Final answer:
Weather refers to short-term atmospheric conditions like temperature and precipitation, while climate deals with long-term, predictable patterns in a specific area. The main difference between weather and climate is the duration over which conditions are measured and predicted.
Step-by-step explanation:
The concepts of weather and climate are often confused, but they refer to different aspects of atmospheric conditions. Weather describes the short-term variations of the atmosphere, such as daily or weekly conditions, including phenomena like temperature, precipitation, and wind. It provides an immediate picture of atmospheric conditions, and its forecasts usually span 48 hours, though longer-range predictions can be unreliable. In contrast, climate is concerned with long-term, predictable atmospheric conditions over a specific area, characterized by consistent seasonal temperature and rainfall trends over many years.
For example, when planning an event in northern Wisconsin during summer rather than winter, one contemplates the climate, relying on long-term knowledge that summers are generally more suitable for outdoor activities there. However, the weather's variability makes it difficult to predict the exact conditions for a specific day far in advance. Consequently, climate can be thought of as the "average" weather that occurs over many years, including the temperature and precipitation patterns that characterize different biomes and geographical locations.