grammar - "What does the weather look like" or "what is the weather like"?

My classmate asked me "What does the weather look like". This question is very difficult for me to answer, because my English teachers used to teach us "What is the weather like". So, which of these two is right?

What does the weather look like?

or

What is the weather like?

Answer

English often allows you to omit a word here or there in stock phrases that are common and easily understood.

Here's how I would expand the two sentences in your question:

What does the weather look like?

would be:

What does the weather forecast look like?

while:

What is the weather like?

would be:

What is the weather look like right now?

Of course, more context would help determine whether or not I've made the correct assumptions. Consider these dialogs:

We're supposed to go to the game tonight. What does the weather look like?
They say it's supposed to be chilly and rainy.
Oh, we'd better bring an extra coat and an umbrella.

or:

We're supposed to go to the game tonight. What is the weather like?
Right now, it's overcast and windy.
Well, we'd better bundle up, then, if it's getting cold already.

That said, there's a chance that the first question is asking for an assessment of local weather conditions, not for a summary of the weather forecast. Like the weather, English can be hard to nail down with precision every time.