Weather and Climate

Grade 3 · Science · Study Guide

Learn the difference between daily weather and long-term climate patterns.

Weather is what the sky and air are like on any given day. It can be sunny, rainy, cloudy, snowy, or windy. Weather changes from day to day and even hour to hour. When you look outside in the morning and decide whether to wear a raincoat, you are thinking about weather.

Climate is the typical or average weather a place has over a long period of time, usually 30 years or more. A desert has a hot, dry climate because it is almost always hot and dry there. A rainforest has a warm, wet climate. Climate depends on how close a place is to the equator, how high up it is, and whether it is near an ocean.

Scientists use tools to measure weather. A thermometer measures temperature, an anemometer measures wind speed, and a rain gauge measures how much rain falls. Meteorologists are scientists who study weather and make forecasts to help people plan their days.

The water cycle drives much of our weather. Water evaporates from oceans and lakes, rises into the air, forms clouds, and falls back down as precipitation such as rain or snow. This cycle keeps repeating and is responsible for storms, fog, and all kinds of weather events.

Key terms

Weather: The condition of the atmosphere at a specific place and time, including temperature, wind, and precipitation.
Climate: The average weather conditions of a region over a long period of time, usually 30 or more years.
Precipitation: Water that falls from clouds to Earth's surface as rain, snow, sleet, or hail.
Meteorologist: A scientist who studies the atmosphere and forecasts weather.
Water cycle: The continuous movement of water from Earth's surface into the atmosphere and back again through evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.
Temperature: A measure of how hot or cold the air is, usually measured with a thermometer in degrees.

Flashcards

Weather: What the sky and air are like on a specific day — sunny, rainy, cloudy, or windy.
Climate: The average weather a place has over 30 or more years.
Thermometer: A tool that measures temperature.
Anemometer: A tool that measures wind speed.
Rain gauge: A tool that measures how much rain has fallen.
Meteorologist: A scientist who studies and forecasts weather.
Water cycle: The continuous movement of water through evaporation, cloud formation, and precipitation.
Precipitation: Rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls from clouds to Earth's surface.

Questions

What is the main difference between weather and climate?
1. Weather is long-term; climate is short-term
2. Weather happens daily; climate describes average conditions over many years
3. Weather only happens in winter; climate happens in summer
4. Weather is measured by scientists; climate is not
Show answer
Answer: Weather happens daily; climate describes average conditions over many years
Weather describes day-to-day atmospheric conditions, while climate is the long-term average of weather in a region over decades.
A thermometer is used to measure how much rain has fallen.
Show answer
Answer: False
A rain gauge measures precipitation. A thermometer measures temperature.
Water that falls from clouds as rain or snow is called ______.
Show answer
Answer: precipitation
Precipitation is the term for all forms of water falling from clouds, including rain, snow, and hail.
Which tool does a meteorologist use to measure wind speed?
1. Rain gauge
2. Thermometer
3. Anemometer
4. Barometer
Show answer
Answer: Anemometer
An anemometer measures wind speed. A rain gauge measures rainfall, and a thermometer measures temperature.
A desert has a hot, dry climate because that is its typical weather over many years.
Show answer
Answer: True
Climate describes typical weather patterns over long periods, so a consistently hot and dry region has a hot, dry climate.

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