Exploring the Similarities Between Weather and Climate

Different geographical areas experience weather unique to that area. In the northern United States one might experience particularly cold and snowy weather while southwestern states such as Arizona and New Mexico experience warm days even in the winter months. The overall climate of different geographic areas is also unique and based in part on the weather.

Weather

The weather is the mixture of phenomena that determine at any given time what the outside conditions are. The combination of various types of cold and warm fronts, high pressures in the atmosphere as well as low pressure areas and other atmospheric conditions work together to determine if there will be rain or snow or warm, dry air. As the different systems move around the globe, weather can change from day to day and in some places from hour to hour.

Climate

Climate is an average of all the different weather conditions that occur in a geographic area over several years. This includes cycling through the various seasons, which seasons an area will experience and for how long. Climate also determines the likelihood of special weather events such as hurricanes or tornadoes or extremely hot summer days.

A Warmer Climate; Changing Weather Conditions

The climate of the Earth overall is changing because the planet is warming. Warmer overall temperatures affect weather in many ways. Hurricanes may be stronger and more frequent, heavier, flooding rains may occur and prolonged periods of drought are likely to occur. Geographic areas may experience changes in weather patterns frequently enough that the average climate for those areas could adjust to something slightly or even noticeably different over time.