Many of us mark the passing of the year by the different seasons. But, what causes the annual change?
The turn of the seasons has nothing to do with the distance of the earth from the sun. It is all about the Earth’s tilt.
The tilt of the earth determines how much sunlight reaches the planet. In the Northern Hemisphere during the summer months, the North Pole points towards the sun. This brings longer days and as a result more sunshine and heat. During the winter months, it is the exact opposite. The North Pole faces away.
You may have heard of meteorological seasons, Unlike what the calendar shows, we can group months into seasons which best describe their typical weather. For example, meteorological winter is December, January, and February and marks the coldest time of the year. This is mainly for record keeping by the numbers.
For WeatherNation, Meteorologist Kate Mantych