In which layer of the Earth's atmosphere does weather occur?

Weather occurs primarily in the troposphere due to its proximity to Earth's surface and its relationship with the planet's temperature and moisture levels. In this lowest layer of the atmosphere, a variety of meteorological phenomena take place, including cloud formation, precipitation, and wind. The troposphere is characterized by a decrease in temperature with altitude, which allows for the condensation of water vapor and the formation of weather systems.

The other layers play significant roles in atmospheric processes but are not where weather occurs. The stratosphere, positioned above the troposphere, contains the ozone layer which absorbs and scatters ultraviolet solar radiation, but it is relatively stable and does not experience the turbulence associated with weather. The mesosphere and thermosphere are even higher up, with the mesosphere being where temperatures decrease with altitude and the thermosphere characterized by high temperatures and low density. However, these layers lack the conditions needed for the complex phenomena we associate with weather, such as clouds and storms.