Climate Weather WEATHER vs CLIMATE Weather the shortterm

Climate & Weather

WEATHER vs. CLIMATE § Weather – the short-term changes in the air for a given place and time. § Climate – a region’s average weather conditions over a long period of time.

WIND § Wind – differences in temperature create wind – Cold air is heavier and sinks – Warm air is lighter and rises § When warm air rises cool air rushes into the empty space and creates wind.

FRONT § The place where two air masses of different temperatures or moisture content meet is a front. – Fronts can produce rain or snow as well as severe weather.

AFFECTS ON CLIMATE Latitude § Low Latitude Zones = hot/warm year round – Equator – 30 degrees N/S § Middle Latitude Zones = cool/cold winters, hot/warm summers – 30 degrees N/S – 60 degrees N/S § High Latitudes Zones = cool/cold year round – 60 degrees N/S - Poles

AFFECTS ON CLIMATE BODIES OF WATER § In the summer, water warms more slowly than land. The cool breezes off the water causes the summer climate to be cooler near the coast than it is inland. § In the winter, water cools more slowly than land. The warm breezes off the water cause the winter climate near the coast to be milder than it is inland. § So… Places near the ocean or large lakes are not as hot in the summer or cold in the winter as places with the same elevation and latitude that are not near the water.

AFFECTS ON CLIMATE ELEVATION § The higher above sea level a place is, the cooler its climate. § The closer to sea level a place is, the warmer its climate. § For every 1, 000 feet above sea level, the temperature changes approximately 3. 5 degrees.

AFFECTS ON CLIMATE OTHER FACTORS § Moisture – determined by amounts of vegetation and how close an area is to bodies of water. § Wind – from polar or tropical regions can carry varying temperatures that normal climate is disrupted. § Ocean Currents – warm or cold, tend to make the land near to where they travel warmer or cooler than expected at certain times.