A long-term pattern of weather in a region is called:

• A. Climate
• B. Weather
• C. Season
• D. Bio

Answer: (A)

Understanding the difference between weather and climate helps answer this. Weather is what conditions are like on a given day—temperature, rain, wind, humidity—over short timescales. Climate is the long-term average of those conditions in a region, typically measured over decades, along with the typical range of variation. So describing a region’s long-term pattern of weather as its climate captures the overall, persistent pattern rather than any single day or season. A season is a part of the year with characteristic weather, but it’s still a shorter, recurring pattern, not the long-term average. “Bio” isn’t related to weather patterns. Climate is the correct term because it reflects those enduring, multi-year patterns.