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Hey, everyone, and welcome back to Curious By Nature.
My name is James and I'll be your host for today's episode.
With things starting to feel like spring again in Chicago, it's a great time to be taking
a look at the difference between weather and climate.
Today's episode is all about patterns.
We're going to learn how to make some observations of the seasons, both weather and what's happening
around us in nature, to see what those patterns can tell us about the climate we live in.
For today's activity, we'll be making a weather journal.
So you really only need a notebook and a pen or a marker.
We'll also be using a small thermometer, if you have one.
Now let's get started.
So one of the very first things we want to think about is weather.
We all know weather: rain, sunshine, snow, windy days.
But does the weather ever change what you do?
Let's think about that.
What would you do differently on a sunny day than you would on a rainy day?
What about a snowy day?
What might you end up wearing based on the weather?
One of the easiest ways to think about the difference between weather and climate
is to think about the clothes we wear.
We can think of weather as the outfit we wear each day: shorts on a warm sunny day, a raincoat
on a rainy day, or a sweater on a cold day.
Climate, on the other hand, might be thought of all the clothes in our closet, from shorts
to T-shirts to sweaters and scarves.
Climate refers to the range of seasonal weather we can expect for the place where we live.
And based on climate, we can predict generally what the weather will be like a few months from now.
We know Chicago has warm summers, cool autumns, and very cold winters, like we just went through.
So now that we've taken a closer look at the difference between weather and climate, let's
let's learn about some of the observations we can make to track these seasonal climate patterns
and make note of them in our weather journal.
Let's start with the easiest, temperature.
Temperature measures how warm or cold it is outside.
For our first observation, I'm going to make a note of the time, which is 12pm, and the temperature,
which is 62 degrees, and I'm going to write those down in our journal.
If you don't have one of these thermometers, you can go online with an adult and look at
the temperature near your home.
Next, let's think for a minute about something we see every day, the sky.
The sky can actually tell us a lot about the weather and the climate we live in.
Here in the Chicago area, we typically see three types of clouds.
The first is the cumulus.
You've probably already seen this cloud today.
Known as fair weather clouds because they usually indicate fair dry conditions,
cumulus clouds have a distinct shape.
They have a flattish base with rounded stacks or puffs on top.
When the puffs look like cauliflower heads, they're called towering cumuluses.
They can get very high and can eventually become thunderstorms.
Second, we have stratus clouds.
Stratus clouds are broken, grayish clouds that stretch across the sky.
When the weather is overcast, that means there are a lot of stratus clouds in the sky.
If their bases reach the ground, they become fog.
They can produce drizzle or even snow.
Lastly, cirrus clouds are the most common of the higher cloud formations.
They're composed of ice and are thin, wispy clouds blown at high winds into long streaks.
Cirrus clouds are usually white and predict fair to pleasant weather.
Today's weather is pretty overcast.
Do you remember what type of cloud that means we've got?
Stratus clouds!
That's right.
Let's make a note of that in our journal.
Next, I want to examine this tree here and see if I can find any signs of leaves forming.
Upon close inspection,
I do notice a lot of buds, which means that leaves are around the corner.
I'm going to note that in my weather journal.
For our last observation, we're going to take a look at what's happening around us outside.
I see a lot of birds, geese, sparrows, and cardinals,
more than I've been seeing lately in winter.
Do you remember in the Curious By Nature episode in the fall when Geoff stopped by to tell us about how
birds migrate in the spring and autumn?
I'm guessing that since I'm seeing all of these birds, it might be the start of their spring migration.
So in my journal, I'm going to note that I've started to see lots of birds.
Making observations of these seasonal behaviors in plants and wildlife is called phenology.
And scientists use this information to study things like changes to our climate.
As climate changes, we're starting to see that some of these plants are sprouting later in the spring
and some of the birds are arriving in places sooner, which can end up being a big problem for the
plants and animals that depend on each other to survive every spring.
But you can help!
Making these observations every day is an important way to track these sort of changes.
And if you want to submit your observations and help scientists study changes in weather
and climate, you can do so.
Talk to an adult and ask about exploring some of the apps that allow you to share your scientific observations.
We recommend Globe, which scientists at NASA used to study cloud patterns,
or Nature's Notebook, which tracks changing seasonal behavior in plants and animals.
Links to both of these apps are in the description below.
That's our show for today.
And thank you so much for tuning in.
I hope you enjoyed learning about how to make your own weather journal
and how you can tell the difference between weather and climate.
Be sure to leave any questions you have in the comments below.
And if you enjoyed today's video, be sure to give us a like and subscribe.
Spring is definitely starting to arrive, so enjoy some of this time outside
and we'll see you next time on Curious By Nature.