Weather & Climate 101

Climate → Seasons → Weather

What is climate?
common, average weather conditions at a
certain place over a longer period of
time

What are seasons?

a year broken down into 4 periods, based
on the general condition of that period

What is weather?
day-to-day conditions of a certain place.
The Sun Clouds!
- gives us our light Clouds - groups or clusters of
and energy! very tiny water drops in the sky
- makes it bright in - can cover the sun to make it
the day, when it darker…
goes away, dark at - or can build up and cause
night! Precipitation!
- makes it hot or
warm
- when it’s gone? can
make it cold!
Precipitation
Precipitation: forms of water falling from the sky depending on the
temperature
Condensation and Evaporation

When the air is When the air is hot, water tends

to disappear into the air as
humid, water droplets moisture
are collected
 What are some tools used to measure
weather?

Barometer Wind Vane

Compass
Psychrometer
Thermometer
 How do you read a thermometer?

1) Place the thermometer

in/on the object you want to
measure

2) Hold the thermometer still

until the red liquid stops
moving

3) Read the number that the

red liquid stops at.
A B
4) Record the number in either
Fahrenheit or Celsius Which thermometer is hot?

Which thermometer is cold?

 How do you record data?

Bar Graph
Table Chart Line Graph
Global Weather Patterns!
The atmosphere surrounds the Earth
and prevents it from getting too
hot/cold
Oceans absorbs most of the sun’s heat
Icebergs regulates the Earth's
temperature (reflective)
SEASONS
Winter: Cold, more rain, snow, storms

Spring: Sunny, not too hot not too cold, things begin to grow

Summer: Hot, humid, Sunny, dry

Fall: Begins to get cold, leaves begin to fall, seeing of more rain
Climate of the World
North America: all sorts of climate
South America: more humid, tropical kind of
weather, lots of rain
Europe: calm climate
Antarctica: Extremely cold
Australia: Hot
Asia: hot and humid
 Equatorial climate
An equatorial climate is marked by hot and moist
equatorial air masses. Air temperature is constant
(+24–28 °C) and there is much rain throughout the
year (from 1500 to 5000 mm). An equatorial
climate is found in northern parts of South
America, the coast of the Gulf of Guinea, in the
Congo river basin and the headwaters of the Nile
in Africa, over the greater part of the Indonesian
archipelago and the adjacent parts of the Indian
and Pacific Oceans in Asia.
 Sub-equatorial climate
A sub-equatorial climate is marked by a rainy season
in the summer, followed by a cool and dry season
in the winter. This type of climate is found in some
parts of the Indian Ocean, the western Pacific
Ocean, as well as in South Asia and tropical
regions of Africa and South America.
 Tropical climate
A tropical climate is dominated by anticyclones with
high pressure, giving clear weather nearly all the
year round. There are two seasons: warm and
cold. Temperatures can vary from +20 °C on the
coast to +50 °C in the interior. The temperature
can also vary greatly within a single day: on a
summer afternoon the air heats up to +40–45 °C,
but it cools down at night to +10–15 °C. Deserts
are often found in tropical climates, and the largest
of them is the Sahara Desert in Africa.
 Sub-tropical climate
A sub-tropical climate is found in regions between
tropical and temperate latitudes, from about 30 to
45 degrees north and south of the equator. These
regions are marked by hot, tropical summers and
fairly cool winters. The average monthly
temperature in summer is above +22 °C and in
winter above -3 °C, but the arrival of air from polar
regions in winter time may cause temperatures to
drop as low as -10 to -15 °C, and occasionally
even as far as -25 °C. This type of climate is typical
for the Mediterranean, South Africa, Southwestern
Australia and Northwestern California.
 Temperate climate
A temperate climate is found in so-called temperate
latitudes (from 40–45 degrees north and south of
the equator as far as the polar circles). The main
feature of a temperate climate is the division of the
year into four seasons, of which one is cold
(winter), one is warm (summer) and the other two
(spring and autumn) are transitional. The ground is
covered by snow in the winter. Prevailing westerly
winds bring rain and snow throughout the year,
with rainfall and snowfall varying from 1,000 mm in
coastal areas to 100 mm deep inland.
 Sub-polar (sub-arctic, sub-
antarctic)
A sub-arctic climate is found between Arctic temperate
climate zones in the Northern Hemisphere. This
climate is marked by air masses at moderate
temperature in the summer and cold air masses
from the Arctic in the winter. The summers are
short and chilly, with air temperature in July rarely
above +15 °C by day and dropping to between 0
and + 3 °C at night, and a chance of frosty nights
through the summer. In winter the temperature by
day and night is -35–45 °C. A sub-antarctic climate
is found in the Southern Hemisphere between the
temperate and Antarctic zones. The greater part of
the sub-antarctic zone consists of ocean.
 Polar climate
A polar climate is found to the north of 70 degrees
latitude in the Northern Hemisphere (Arctic climate)
and to the south of 65 degrees latitude in the
Southern Hemisphere (Antarctic climate). The sun
does not appear above the horizon for several
months (this period is called the ‘polar night’) and
during some other months it does not set beyond
the horizon (‘midnight sun’ or ‘polar day’). Snow
and ice reflect more heat than they absorb, so the
air is very cold and the snow never melts. There is
very little snowfall, the air is full of small icy
needles and a water haze often occurs in the
summer.
 Global Natural Hazards
Typhoons Hurricanes Tornadoes
 Arcadia Natural Hazards
Earthquake Drought
Mudslide
Week 5: Climate and Weather
How does weather affect us?
How can we prevent natural disasters?
 How Changing Climate Affects
Us
Why do we care?

Mudslides

More floods
Hotter Summers

Wildfires
 Combating Weather Related Hazards
Levee
artificial islands

storm surge Flood barrier

Hazards in America
Hurricane Sandy