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How do weather patterns affect where and how you live, what you do, and what you wear?
Question Date: 2022-01-19
Answer 1:

Great question about how weather (and "long term weather," usually called climate) influences not just our lives, but all living things.

One of the things I like about it is that you can answer it by thinking about your own experience. For example, what do you wear on an average day in the summer compared to an average day in the winter? What do you wear on a rainy day versus a sunny day? What time of year is best to start growing a vegetable garden, and why? Suppose you wanted to become an avocado farmer--is it better to start a farm in California or in Iceland? Go online and search for what typical houses in Tahiti (a warm tropical place), and one in Greenland (in the arctic), look like. While you're at it, look for pictures of what people in these places do on a day to day basis, what they wear, and what they eat. Lastly, don't forget to look at a map to see where these places are. Have fun! You'll find very strong connections between weather/climate and how people live.


Answer 2:

Hi Jada, such an inquisitive question! When you wake up, the weather affects what you wear! Do you need an umbrella? Do you need sunglasses? Your answer pends on the weather. Choose a sweater for a cold windy day. A raincoat for a stormy day is nice! Weather also affects how you live your life! Let's say the sun shines brightly, go outside and play soccer with your friends. Maybe it snowed the night before, so you go build a snowman! This affects how you build your house. Snowy mountain homes need powerful heating and insulation. It's important to stay warm in the winter! However if you live in Santa Barbara, you won't ever need to shovel snow from your driveway. Your house is less insulated to suit the weather. Thanks for the great question Jada!


Answer 3:

This is hard to answer, because the answer is both nothing and yet everything.

In warm weather, you probably don't wear a jacket. In cold weather, you don't wear a t-shirt. In rainy weather, you probably want a raincoat. Weather can also make certain outdoor activities difficult.

More importantly, however, climate (weather over long time scales) determines what plants grow where and how well, and thus what food can be grown. This in turn determines how many people a society can support, or if it can exist at all.


Answer 4:

Where I live: near my son and granddaughters. That was how I decided where to live.

How I live: when I lived in Virginia, I thought the summers were too hot and the winters were too cold. Now I live in California where the summers are not so hot and the winters are not so cold. But in the winter I turn on my electric heater, and in the summer I close the blinds in the bedrooms to keep the heat out. All my windows face southwest, and the apartment can get very hot in the afternoon.

What I do: covid has affected what I do much more than the weather! But I live in a place where the weather doesn't change so much, except when we had a bomb cyclone and a couple of other big storms last fall. After they're over, I go and clean the dirt off my balcony and take care of plants that fall over or get damaged.

What I wear: that's probably affected by the weather pretty much the same for you and me. We dress differently when the weather is hot or cold or rainy.



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