When you have finished this page, try the Predicting Weather Quiz.
Weather is the condition of the atmosphere in a place over a short period of time.
Meteorology is the study of the atmosphere, including weather over such time. Because weather affects so many aspects of our life, meteorology is an increasingly important science. The first people to study weather were in ancient times with crude instruments. Rapid communications in the middle of the nineteenth century truly changed weather predicting into more of a science with the ability to get data to make predictions. The first US government weather service was formed in 1870 and today is located in Maryland, with assistance from reports from many stations and substations througout the country.