Final answer:
The example provided refers to weather since it details the influence of thunderstorms on rainfall within an hour, highlighting a short-term atmospheric event. Climate, in contrast, would involve the long-term average weather patterns and does not focus on singular events.
Step-by-step explanation:
The example given, "Thunderstorms influence the amount of rainfall an area receives in an hour," is an instance of weather and not climate. Weather describes atmospheric conditions such as temperature, precipitation, and wind over a short period of time, often in 48-hour cycles. In this instance, the specifics of the thunderstorms affecting rainfall within an hour fall under the scope of weather because they describe a short-term event rather than long-term patterns.
Climate, on the other hand, refers to longer-term predictable atmospheric conditions and is characterized by consistent seasonal temperature ranges and annual rainfall totals over years or decades. It can be exemplified by the phrase, "Climate is what you expect, and weather is what you get." Therefore, when we discuss climate change or the climate of a biome, we are looking at trends and averages that extend well beyond specific weather events such as thunderstorms.