Everyone Talks About the Weather...

[King_Erlian]

As an ignorant newbie Englishman, I thought the official start of spring was March 20th (when the equinox was) and the official start of summer is June 21st (when the solstice is) in the whole of the northern hemisphere. But as W. S. Gilbert said, "I don't know, I may be wrong."

This winter has been pretty cold, but not as bad as last year when the temperature where I live went down to -16 C (and was even lower in other parts of the UK).

More snow forecast for the Easter weekend. To quote Gilbert again, "Ah, miseree..."

[Aslanisthebest]

Well, we got a little bit of snow. I wish the weather would make up it's mind, but I suppose I will be content as I'm not adversely affected either way...

As an ignorant newbie Aussie, could I please ask when is the official start of summer in North America? And how cold would you have rated this last winter in comparison to earlier years? And also this March?

The official start of summer here is, like King Erlian said, June 21, when the summer solstice starts. How much the weather follows that is hard to say, lol. This winter.... we got the least amount of snow, so I would say that it has been kind of warmer. However, last year, it was around the 70F/21C in late winter, which was unusual, for here at least. I think the average temperature has been lower than last year. But this winter was just a bit warmer when compared to past years. A normal here is in negative temperatures with wind chill considered, and we did not get too much of that. This March is cooler than last year.

[stargazer]

...I thought the official start of spring was March 20th (when the equinox was) and the official start of summer is June 21st (when the solstice is) in the whole of the northern hemisphere.

You're absolutely right! Strictly speaking, however, the solstices and equinoxes define the astronomical seasons - when the sun crosses the celestial equator or when it reaches its northern- or southernmost point.

But scientists also use meteorological seasons (read more here) that more closely match the weather. By that definition, Northern spring encompasses all of March, April, and May, with summer covering June, July, and August.

As an ignorant newbie Aussie, could I please ask when is the official start of summer in North America? And how cold would you have rated this last winter in comparison to earlier years? And also this March?

There's such a spread in latitude in North America (tropics to Arctic) that it'd be hard to give an answer - not to mention terrain-induced effects such as mountain snow or lake-effect snow (I imagine the same is true in Australia, which is similar in size to the US).

But here in Minnesota (latitude roughly 42-49 north), snow can fall into June. Sometimes we have a long, pleasant spring with gradually warming temps; other years it's like someone flips a switch and the seasons change over a day or two (a notable example was April 1984, which saw a 16-inch snowfall followed by tornadoes less than 72 hours later).

In a 'normal' year the heat really doesn't kick in till late June (solstice) or even July (though May usually will have some hot days as well). The summer months (especially July and August) tend to be hot and humid (at least by northern standards), with temperatures in the 80s or 90s F (25-35C) and dewpoints frequently exceeding 70F/21C.

This past winter has been pretty close to average snowfall-wise but slightly warmer than average in temperature (with fewer nights below 0F/-17C than usual). This March has been quite snowy and cool, especially compared to March 2012, which saw no snow at all (only the second time on record for this) and temperatures commonly up to 30F/17C above average. In contrast, most days this month have been cooler than average, with only one day so far exceeding 40F/4C. It's increasingly likely the month will end before our first 50F/10C high of the year, which is pretty unusual. [/weather geek]

[Princess Anna]

Wagga-
I'm sure those others are right, on when summer technically starts. Personally, I never went by what science or the calendar says in terms of seasons. I always went on what I call the "School Schedule".

I guess because of doing it that way for so long, I can't get out of the habit, even though I'm no longer in school (and haven't been for years) So, for me... "summer" is the timeframe from the middle of May (when school gets out) til the middle or end of August (when school starts up).
............

Speaking of seasons, let me say this...
it is spring... supposedly. It's almost Easter... it's Holy Week. Why the heck is there a foot of snow on the ground?! And more is coming down!

Don't mind me and my whining... I'm just upset cause I was stuck at home yesterday... with all my plans cancelled 'cause of the stupid weather. Oh, the joy of living in the midwest! At least my school age friends are getting a fun snow day out of it!

Ok, ok... and it is pretty. I've taken a handful of pictures on my phone. (too lazy to dig in my room for my camera )

[waggawerewolf27]

Thank you for all your replies. Princess Anna, we're about to have a relatively early Easter this year, so early that the first school term of the year has been extended to later in April. Normally school holidays are calculated to include public holidays so that there is less disruption all round. Easter Sunday is calculated as the Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox or autumn equinox down here. The full moon is today. Perhaps that also explains why this is a particularly odd year weatherwise.

Another explanation is that we had a particularly severe El Niño effect in 2009 to early 2010, with relatively cool years from March 2010 and 2011, due to one of the strongest La Niña effects on record. As a rule of thumb, we get dry conditions in an El Niño, and wet conditions in a La Niña, with Peru, Bolivia and Chile getting the opposite of whatever we get. But that isn't the full picture, according to our Bureau of Meteorology. Apparently there is another factor in the Indian Ocean called the IOD or the Indian Ocean Dipole. But I'm not sure how the IOD affects the weather on Australia as a whole. At the moment, on the Pacific side, we are in a neutral phase, neither La Niña nor El Niño.

And I'm even less clear what happens in the Northern Hemisphere, and how these ocean currents and conditions might explain your good years and bad years to some degree. I don't understand what the picture is in the Northern Hemisphere so well, let alone what happens with the Atlantic Ocean.

There's such a spread in latitude in North America (tropics to Arctic) that it'd be hard to give an answer - not to mention terrain-induced effects such as mountain snow or lake-effect snow (I imagine the same is true in Australia, which is similar in size to the US).

Yes, Australia is similar in width to USA, not counting Alaska and Hawaii. But South America covers an even wider spread of latitudes than does North America. South America stretches from about 12 degrees North to something like 55 degrees South of the Equator, quite near the Antarctic Circle. Whereas Australia only stretches from 10 degrees South to about 45 degrees South. Even the southern tip of New Zealand is less than 50 degrees South.

The longest and biggest range of mountains here is the Great Dividing Range which stretches from Cape Yorke Peninsula to Southern Victoria where it swings around towards South Australia, where we have the Mount Lofty and Flinders Ranges. We don't have anything like the Rocky Mountains in North America, or its South American continuation, the Andes mountains.

Though we get the occasional snow storm during a cold snap along the Great Dividing Range from Victoria to Southern Queensland, we don't have completely snowy winters even there, except in the Snowy Mountains, and the Australian Alps, near Mt Kosciuzko. That is to say, in Southern NSW and Northern Victoria. Even Canberra or Hobart, in Southern Tasmania, are seldom snowed under with actual snow. This is why the weather here isn't simply a mirror reverse of what happens North, though it may seem like it at times.

[fantasia]

We should be getting some nice weather over the next few days. Highs in the mid 60F/18C. Pretty much every day has a chance for rain or a thunderstorm. Not a high chance, but hopefully we'll have some sprinkles come through. Easter Sunday is supposed to be downright gorgeous!
But to my absolute shock and surprise, there is a chance for snow on Monday. What???? Snow again???? It won't stick cause the high is in the 40Fs but still... snow in April? Maybe it's the weather peoples' April Fools Day joke. Last year it was 86F/30C on that day.

[DiGoRyKiRkE]

Nice weather here coming this weekend. Temps will be in the upper 40's and low 50's. Great for taking walks outside, sleeping with the windows up, etc... Looking forward to it!

[Puddleglum]

Ah yes. the long warm days of melt are finally upon us
Yeah right
weather channel has already said highs in the 20's on Monday again. they are saying it's to warm up again after that, but my faith in such predictions has yealded to serious doubt Has anyone seen a witch dressed in white here-abouts

[stargazer]

Mach thunderstorms bring...street flooding from rapid snowmelt, power outages, and computer problems. My home computer still doesn't know the date or time or what the internet is.

[waggawerewolf27]

We've had a beautiful, fine and not too hot Easter, finishing today. I hope it holds out to tomorrow afternoon when the weather can do as it pleases.

[Jane Bennet]

We've had a beautiful, fine and not too hot Easter, finishing today. I hope it holds out to tomorrow afternoon when the weather can do as it pleases.

Oh! I'm so glad you had a wonderful Easter. Mine was quite lovely too.

[fantasia]

So yesterday it snowed here. Snow! In Kansas! In April! Someone upstairs forgot to turn up the thermostat. But I think we are done with the cold weather starting today. It's supposed to warm up dramatically today and tomorrow and then starting on Sunday I think we'll be seeing our typical Kansas springtime thunderstorms roll on through.

[King_Erlian]

Apparently, this March was the coldest March in Britain since the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. Four days into April and still no warmer, but at least we have some nice sunshine.

[stargazer]

That some cool trend continues here. There is a chance of snow flurries this weekend, though April snow is not unusual here.

However, Rochester, Minnesota (the nearest major NWS reporting center to my current location) may set a record for the latest date of the first 50F/10C reading of the spring. That record is April 7, 1970 and it is possible that we won't reach 50F before then this year.

(Last winter? The first 50 came on January 5, 2012 )

[Puddleglum]

Hear the same here stargazer. Had to go in, and out a bit today, and it was not too bad cold-wise, being in the upper 30's. Had a little bit of the white stuff falling about 3pm our time. But my wife said it was raining just a couple miles down the way. Just can't make up it's mind I suppose.
Hopw we get some good rain though. We need a good drenching to clear all the mess that's left over from the melt.

[waggawerewolf27]

Autumn has arrived. Finally.