Mary Brownell, age 11, of Biltmare, N.C., for her question:

What is the difference between weather and climate?

We may say that California weather is delightful or that California climate is delightful. Both statements have the same meaning. For, in everyday speech we sometimes use the words weather and climate interchangeably. Our expert weatherman, however, have a somewhat different meaning for weather and climate.

If you wish to be accurate, and of course you do, you will want to know the proper occasions for using theca closely related words. In this case, California weather can refer only to what happens for a short period of time. The weather today is sunny. The weather this week or this spring has been sunny. Climate dues not refer to the weather events of a single day or even a single season.

Climate refers to the year round. weather conditions of a certain region. Californians warm and sunny climate indicates that warm and sunny weather is expected most of the time year after year.