Climate is the pattern of weather that a place typically experiences over many years. While weather describes what's happening right now (rainy, sunny, snowy), climate describes what's normal for a region over decades.

Phoenix, Arizona has a hot, dry climate, meaning it's usually hot and rarely rains, even though it might occasionally have a cool day or a thunderstorm. Alaska has a cold climate with long, harsh winters. The Amazon rainforest has a hot, humid climate with frequent rainfall year-round.

Scientists track climate by measuring temperature, rainfall, humidity, and wind patterns over at least 30 years. This long view helps them understand what's typical for a place. Climate shapes everything about a region: what plants grow there, which animals live there, what crops farmers can raise, and even what kinds of houses people build.

The word also appears in phrases like political climate or climate of fear, meaning the general atmosphere or mood of a situation. A classroom might have a climate of respect and curiosity, or a team might create a climate where everyone feels comfortable sharing ideas.

Understanding climate helps explain why orange trees thrive in Florida but not in Maine, and why Minnesota farmers grow wheat while Hawaiian farmers grow pineapples.