What Is the Difference Between Climate and Weather

Weather is not the same as climate, although the two are related.  The saying  Climate is what we expect, and weather is what we get  is a  popular saying that describes their relationship.   Weather is what we get because its how the  atmosphere is behaving now or will behave in the short-term (in the hours and days ahead). On the other hand, climate tells us how the atmosphere tends to behave over long periods of time (months, seasons, and years). It does this based on weathers day-to-day behavior over a standard period of 30 years. This is why climate is described as what we expect in the above quote. So in a nutshell, the main difference between weather and climate is time. Weather Is Day-to-Day Conditions Weather includes sunshine, cloudiness, rain, snow, temperature, atmospheric pressure, humidity, winds, severe weather, the approach of a cold or warm front, heat waves, lightning strikes, and a whole lot more. Weather is communicated to us through weather forecasts. Climate Is Weather Trends Over Long Periods of Time   Climate also includes many of the above-mentioned weather conditions--but rather than looking at these daily or weekly,  their measurements are averaged over months and  years. So, instead of telling us how many days this week Orlando, Florida had sunny skies, climate data will tell us on average how many sunny days Orlando experiences per year, how many inches of snow it generally gets during the winter season, or when the first frost occurs so farmers will know when to seed their orange orchards. Climate is communicated to us through weather patterns (El Nià ±o/La Nià ±a, etc.) and seasonal outlooks. Weather vs. Climate Quiz To help make the distinction between weather and climate  even more clear, consider the below statements and whether each deals with weather or climate.   Weather Climate Todays high was 10 degrees hotter than normal. x Today feels so much hotter than yesterday. x Heavy thunderstorms are expected to move through the area this evening. x New York sees a White Christmas 75 percent of the time. x Ive lived here for 15 years and Ive never seen flooding like this. x Forecasting Weather vs.  Predicting Climate Weve explored how weather differs from climate, but what about differences in predicting the two? Meteorologists actually use similar tools, known as models, for both.   The models used to forecast weather incorporate air pressure, temperature, humidity, and wind observations to produce the best estimate of the atmospheres future conditions. A weather forecaster then looks at this model output data and  adds in his personal forecasting know-how  is able to figure  out the most likely  scenario. Unlike weather forecast models, climate models cannot use observations because future conditions arent known yet.  Instead, climate predictions are made using global  climate models that simulate how our atmosphere, oceans, and land surfaces might interact.