Track the Weather

Understanding the weather helps us plan safe and successful outdoor adventures. In this lesson, you’ll observe and record daily weather conditions in your logbook. By paying attention to patterns in temperature, wind, clouds, and precipitation, you’ll learn how weather affects the natural world and your time outside.

Your task: Log the weather for seven days. Each day, step outside and make careful observations about the conditions around you.

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Here are some things to note:

• Temperature: How warm or cold does it feel? Use a thermometer if you have one.
• Wind: Is it calm, breezy, or gusty? What direction is it coming from?
• Clouds: Are they wispy, fluffy, or thick and gray? How much of the sky is covered?
• Humidity: Does the air feel dry or damp?
• Precipitation: Is it raining, snowing, misty, or completely dry?

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You can make a simple weather chart with columns for each category and record your notes every day. Try comparing morning and afternoon conditions to see how weather changes throughout the day.

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Weather vs. Climate:

• Weather describes the day-to-day conditions in a specific place, like whether it’s sunny or raining today.
• Climate describes the long-term patterns of weather in a region or what it’s usually like over months or years.

By tracking weather over time, scientists can better understand climate trends and changes.

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At the end of the week, look back at your data. What patterns do you notice? Did any days feel different than what your log shows?