Download The difference between weather and climate

Science – Study Guide – Weather / Climate Chapter 4, Section 1
The difference between weather and climate
WEATHER Day-to-day events
in the atmosphere at particular place and time
CLIMATE Average, year-after-year conditions of
temperature, precipitation, winds, and clouds in an area
Latitude Determines 3 Climate Zones
Temperate Zone
Temperature is not too hot, not too
cold
4 Seasons
New Jersey has a temperate
climate–
4 seasons our latitude is 42 degrees
north of the equator
Polar Zone
Tropical Zone
Temperature is
Cold
Temperature is
Hot
The closer you are to
the equator, the hotter
the climate
The farther away you
are from the equator,
the colder the climate
Different seasons are the result of the tilt of the Earth’s axis as Earth travels around the sun.
What else influences temperature besides latitude?
Altitude -in the case of high
mountains, highland areas have
cool climates, no matter what their
latitude is.
Distance from large
bodies of water - winds
from the ocean keep coastal
regions from reaching extremes of
hot and cold.
Ocean currents – a warm
current brings warm air to the land
it touches and a cold current bring
cool air to the land it touches.
4 factors that influence temperature are latitude, altitude, distance from large bodies of water and ocean currents
Precipitation (amount of rain or snow that falls in an area) is determined by
prevailing winds and the presence of mountains
Warm air can carry more water
vapor than cold air. The amount
of water vapor in an air mass
influences how much rain or snow
will fall.
What is a
microclimate?
Rain and snow falls on the
windward side of mountains,
the side that is hit by oncoming
winds.
The land on the leeward side
of the mountain—downwind
gets little or no precipitation.
Example: Death Valley
A microclimate exists in a small area with specific climate
conditions such as mountains, lakes, forests and other natural
features. The top of East Mountain Road in Sparta has its own
microclimate because of its altitude.