1. Climate Verses Weather
NATURE Sunday Academy
School Year

2. What is the difference between Weather and Climate?
Watch the following video, then write your own definition of Weather and Climate.
Try to list some of the things that affect each.
Video on climate vs. weather

3. Climate Vs. Weather Climate Long-term weather patterns of an area
Current state of the troposphere
Short term variations

4. Definitions
Simply put, Climate is what you expect, Weather is what you get. (Mark Twain)
Weather is what you see or feel when you are outside.
Climate is the average of weather over a long period of time
Weather can change minute to minute
Climate change occurs over decades or centuries

5. Climate Vs. Weather How do they affect you? Weather Severe weather
Clothing you wear
Travel conditions
Price of gas and food
Affects pilots, farmers, construction workers, and many other careers

6. Climate Vs. Weather How do they affect you? Climate
North Dakota winters
Agriculture (types of crops and food available)
Vacation locations
Example: Florida is hot, Alaska is cold, and Arizona is dry

7. What causes Weather
The interaction between the earth’s air, water, land and the sun causes the changes in our weather
There are 4 factors that determine the type of weather we will receive:
Temperature
Wind
Air pressure
Moisture

8. Wind
What causes wind?
Uneven heating of the earth causes different air temperatures.
That can change the air pressure.
Wind blows from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure.

9. Coriolis Effect The result of the Earth’s Eastward rotation
It pushes winds in the northern hemisphere toward the right and toward the left in the southern hemisphere.

10. Short-Term Changes
Caused by regular variations in sunlight, temp, and weather patterns
Examples:
Seasons
El Nino

11. What is El Nino?
Originally named after warming in ocean temperature off South America occurring end of the year
Now known to refer to natural change in surface ocean water temperature of eastern tropical Pacific

12. What is El Nino? Occurs every 2-7 years Difficult to predict
This water temperature change in the Pacific affects large-scale weather patterns around the world!
Also referred to as “ENSO” or the “El Nino Southern Oscillation”

13. El Nino Versus La Nina
Naming depends on the surface temperature of the eastern Pacific Ocean
El Nino is ocean water warming in the eastern Pacific
La Nina is the ocean water cooling in the eastern Pacific

14. El Nino Weather Patterns
El Nino is the ocean water warming in the eastern Pacific
El Nino gives North Dakota warmer temperatures
2014 is heading into an El Nino phase

15. La Nina Weather Patterns
La Nina is the ocean water cooling in the eastern Pacific
La Nina gives North Dakota cooler temperatures