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Frequently Asked Questions

In these pages, we will answer common questions related to the role of NWS in climate activities. Additional links to FAQs related to data and observations, climate prediction, and training can be found by clicking the links above, on the left, or at the bottom of this page.

What is the difference between weather and climate?
Can you predict the weather for any given day in the future?
Where can I find information about the NWS climate program?

Question 1: What is the difference between weather and climate?

Answer: Weather is the state of the atmosphere at some place in time. Climate is the weather of some location or region averaged over some time period. The graphic below illustrates this point. The smooth line represents the long-term average, or climate, while the deviation from that line represents the weather on individual days. For forecasting, the NWS considers weather to be events that take place out to about a week. Climate forecasts run from about a week out to a year or more and are forecasts for the average conditions for a period of a few days to a season or more, rather than for individual days.

Question 2: Can you predict the weather for any given day in the future?

Answer: Daily predictions of weather have skill only out to about a week. NWS provides outlooks from week two to about a year ahead that tell if the temperature and precipitation are likely to be above, below, or near normal. Current forecasting methods cannot accurately estimate the weather for a particular day more than a week in advance. You may want to check your local climatology to see what the weather has been like in the past. You can find this information either at your local NWS Weather Forecast Office or the NOAA National Climatic Data Center.

Question 3: Where can I find information about the NWS climate program?

Answer: Information about the NWS Climate program may be found at the national centers and headquarters as well as regional and local offices. For a detailed description of the components, click here.

This page is maintained by NWS/OCWWS Climate Services Division