Science Fenns K-5Grades K to 5
A Texas pasture with a thunderstorm on one side and a calendar of seasons on a fence.

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Weather or Climate?

Today versus the long run.

Lesson 29 of 40

Try this first

Before we start

Today’s story

Weather or Climate?

Today is cloudy with a chance of rain. That is the weather. It can change in an hour.

Climate is what a place is usually like over many years. In Lubbock the summers are hot and the air is dry. That is climate.

Weather is a snapshot. Climate is the whole photo album. Follow the steps.

See it

Five steps. Every time.

    Hands on

    Weather Log

    10 minutes a day for a week · Do this with a grown-up nearby

    You need

    • Thermometer
    • Notebook
    • Pencil
    • Ruler
    • Outdoor rain gauge or cup

    Do this

    1. Pick a spot outside to measure each day.
    2. Record temperature at the same time daily.
    3. Note cloud cover and rain.
    4. After a week, find the average.
    5. Compare with the climate for your town in an almanac.
    6. Write whether your week was typical.
    7. Say why a week cannot tell the climate.
    Write or draw: A table with seven days of weather and a sentence about it.

    Watch for: Your week may be warmer or cooler than the climate average.

    Safety: Stay in a safe place and do not go out in storms.

    Same every time

    Three rules

    Rule 1Weather changes fast.

    Climate changes slowly.

    Rule 2One day is not a climate.

    You need many years of data.

    Rule 3Check the time span.

    The longer it is, the more it is climate.

    Grandpa Fenn’s notebook

    Say it like a scientist

    weather
    The air conditions in a place at a certain time.
    climate
    The usual weather in a place over many years.
    average
    A typical number found from many numbers.
    forecast
    A prediction of coming weather.

    Poppy’s quiz

    Six questions

    Tap an answer. Green means right. You will see why.

    Talk about it

    Say it out loud

    • How do you know a sentence is about climate?
    • What is the usual weather in your town in July?
    Did you know

    Parts of West Texas are desert-like while East Texas gets much more rain.

    Someone who does this

    A climatologist studies weather records over many years.

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