Climate is what you expect; Weather is what you get
There’s an old saying among weather enthusiasts that says climate is what you expect; Weather is what you get.
But what does this mean and how is climate and weather different?
NOAA defines climate as the a region or cities weather averaged over many years. It’s different for each season and is usually done over a 30-year period. Climate gives you an idea of what you can usually expect during the year. For example, Columbia, Missouri, is usually hot and humid during the summer months and cold during the winter months.
Weather is defined as what you see outside on any particular day and can vary greatly from climate.
So, for example, Columbia saw a high temperature of 77 degrees Monday, with moderate rainfall through the day. This is the weather. Climate on the other hand shows that on average we see hot and humid days with highs in the upper 80s.
While weather can change in a matter of hours, it takes hundreds of years for a regions climate to have a noticeable difference.
Even with climate giving an idea of what to expect that’s hardly ever the case. Take for example the day June 26th and compare the weather over the past five years and you’ll see that climate is just an average of what to expect.
The average high for June 26th is 86 degrees with an overnight low of 66, but how does that compare to the past 5 years?
2017 – High – 77 degrees
Low – 50 degrees
Rain Showers 0.16″
2016 – High – 92 degrees
Low – 72 degrees
Heat Index – 100 degrees
Thunderstorms 0.36″
2015 – High – 79 degrees
Low – 67 degrees
Heat Index – 81 degrees
Thunderstorms 0.46″
2014 – High – 87 degrees
Low – 67 degrees
Heat Index – 90 degrees
Sunshine
2013 – High – 95 degrees
Low – 74 degrees
Heat Index – 100 degrees
Party Cloudy
You see weather is a big driver of our everyday lives. Although climate dictates what one should expect to see, as seen from the past 5 years, weather is a key driver in what we actually experience.
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