We hear ‘summer season’ and not summer weather. We also hear ‘the weather today is rather cold’ and not ‘the season today is rather cold.’ Why is that so?
Even though the terms season and weather describe the level of humidity, heat, or temperature experienced by the region, they still cannot be used in place of the other. So, it is important to be able to differentiate them.
Key Takeaways
- Seasons are divisions of the year based on recurring climate patterns, influenced by Earth’s tilt and orbit around the sun, resulting in four primary seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter.
- Weather refers to the short-term atmospheric conditions in a specific area, including temperature, humidity, precipitation, wind, and visibility.
- The main difference between season and weather is the time scale: seasons describe long-term, predictable climate patterns, while weather describes short-term, variable atmospheric conditions.
Season vs. Weather
The four seasons of spring, summer, fall, and winter are determined by the tilt of the Earth’s axis and occur at different times depending on the hemisphere. Weather is the day-to-day conditions of the atmosphere, which can vary widely depending on location, time of year, and other factors.
The season is the division of weather over different regions as large as a country or a continent. This depends on the common weather patterns observed or the geographic location of the place.
For example, the countries near the equator have longer or harsher summers than the ones near the poles of the Earth.
Weather is the daily or current atmospheric conditions a smaller area faces, such as a city or village. Sometimes it does not even cover an entire city.
The weather is influenced by the atmospheric conditions, pressure, precipitation level, and temperature of the area.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Season | Weather |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | The division of weather of different regions according to their geographical location | The existing atmospheric condition can vary due to a difference in various factors |
| Reason | Seasons change due to the revolution of the earth around the sun | Weather changes due to changes in atmospheric conditions, precipitation level, temperature, and pressure |
| Area covered | It covers a wide region of the area, mostly an entire country or continent | Covers smaller regions such as cities or districts |
| Habitat changes | Causes changes in the habitats of fauna and growth of flora | It does not affect flora and fauna |
| Duration | Observed over a long duration, mostly 3-4 months | Observed over a short duration, i.e., can change every day or weekly |
What is Season?
The season is the term used for defining the division of weather break over a large area. The division depends on the similarities in weather change patterns and the geographical location.
Seasons are caused due to distance between the location and the Sun. The closer it is to the Sun, the warmer the season.
So the region near the equator has a relatively larger duration of warmer seasons than the ones near the pole.
Seasons have a long duration of three to four months since this is the duration that is required for the Earth to revolve and move to a different position from the Sun.
The division of seasons is not constant for all the regions. Some areas may have seasons that other areas do not experience.
For example, the seasons of India can be categorized as Summer, Winter, and Monsoon, whereas for the USA, we can include Spring as well.
What is Weather?
Weather is the current condition of the area. This does not depend on the Sun or its position concerning Sun, and neither does it depend on the geographic location.
It only depends on the present atmospheric pressure, conditions, temperatures, and level of precipitation.
Weather changes are seen over a short duration of time. The weather may change daily or weekly concerning the changes in the factors.
Weather is also experienced over a small region. This means that, unlike seasons, the weather of a city could be pleasant, but the neighboring city or the adjacent village may have harsh and windy weather.
Main Difference Between Season and Weather
- Even though both are used for expressing the atmospheric conditions of the region, they still mean different things. The season is the common weather patterns observed and divided based on geographic locations. In contrast, weather is the current or existing atmospheric conditions that depend on various changing factors.
- Change in seasons is observed due to the revolution of Earth around the Sun. But the revolution of Earth does not affect the weather because it solely depends on atmospheric pressure, temperature, precipitation level, etc.
- Seasons cover large areas or regions. Seasons are seen to be constant throughout a country or a continent. The pattern of change is also observed to be similar for this area. At the same time, weather is the condition of a smaller region such as a city. Sometimes, it does cover an entire city but just parts of it.
- Changes in the season can cause changes in the natural habitats of the fauna and affect the growth of flora in the region. But since the weather changes every day or within a short span, it does not affect the flora and fauna of the region.
- The season can be 3-4 months, whereas changes in the weather are observed over a short duration, such as weekly or daily.
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0033350607001400
- https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00140/full
Last Updated : 11 June, 2023
I’ve put so much effort writing this blog post to provide value to you. It’ll be very helpful for me, if you consider sharing it on social media or with your friends/family. SHARING IS ♥️
Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
A very well-explained post, it’s important that we understand the difference between the seasons and the weather. They’re confused, but they are very different.
I totally agree with you. This post was really enlightening.
Yes, couldn’t have explained it better myself. Great read.
I never knew how distinct the differences were between these terms. Thank you for shedding light on this.
Absolutely, this post is a great educational resource.
The table really puts everything into perspective. Great comparison chart!
Yes, having a visual comparison is very helpful in understanding the differences.
This was very educational, thank you for the great post!
I never really thought about the differences in these terms until now. Thank you for such an insightful breakdown.
It’s interesting to see how these meteorological terms are misunderstood. Great post.
Knowing the differences between these terms is key to understanding meteorology better. Thanks for the detailed explanations.
Absolutely, it helps to appreciate the scientific nature of these terms.
Very well written and informative post, thank you!
Excellent post, very enlightening. It’s important that we understand the nuances of these meteorological terms.
Yes, this post clears up a lot of misconceptions. Great job!
A comical and educative post. It’s great to learn about the differences in a way that’s easy to understand.
I agree, this is a light-hearted yet informative take on these terms.
Absolutely, this was a well-written and approachable explanation of weather and seasons.
The differences between seasons and weather are very subtle but really important. Great informative piece!
Yes, especially since these terms are used interchangeably. This post clears up the confusion nicely.
Informative and well-articulated post. The differences might be subtle, but this explanation really makes it clear.
Very interesting read indeed, gives a good grasp of what differentiates these terms.
Absolutely, really good breakdown of weather and seasons.
Yes, this is a valuable post. It allows for better understanding of the difference between these meteorological terms, and improves our scientific literacy.