In a nutshell, what's the difference between weather and climate? The world is full of questions we all want answers to, but are either too embarrassed, time-crunched or intimidated to actually ask.

Understanding the difference between weather and climate is crucial for studying global climate change, predicting extreme weather events, and planning for future environmental changes.

Graphical representation of the difference between weather and climate. This graph can represent anything: temperature, rainfall, humidity, etc.

The same physical principles Weather is the short-term behavior of the atmosphere—the temperature on a given day, the wind, whether it's raining and how much.

It's a question you hear over and over again...what's the difference between weather and climate? The National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, recently spelled it out in an article.