Weather or climate? Reading a climate graph

Grade 6 Science Worksheet - Challenge Me

Circle the best answer.

1. 1.

   A snowy week hits Bismarck, North Dakota, in April. Ari's friend says Bismarck's climate just got colder. Agree or disagree?

   • Agree: a snowy week changes the climate
   • Agree: April snow sets the climate
   • Disagree: one week is weather, not climate
   • Disagree: snow is not part of weather
2. 2.

   One winter is colder than usual in Bo's town. A friend says that proves Earth is not warming. Agree or disagree?

   • Agree: a cold winter is climate, not weather
   • Disagree: cold winters no longer happen
   • Agree: one cold winter shows the world's climate
   • Disagree: warming is measured over decades worldwide
3. 3.

   Miami's normals give July 187 mm of rain. Esme says each July day in Miami must be rainy. Agree or disagree?

   • Disagree: Miami gets no rain in July
   • Agree: the average shows each day's weather
   • Disagree: an average can hide dry and wet days
   • Agree: 187 mm falls on each day

4. Read this first

   Use this

   Climate graph for Miami, Florida (NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals). Months across: January (1), April (4), July (7), October (10), a mark every 3 months. Line: average temperature, 0 to 40 °C, a mark every 10 °C: January 20 °C (69 °F), April 25 °C (77 °F), July 29 °C (84 °F), October 27 °C (80 °F). Bars: average rain and snow, 0 to 200 mm, a mark every 50 mm: January 46 mm, April 85 mm, July 187 mm, October 194 mm.

5. 4.

   Jun wants a Miami beach week that averages at least 25 °C but gets under 100 mm of rain. Which month fits?

   • January: 46 mm, the driest month
   • July: 29 °C, the warmest month
   • October: 27 °C and 194 mm
   • April: 25 °C and 85 mm
6. 5.

   Kira is writing about Miami's rainy season. Which month on the graph gets the most rain?

   • October, with 194 mm
   • July, the warmest month
   • April, with 85 mm
   • January, with 46 mm
7. 6.

   Luz sums up Miami's graph in one line. Which line fits it?

   • Below zero each January
   • Rain falls each July day, since July averages 187 mm
   • About the same rain each month
   • Warm all year; wettest from summer into fall
9. 7.

   How much more rain and snow falls in Bismarck's July than in its January, Noah?

   • 33 mm more
   • 90 mm more
   • 78 mm more
   • 66 mm more
10. 8.

    Mittens on! Bismarck's January average is −11 °C (13 °F). Which line describes Bismarck's January, Pia?

    Use the picture in question 7.

    • Mild, like Miami's January
    • Warmer than Bismarck's October
    • Above freezing, at 11 °C
    • Below freezing, on average
11. 9.

    One weather station has 30 years of records; a new one has 3 years. Which record can give a climate normal, Tala?

    • Either record, as each shows a climate
    • Neither, as climate cannot be measured
    • The 30-year record
    • The 3-year record, as newer data are better
12. 10.

    A heat wave brings 38 °C (100 °F) to Bismarck for three days in July. How does that compare with Bismarck's climate, Zee?

    • Weather, far above the 22 °C July average
    • Colder than Bismarck's July average of 22 °C
    • The new July climate for Bismarck
    • About the same as the July average