Weather or climate? Reading a climate graph

Grade 6 Science Worksheet

Circle the best answer.

1. 1.

   Ari reads four lines in a travel guide. Which line describes climate?

   • Today's high is 3 °C (37 °F).
   • Fog should lift by noon tomorrow.
   • A blizzard closed the roads last Tuesday.
   • January is usually the snowiest month.
2. 2.

   Esme sorts four facts about one city. Which fact describes its climate?

   • A storm is moving in tonight.
   • Last July was 2 °C warmer than usual.
   • It was 31 °C (88 °F) last July 4.
   • July has averaged 24 °C over 1991–2020.
4. 3.

   Jun studies the climate graph for Elkins, West Virginia. Which description fits it?

   • Cold winters with almost no rain or snow
   • Hot summers above 30 °C
   • Cold winters, warm summers, wet all year
   • Warm all year, with dry summers
5. 4.

   Using the bars on the Elkins graph, how much rain and snow falls in an average April, Kira?

   Use the picture in question 3.

   • 152 mm
   • 104 mm
   • 85 mm
   • 11 mm
6. 5.

   How many degrees warmer is July than January in Elkins, on average, Luz?

   Use the picture in question 3.

   • 23 °C warmer
   • 67 °C warmer
   • 21 °C warmer
   • 22 °C warmer
8. 6.

   Seattle is famous for drizzle. Using the bars on Milo's graph, which season is driest in Seattle?

   • Fall: October gets about 99 mm
   • Winter: January gets about 147 mm
   • Winter: the line is lowest in January
   • Summer: July gets about 15 mm
9. 7.

   How many degrees warmer is Seattle's July than its January, on average, Pia?

   Use the picture in question 6.

   • 132 °C
   • 25 °C
   • 8 °C
   • 13 °C
10. 8.

    NOAA makes new climate normals every 10 years. Why does each normal use 30 years of records instead of one, Ren?

    • Thirty years is how long one storm lasts
    • One year can be unusual; 30 years show the pattern
    • One year of records is enough to set a climate
    • Weather stays the same from year to year
11. 9.

    Tala kept a weather log for one month, and 18 days had rain. What can Tala say about the town's climate?

    • Not much yet: one month is too short
    • The town has a dry climate
    • The town has a rainy climate
    • The town's climate changes each month
12. 10.

    NOAA reports that most of the US was warmer in 1991–2020 than in 1981–2010. What does that show, Zee?

    • Weather was the same each of those years
    • Climate can change over decades
    • One hot summer changed the climate
    • Climate normals stay the same forever