The weather is a practical topic of English language conversation. Not only does the weather influence our fashion choices, but it’s a common topic of “small talk”. The weather can be used as a good ice breaker to start a conversation with someone you don’t know well.Not all of America experiences the four seasons:
- winter
- spring
- summer
- fall/autumn.
In fact, during the winter storms in the north and middle of America, many of us dream of moving to Hawaii, Florida and California! San Diego, California, for example, is considered to have the most perfect and sunny weather in the country.
Unlike many countries, Americans talk about the weather in degrees Fahrenheit [FÆR ən haiyt] and not Celsius [SEL siy yəs].
Here are the ways we talk about the weather in English.
Sunny
- “It’s really sunny today!”
- “The sun is so bright.”
- “There’s a mix of sun and clouds today.”
- “It’s so perfect outside; not a cloud in the sky.”
- “Seventy two degrees (72°) and sunny. A perfect summer day!”
- “It’s so sunny. I can lay out today!”
- “You got a nice suntan on vacation!”
- “It’s really sunny out. Make sure you put on some sunscreen.”
- “Don’t forget to put on suntan lotion.”
Clouds
- “It’s really cloudy out there. I wonder if it will rain today.”
- “It’s pretty cloudy outside. I better take an umbrella.”
- “It’s been cloudy for a week now. I need some sun!”
Rain
- “It’s raining out. You’ll need an umbrella.”
- “It’s raining pretty hard out there.”
- “A big storm is expected this afternoon.”
- “It’s so gloomy and depressing outside.”
- “Don’t go swimming yet. I just heard thunder, and a lightning storm is expected.”
- “You should wear your rain coat today.”
- “It’s not raining too hard. It’s just drizzling out.”
- “Bring an umbrella just in case, since it will be raining on and off today.”
Snow
- “It’s snowing outside!”
- “We’re expecting a snow storm this afternoon.”
- “School is canceled because of the snow. I love snow days!”
- “The roads are really messy. There is a lot of slush on the roads because the snow is melting, so be careful.”
- “Drive really carefully. The snow is freezing over and turning into ice.”
Fog
- “Be careful when you drive. It’s really foggy outside. You can’t see far in front of you.”
- “It’s so foggy out. You better drive with your fog lights on.”
Wind
- “The wind is so strong; it almost blew me over!”
- “The tall buildings in Manhattan (New York City) create a wind tunnel and make the wind so strong.”
- “Chicago really is the windy city!”
Humidity
- “It’s so hot and humid outside. The air feels so thick and sticky.”
- “It’s so humid out; I sweat the second I walk outside!”
- “I hate these humid summers. I really prefer the dry summer air out west.”
Vocabulary
Gloomy: (adjective) sad, depressing; often used to describe a cloudy, grey, rainy sky.
Lay out: (verb) a term people use for “sun tanning”; to lay outside in the sun in a bathing suit to get more bronze.
Umbrella: (noun) what you carry over your head to block the rain and stay dry.
