How Does Temperature Affect The Weather?

The fundamental cause of all weather is the unequal heating of the atmosphere by the sun's rays. This comes about because the atmosphere itself is transparent and absorbs very little energy directly from sunlight. The sun's rays go through to the earth's surface, where they are reflected or absorbed, in varying degrees. Water reflects more light, and land, especially dark-colored earth, absorbs more. If the surface absorbs a lot, it is warmed. If it reflects a lot, it remains cooler.

The equatorial regions receive more heat because the sun's rays hit vertically. In the polar regions, they strike obliquely, so the heat energy in an equal "bundle" of rays is spread over a larger area. Also, the snow cover at the poles reflects most of the sunlight. Consequently, it is colder at the poles. Temperature differences caused by this process, called "insolation," put in motion a chain of consequences that brings about the great variety in our weather.