Saturday, February 27, 2016

What is the difference between weather and climate? (Climate Change FAQs #1)

Weather is the state of the atmosphere with respect to heat or cold, wetness or dryness, calm or storm, clearness or cloudiness. In turn, climate is defined as the average course or condition of the weather at a place usually over a period of years as exhibited by temperature, wind velocity, and precipitation. 

(Source: Merriam-Webster)

In general, weather describes short-term oscillations and states of being. When you ask what you should wear tomorrow, or weather the roads will be good on Friday, you are asking questions about weather. In contrast, climate is a long-term trend or condition. When you wonder if a house you are building needs a strong roof to withstand snow or whether an area has good conditions for farming you are thinking about climate.


(Source: XKCD) 



1 comment:

  1. It is unclear how this relates to your project. Please write about your internship experience.

    ReplyDelete