Final answer:
The difference between weather and climate lies in the time frame: weather describes short-term atmospheric conditions, while climate denotes the long-term average. Both are influenced by factors like solar radiation and global winds, with climate additionally affected by long-term changes and greenhouse gases.
Step-by-step explanation:
The main difference between weather and climate is the time scale over which they are defined. Weather reflects the short-term (daily) conditions of the atmosphere, while climate describes the long-term average atmospheric conditions over a period of decades or centuries.
For instance, when planning an outdoor event during summer in Wisconsin, climate guides the expectation of warmer temperatures, as opposed to winter. However, the specific weather conditions on that day cannot be predicted long in advance due to the short-term nature of weather forecasting
Both weather and climate are influenced by similar factors such as solar radiation, landforms, ocean currents, global wind patterns, and vegetation cover. However, climate is additionally influenced by the long-term changes in these factors and by components such as greenhouse gas concentrations.