Which description means climate?

• A place's temperature measured this afternoon
• A place's usual weather pattern over many years
• A place's wind speed measured this morning

Which one describes weather?

• What the sky is doing right now
• The usual pattern of weather over many years
• The name of a town

Weather can change from morning to afternoon.

A desert town usually gets little rain. One day brings heavy rain. What can you conclude from that day alone?

• One rainy day does not establish a wetter climate.
• One rainy day shows the climate has become wetter.
• One rainy day shows next year's rainfall will be higher.

A town has usually had dry summers for many years. Today it is raining. Which pair labels these observations?

• Dry summers: weather; today's rain: climate
• Dry summers: weather; today's rain: weather
• Dry summers: climate; today's rain: weather

Rainy winters and dry summers can be parts of the same place's climate.

A scientist compares daily weather records from the same city across 30 years to find its usual pattern. What is the scientist studying?

• A different city's weather
• That city's weather for just today
• That city's climate

Ben says, 'One cold morning proves our town's climate has become colder.' What should he check instead?

• Compare that morning only with the previous afternoon.
• Compare many years of earlier and recent weather.
• Compare that morning only with a nearby town's morning.