Who is climate different from weather

Get Help Now! Heinlein among earlier variations nicely frames the basic difference between climate and weather : climate refers to average, long-term conditions, while weather refers to specific, short-term conditions.

We talk a lot about climate these days, especially in the context of climate change. This is one of the reasons behind the shift toward use of the term climate change, which better reflects a situation that may seem counterintuitive—a change in climate involving an overall warming of the average temperature can lead to an increase in extreme weather events, including, in some cases, extreme cold weather.

To shed some light on the confusion that clouds the complex relationship between weather and climate , we need to go into more detail. Climate refers to the average atmospheric conditions that prevail in a given region over a long period of time—whether a place is generally cold and wet or hot and dry, for example.

Is it cold? Is it raining or super dry? Is the sun out or are there clouds? Or you might say something like, We had some really hot weather yesterday. People love talking about the weather because it affects our lives each and every day. Meteorology is popularly defined as the study of weather , and the weatherperson who delivers the weather forecasts on your local TV station is often referred to as a meteorologist.

As a verb, weather can mean to expose something to harsh conditions such as by placing it outside, in the weather , often in order to change it in some way, as in We need to weather this leather to soften it. It can also mean to endure a storm or, more metaphorically, a negative or dangerous situation, as in We will simply have to weather the recession. Whether or not you know the many meanings of weather , you should definitely educate yourself on these extreme weather words.

Weather comes from the Old English weder, which is related to words for weather in other Germanic languages. The word weather ultimately shares the same root with the word wind , so wind and weather come from the same source! In other words, climate involves the atmospheric conditions that prevail in general in a region, not just the atmospheric conditions messing with your commute today.

A place could have a cold, rainy climate like the United Kingdom , or a hot, sunny, dry climate like Egypt. A person who studies the climate is called a climatologist. Instead of focusing on short-term weather patterns and forecasting, a climatologist is interested in weather patterns spanning long periods of time, often decades and longer.

But climatologists know that warming related to climate change occurs over many, many years, and involves the average temperature of a region. Climatologists study these slow, gradual changes—not the change in weather between one week and the next though an increase in the frequency of extreme weather events can often be traced back to a changing climate.

A weather forecaster will be trying to answer questions such as will it rain tomorrow? Or what will the temperature be next week? Climate predictions will have a much longer-term view, such as how much warmer will a country be in 50 years? Characteristics of world weather and climate. It is a common misconception that there is no difference between climate and weather and that the terms are interchangeable. People often confuse climate and weather - the two really are quite different.

Global Change Research Program Website of the latest National Climate Assessment report, which summarizes the recent and future status of climate in the United States Present Day Climate Change Factsheet , American Geosciences Institute Factsheet summarizing how Earth's climate is monitored, influences on the climate, and evidence for present-day climate change.

Related Frequently Asked Questions. American Geosciences Institute. How is ocean acidification affecting sea life? National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. What is ocean acidification? Does flood risk for a particular location change over time?