How can there be rain if this area is a desert?
Answer:
It is important to understand the difference between climate and weather. Weather is what is happening now. Climate is determined by looking at the weather data over a long period of time, often several decades. To be classified as a desert climate, the area has an average annual rainfall of 7.87 inches of rain or less. That tells us that it does sometimes have rain, just not very often.
Click to see which state standards this question tests, and which of my videos, experiments, and other resources support that topic.
Florida
SC.2.L.17.2 Recognize and explain that living things are found all over Earth, but each is only able to live in habitats that meet its basic needs.
A Walk in the Park | video, checked |
Hunting with an Umbrella | video, free, ClosedCaptions, Updated |
Review Weather-9 | practice |
SC.5.E.7.6 Describe characteristics (temperature and precipitation) of different climate zones as they relate to latitude, elevation, and proximity to bodies of water.
Weather and Climate | video |
Review Weather-7 | practice |
Review Weather-9 | practice |
SC.6.E.7.2 Investigate and apply how the cycling of water between the atmosphere and hydrosphere has an effect on weather patterns and climate.
Nephoscope | video, checked |
The Water Cycle | video, checked |
Weather and Climate | video |
Cloud Types | video |
Pine Cone Weather | text page, free |
Review Weather-8 | practice |
Review Weather-9 | practice |
Review Weather-10 | practice |
SC.6.E.7.6 Differentiate between weather and climate.
Weather and Climate | video |
Review Weather-9 | practice |
Utah
UT.4.V.1.a Compare the physical characteristics (e.g., precipitation, temperature, and surface terrain) of Utah's wetlands, forests, and deserts.
Weather and Climate | video |
Review Weather-9 | practice |
UT.4.V.1.c Locate examples of areas that have characteristics of wetlands, forests, or deserts in Utah.
Review Weather-7 | practice |
Review Weather-9 | practice |
NGSS
MS-ESS2-6 Develop and use a model to describe how unequal heating and rotation of the Earth cause patterns of atmospheric and oceanic circulation that determine regional climates.
Weather and Climate | video |
Cloud Formation, part 2 | video |
Global Science | video, ClosedCaptions |
Review Weather-9 | practice |
3-ESS2-2 Obtain and combine information to describe climates in different regions of the world.
Weather and Climate | video |
Review Weather-9 | practice |