What Makes a ‘Desert’ Different from a ‘Drought’?

A desert is like a place that’s always dry, kind of like your room after you leave the door open during winter. A drought is more like when your favorite snack runs out, it happens sometimes, and it can be in places that usually get rain.

A desert gets very little rain all year round, so plants and animals there have to learn how to survive with hardly any water. You might think of deserts as hot and sandy, but they can also be cold or rocky.

A drought is when it doesn’t rain for a long time, maybe months or even years. It happens in places that usually get enough rain, but sometimes the weather just decides to take a break.