What does the term 'weather' refer to?

The term 'weather' specifically refers to the atmospheric conditions that occur at a particular time and place. This includes various elements such as temperature, humidity, precipitation, wind speed, and visibility. Weather is often described as short-term atmospheric phenomena and can change rapidly within hours or days. For instance, a sunny morning can turn into a rainy afternoon, highlighting the transient nature of weather patterns.

In contrast, the other options describe concepts related to deeper time scales or broad patterns: the average temperature over years pertains to climate rather than weather, seasonal changes in temperature refer to predictable shifts over longer periods but do not capture the immediate quality of atmospheric conditions, while climatic changes over decades relate to long-term trends and averages in the climate system rather than specific, short-term weather events. Understanding that weather is about specific conditions at a definite moment helps to differentiate it from these broader climatic concepts.