What is the difference between weather and climate?

We are used to thinking about weather because it affects our day-to-day activities.

When we look outside to determine if the sun is shining or if it’s raining, we are interested in the weather. When we talk about snow storms or heat waves, we are also referring to the weather.

Climate also varies over time, from season to season, year to year, and over longer time scales, such as Ice Ages. When we say, “Canadian winters are cold,” we are making a statement about the climate. Not every place in Canada, on every day, will be cold during the winter months. But we know that the Canadian climate is generally cold in the winter.

Compared to the weather, which can change abruptly and quickly on any given day, the climate of a location is relatively stable and changes slowly. Put differently, the weather determines what we wear today, while the climate determines the clothes we have in our closets.