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What’s the Difference Between Weather and Climate?

LEAD: NASA scientists flew 33 eight-hour flights this spring (2015) to measure how Greenland and the Arctic are responding to climate change. 1. Greenland is huge: essentially an ice cube 1,500 miles long, 400 miles wide, and a mile and a half thick. 2. Instruments aboard the research plane measured where Greenland ice is growing in winter and where it is melting during the summer. TAG: Data indicates that overall, Greenland is losing ice, and its melt water is adding to the long-term sea level rise around the world.
Levels
  • Introductory (K-5)
  • Intermediate (6-8)
Material Type
  • Activity/Hands-on
Heliophysics Big Ideas
  • Big Idea 1.3 – The Sun’s energy drives Earth’s climate…
NGSS
  • ESS2 - Earth's Systems
  • ESS3 - Earth and Human Activity
Heliophysics Topics
  • Atmosphere
  • Climate Change
  • Space Weather
  • Sun
Material Cost per Learner Free
Language English

Multimedia/Text | Grades K-8 | This informative article from NOAA clearly explains the fundamental differences between weather and climate for classroom instruction. It helps teachers introduce foundational concepts in meteorology and Earth science. Educators can use this resource as a introductory reading assignment, a baseline for class discussions, or a reference guide for students comparing daily atmospheric conditions with long-term climate trends.

Credit: NOAA

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