What term refers to the average or general weather conditions of an area over a long period of time?

• A. Weather
• B. Climate
• C. Temperature
• D. Humidity

Answer: (B)

The idea here is distinguishing long-term patterns from day-to-day conditions. The term that describes the average or general weather conditions of an area over a long period is climate. Climate summarizes what weather is usually like in a place over decades, including typical temperatures, precipitation, and seasonal patterns, and it helps explain why a region tends to feel hot, cold, wet, or dry most of the time. Weather, by contrast, is the current or short-term state of the atmosphere—what you experience day to day. Temperature and humidity are specific weather measurements, not the overall description of a region’s climate. So, the long-term, averaged description of conditions is climate.