Weather and Climate

Wind forms when the sun heats Earth's surface unevenly, creating pressure differences. Air moves from high pressure to low pressure areas, and Earth's rotation curves the wind paths.

Weather describes short-term atmospheric conditions like temperature, precipitation, and wind. Climate describes the average weather patterns in a region over a long period.

Precipitation is water that falls from clouds to the ground. It comes in several forms—rain, snow, sleet, and hail—depending on the temperature of the air the water passes through as it falls.

A forecast combines temperature, chance of rain, wind speed and direction. The percentage is not how hard it will rain but how likely rain is anywhere in that area, which is why a 40% forecast often means a dry afternoon.