What’s the Difference Between Weather and Climate?

You’re not alone if you don’t know the difference between the two. It’s a very common question! Weather and climate are related, but they are not the same thing. Weather is what’s happening outside right now or over a short period, like a day or a week. It includes things like temperature, rain, wind, or snow. Is it sunny or cloudy out today? That’s also weather. Climate, on the other hand, is the average weather in a place over a long time, usually 30 years or more. For example, it might rain a lot in one week (that’s weather), but if an area usually gets lots of rain year after year, that’s its climate. Weather is short-term, while climate looks at the bigger picture over time. Think of climate as your personality and weather as your mood.

Download this graphic for reference:

You can also download it in poster format:

NASA’s Climate Kids also has a video describing the difference between two.

For more information on climate, please visit our blog on climate.