Weather vs Climate¶
An interactive visualization that helps students understand the difference between weather (short-term) and climate (long-term patterns).
About This MicroSim¶
This side-by-side comparison shows:
- Today's Weather (left): Random daily conditions that change each time you click
- Climate Pattern (right): The consistent monthly average temperatures that stay the same
How to Use¶
- Select a city using the buttons at the bottom
- Click Change Day to see how weather varies randomly
- Notice that the Climate Pattern chart stays the same
- Compare how today's temperature can be different from the average
Key Concepts Demonstrated¶
- Weather changes daily - it can be hotter or colder than normal
- Climate is the long-term pattern - it's what you can expect on average
- Different cities have different climate patterns (desert, tropical, continental)
- Today's weather might differ from the climate average by 15+ degrees!
Lesson Plan¶
Learning Objective: Students will distinguish between weather and climate through interactive examples.
Bloom's Taxonomy Level: Understand (L2)
Activities:
- Explore (5 min): Click "Change Day" 5-10 times for Phoenix. Notice how temperature varies but always tends toward hot.
- Compare Cities (5 min): Switch between cities and observe their different climate patterns.
- Discussion (5 min): Why does Seattle have more rain? Why is Phoenix so hot?
- Prediction (5 min): Before clicking "Change Day," predict if today will be hotter or colder than average.
Technical Notes¶
- Built with p5.js for canvas-based rendering
- Real climate data for US cities (average monthly temperatures)
- Weather varies randomly but is influenced by climate probability
Related Concepts¶
- Climate Definition
- Precipitation
- Seasons
- Regions Definition