ways to describe the climate of an area - temperature of the air, humidity, wind direction or speed, and the type, amount, and frequency of precipitation. Climate is important because it impacts what vegetation can grow, what animals can survive at what time, and what activities all living things can accomplish.

Watch the video below to learn more about the difference between weather and climate:

 

 

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