Myth:
Computers can’t predict the weather two weeks ahead with any certainty, so how can they be relied on to predict what the Earth’s climate will be like in future decades?
Fact:
This myth makes a false analogy between weather and climate, which are two different things. Weather is the state of the atmosphere at a given point in time. It covers temperature, cloud cover, air pressure, wind direction, wind speed, rain and snow. Climate, by contrast, is the average weather over a long period of time. It’s true that we can’t predict the weather more than a week in advance, but we can predict what average temperatures will likely be decades into the future, given the basic laws of physics.
The difference between the climate and the weather. [Source: Wikimedia Commons]
Sources:
“Why should I trust scientists’ climate projections for 50 or 100 years from now when they can’t accurately forecast the weather more than 2 weeks from now?” US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 20/10/20. https://www.climate.gov/news-features/climate-qa/why-should-i-trust-scientists%E2%80%99-climate-projections-50-or-100-years-now-when
“Weather vs climate: What’s the difference and why it matters,” Mitiga Solutions, 10/11/25. https://www.mitigasolutions.com/blog/weather-vs-climate