Weather Climate Weather Weather is the current state

Weather & Climate

Weather • Weather is the current state of the atmosphere at a particular date or time. (Hot, humid, rainy, foggy). • Weather conditions can change within a matter of hours. • Example: The weather is windy today.

Climate • Climate refers to the atmospheric conditions over a long period of time. • Climate conditions can change gradually over a number of years, decades, centuries, or even longer. • Example: Egypt has a dry, hot, arid climate.

Climate Zones • Each area on Earth is part of a climate zone, which refers to the long-term description of the weather & atmosphere.

Climate Zones Cont’d • Ice Cap – Very cold all year with permanent ice and snow • Subarctic – Cold, snowy winters and cool, rainy summers • Marine west coast – Warm summers, cool winters, and rainfall year • Tundra – Very cold winters, cold summers, & little rain or snow • Highlands – Temperature and precipitation vary with latitude and elevation • Humid Continental – Warm, rainy summers and cool, snowy winters

Climate Zones Cont’d • Mediterranean – Warm all year with dry summers and short, rainy winters • Tropical wet and dry – hot all year with rainy and dry seasons • Humid subtropical – hot, rainy summers and mild winters with some rain • Arid – Hot and dry all year with very little rain • Semiarid – Hot, dry summers and cool, dry winters • Tropical wet – Hot and rainy all year

Climate Zones

Questions for Understanding • What is the difference between climate and weather? • What type of climate does Houston have? Does Houston’s weather change often? • Can an area’s climate change over the course of a few days? A few years? 100 years?