Explainer Environment 1 min read

What is the difference between weather and climate?

One-line takeaway

BLUF: Weather refers to short-term atmospheric conditions (hours to days): temperature, humidity, precipitation, wind, etc.

A fundamental explanation of what is the difference between weather and climate?

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The Explanation

Weather refers to short-term atmospheric conditions (hours to days): temperature, humidity, precipitation, wind, etc. Climate is the long-term statistical average of weather (typically over 30+ years) for a region. For example, a hot day in July is weather, whereas saying "summers are usually hot" describes climate. Climate smooths out daily fluctuations and extreme events into trends (means, variability). In summary: weather is "what you get" daily; climate is "what you expect" over decades.

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