Weather vs. Climate
Environmental Management
Weather vs. Climate
Understand the critical difference between short-term weather and long-term climate.
Often confused, weather and climate are distinct. Weather describes the atmospheric conditions—like temperature or rain—at a specific moment and place. Climate, however, refers to the average weather patterns observed over decades (typically 30 years or more). This course clarifies this difference, explaining how scientists track long-term climate trends, like rising global temperatures linked to human activity, and why understanding this distinction is vital for grasping climate change.