Query: Gone are the days when scientists drew a bright line dividing weather and climate.

Relevant passages:
Alpine climate <=SEP=> Alpine climate is the average weather ( climate ) for the regions above the tree line . This climate is also referred to as a mountain climate or highland climate .

Oceanic climate <=SEP=> An oceanic climate ( also known as marine , west coast and maritime ) is the Köppen classification of the climate typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents , and generally features cool summers ( relative to their latitude ) and cool but not cold winters , with a relatively narrow annual temperature range and few extremes of temperature , with the exception for transitional areas to continental , subarctic and highland climates . Oceanic climates are defined as having a monthly mean temperature below 22 C in the warmest month , and above 0 C in the coldest month .   It typically lacks a dry season , as precipitation is more evenly dispersed throughout the year . It is the predominant climate type across much of North Western Europe , the Pacific Northwest region of the United States and Canada , portions of southwestern South America and small areas of southeast Australia , and New Zealand as well as isolated locations elsewhere . Oceanic climates generally have cool summers and cool ( but not cold ) winters . They are characterised by a narrower annual range of temperatures than are encountered in other places at a comparable latitude , and generally do not have the extremely dry summers of Mediterranean climates or the hot summers of humid subtropical . Oceanic climates are most dominant in Europe , where they spread much farther inland than in other continents .   Oceanic climates can have much storm activity as they are located in the belt of the stormy westerlies . Many oceanic climates have frequent cloudy or overcast conditions due to the near constant storms and lows tracking over or near them . The annual range of temperatures is smaller than typical climates at these latitudes due to the constant stable marine air masses that pass through oceanic climates , which lack both very warm and very cool fronts .

Weather <=SEP=> Weather is the state of the atmosphere , to the degree that it is hot or cold , wet or dry , calm or stormy , clear or cloudy . Most weather phenomena occur in the lowest level of the atmosphere , the troposphere , just below the stratosphere . Weather refers to day-to-day temperature and precipitation activity , whereas climate is the term for the averaging of atmospheric conditions over longer periods of time . When used without qualification , `` weather '' is generally understood to mean the weather of Earth .   Weather is driven by air pressure , temperature and moisture differences between one place and another . These differences can occur due to the sun 's angle at any particular spot , which varies with latitude . The strong temperature contrast between polar and tropical air gives rise to the largest scale atmospheric circulations : the Hadley Cell , the Ferrel Cell , the Polar Cell , and the jet stream . Weather systems in the mid-latitudes , such as extratropical cyclones , are caused by instabilities of the jet stream flow . Because the Earth 's axis is tilted relative to its orbital plane , sunlight is incident at different angles at different times of the year . On Earth 's surface , temperatures usually range ± 40 ° C ( − 40 ° F to 100 ° F ) annually . Over thousands of years , changes in Earth 's orbit can affect the amount and distribution of solar energy received by the Earth , thus influencing long-term climate and global climate change .   Surface temperature differences in turn cause pressure differences . Higher altitudes are cooler than lower altitudes as most atmospheric heating is due to contact with the Earth 's surface while radiative losses to space are mostly constant . Weather forecasting is the application of science and technology to predict the state of the atmosphere for a future time and a given location . The Earth 's weather system is a chaotic system ; as a result , small changes to one part of the system can grow to have large effects on the system as a whole . Human attempts to control the weather have occurred throughout history , and there is evidence that human activities such as agriculture and industry have modified weather patterns .   Studying how the weather works on other planets has been helpful in understanding how weather works on Earth . A famous landmark in the Solar System , Jupiter 's Great Red Spot , is an anticyclonic storm known to have existed for at least 300 years . However , weather is not limited to planetary bodies . A star 's corona is constantly being lost to space , creating what is essentially a very thin atmosphere throughout the Solar System . The movement of mass ejected from the Sun is known as the solar wind .

Climate <=SEP=> Climate is the statistics of weather , usually over a 30-year interval . It is measured by assessing the patterns of variation in temperature , humidity , atmospheric pressure , wind , precipitation , atmospheric particle count and other meteorological variables in a given region over long periods of time . Climate differs from weather , in that weather only describes the short-term conditions of these variables in a given region .   A region 's climate is generated by the climate system , which has five components : atmosphere , hydrosphere , cryosphere , lithosphere , and biosphere .   The climate of a location is affected by its latitude , terrain , and altitude , as well as nearby water bodies and their currents . Climates can be classified according to the average and the typical ranges of different variables , most commonly temperature and precipitation . The most commonly used classification scheme was the Köppen climate classification . The Thornthwaite system , in use since 1948 , incorporates evapotranspiration along with temperature and precipitation information and is used in studying biological diversity and how climate change affects it . The Bergeron and Spatial Synoptic Classification systems focus on the origin of air masses that define the climate of a region .   Paleoclimatology is the study of ancient climates . Since direct observations of climate are not available before the 19th century , paleoclimates are inferred from proxy variables that include non-biotic evidence such as sediments found in lake beds and ice cores , and biotic evidence such as tree rings and coral . Climate models are mathematical models of past , present and future climates . Climate change may occur over long and short timescales from a variety of factors ; recent warming is discussed in global warming . Global warming results in redistributions . For example , `` a 3 ° C change in mean annual temperature corresponds to a shift in isotherms of approximately 300 -- 400 km in latitude ( in the temperate zone ) or 500 m in elevation . Therefore , species are expected to move upwards in elevation or towards the poles in latitude in response to shifting climate zones '' .

Köppen climate classification <=SEP=> Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems . It was first published by Russian German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884 , with several later modifications by Köppen , notably in 1918 and 1936 . Later , German climatologist Rudolf Geiger ( 1954 , 1961 ) collaborated with Köppen on changes to the classification system , which is thus sometimes called the Köppen -- Geiger climate classification system .   The Köppen climate classification system has been further modified , within the Trewartha climate classification system in the middle 1960s ( revised in 1980 ) . The Trewartha system sought to create a more refined middle latitude climate zone , which was one of the criticisms of the Köppen system ( the C climate group was too broad ) .