Question

Weather and climate both describe temporal variation in temperature and precipitation. Classify the following example as weather or climate:

The average amount of rainfall an area receives in a year defines, in part, the area's seasons.

Answer 1

The example discussing the average annual rainfall in defining an area's seasons pertains to climate, which represents the long-term weather patterns and atmospheric conditions of an area.

Step-by-step explanation:

The example provided refers to the average amount of rainfall an area receives in a year, which helps define the seasons for that area. This statement relates to long-term weather patterns and is therefore characteristic of climate, not weather.

Climate is the term used to describe the predictable atmospheric conditions of a specific area over a long period of time, often involving consistent seasonal temperature and annual rainfall ranges. In contrast, weather refers to the short-term conditions of the atmosphere. For instance, weather would describe the rainfall on a specific day, whereas climate would be the average rainfall that area receives annually.