# Do you know why the weather is warmer in the summer? (Not a General Question) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 4, 2005, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-why-the-weather-is-warmer-in-the-summer-not-a-general-question/306810 "2005-06-04T00:42:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![IAMBIC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b3f665/32.png) [@IAMBIC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IAMBIC)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-why-the-weather-is-warmer-in-the-summer-not-a-general-question/306810/1 "2005-06-04T00:42:48Z")
This is not really a question about Astronomy or Meteorology. It’s about what most people know about basic science. (I realize that people on this board are not “most people” …) I’ve noticed that many intelligent people who are familiar with many areas of study, are (surprisingly?) unfamiliar with some basic science. I’ve asked three friends the question in this thread’s title and, so far, only one of them got the right answer. All three are university graduates: one is a nurse, one is a law student, and the other is a teacher. So, I’m wondering: Do you think you know why the weather is warmer in the summer? ---
**Author:** ![pilot141](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e0b2c6/32.png) [@pilot141](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pilot141)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-why-the-weather-is-warmer-in-the-summer-not-a-general-question/306810/2 "2005-06-04T01:44:23Z")
I don’t _think_ I know the answer; I DO know the answer. 🆒 I realize you are going for some kind of poll here, but once someone (anyone) posts the answer your poll is invalid. I won’t do that, so we’ll both see how far this goes. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-why-the-weather-is-warmer-in-the-summer-not-a-general-question/306810/3 "2005-06-04T01:45:11Z")
Yes 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![elfbabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b782af/32.png) [@elfbabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfbabe)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-why-the-weather-is-warmer-in-the-summer-not-a-general-question/306810/4 "2005-06-04T01:57:12Z")
I do! ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-why-the-weather-is-warmer-in-the-summer-not-a-general-question/306810/5 "2005-06-04T01:59:35Z")
Me too. Next question? ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Tonya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/4491bb/32.png) [@Queen\_Tonya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Tonya)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-why-the-weather-is-warmer-in-the-summer-not-a-general-question/306810/6 "2005-06-04T02:02:06Z")
You paranoided me, so I looked it up to make sure nothing had changed since junior high earth science class in ye olden days. Nothing has, so I’m a yes. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-why-the-weather-is-warmer-in-the-summer-not-a-general-question/306810/7 "2005-06-04T02:04:32Z")
Yes, I know the “real” answer, as do probably 83% of the regular posters to the Dope. (We’ve tried to help the other 17%, but they’re just really too stupid.) Seriously, you don’t need to try to impress us. You’re here already, for Christ’s sake. The average long term Doper is very well aware of many of the fallacies of pop science in the knowledge of the masses. Far ahead of the curve is how I would express it. Such a mundane question for this group. I appreciate your enthusiasm, tho. Stick around. We always welcome fresh meat, er…, insights. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-why-the-weather-is-warmer-in-the-summer-not-a-general-question/306810/8 "2005-06-04T02:06:39Z")
Yes. If you have a basketball and a flashlight I could show you why 😃 ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-why-the-weather-is-warmer-in-the-summer-not-a-general-question/306810/9 "2005-06-04T02:12:32Z")
23 degrees (and I don’t mean temperature degrees). ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-why-the-weather-is-warmer-in-the-summer-not-a-general-question/306810/10 "2005-06-04T02:17:17Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > 23 degrees (and I don’t mean temperature degrees). Are you implying that it’s the angle of the dangle that’s important, good sir? ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-why-the-weather-is-warmer-in-the-summer-not-a-general-question/306810/11 "2005-06-04T02:31:31Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > 23 degrees (and I don’t mean temperature degrees). Since Hearts have been broken, here’s my Queen of Spades. 23.4° to be a little more precise. But, let’s not spoil the poll! (Or the poles, for that matter.) [Milankovitch Cycles and seasonal severity might interest some.](http://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/docs/seasons_orbit.html) Stick around, I post a Soltice length poll for light (ha!) reading every Summer. And some of the people here are actual astronomers! (I do home and restaurant remodel.) ---
**Author:** ![IAMBIC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b3f665/32.png) [@IAMBIC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IAMBIC)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-why-the-weather-is-warmer-in-the-summer-not-a-general-question/306810/12 "2005-06-04T02:41:25Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > Seriously, you don’t need to try to impress us. You’re here already, for Christ’s sake. The average long term Doper is very well aware of many of the fallacies of pop science in the knowledge of the masses. Far ahead of the curve is how I would express it. Such a mundane question for this group. Uh … not quite my point. Impress you with what? That I know the answer, or that I know that many people don’t know the answer? As I said in my OP, I realize that Dopers are not “most people.” But I’m quite sure that not all of them know the right answer. The reason I picked the particular question in this thread is that I knew the answer when I was 10 years old (at least, most of the answer), but I had a difficult time convincing some adults. Even with the flashlight … Now, many years later, I’m just surprised that many educated people don’t know. This is not a startling revelation. It’s just an observation. Perhaps I should have posted in MPSIMS. Anyway, do most posters in this thread think there is just one reason why summers are hot? ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-why-the-weather-is-warmer-in-the-summer-not-a-general-question/306810/13 "2005-06-04T02:46:15Z")
I know. Now, why don’t we guess who got the answer right in the original poll. The Law student The Nurse The Teacher I’m going with Law Student. **IAMBIC** you can put the correct answer in a spoiler box so people can see the correct person. ---
**Author:** ![Strinka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strinka/32/512_2.png) [@Strinka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strinka)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-why-the-weather-is-warmer-in-the-summer-not-a-general-question/306810/14 "2005-06-04T02:57:03Z")
Ooh! Ooh! I know! I know! Pick me! Pick me! Mrs. IAMBIC, pick me! ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-why-the-weather-is-warmer-in-the-summer-not-a-general-question/306810/15 "2005-06-04T03:01:56Z")
My apologies for appearing to have assigned intent. I like to ask friends _this_ question: Is it hotter in the Summer or in the country? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![IAMBIC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b3f665/32.png) [@IAMBIC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IAMBIC)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-why-the-weather-is-warmer-in-the-summer-not-a-general-question/306810/16 "2005-06-04T03:16:57Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > I know. > > Now, why don’t we guess who got the answer right in the original poll. > > The Law student > The Nurse > The Teacher > > I’m going with Law Student. > **IAMBIC** you can put the correct answer in a spoiler box so people can see the correct person. Law student Anyway, I doubt than many of those who don’t know the answer to the thread’s question will post. It’s obvious that many people in this thread have at least part of the answer. (As I expected). And maybe it’s the \*only \* answer for the question as worded in the title. I realize that a better more complex question would have been: Why is the weather in some parts of the world warmer than that in other parts? At least four additional factors that I can think of. But, as I said, this wasn’t meant to be a quiz, but, rather, a survey. And not a very effective one at that … And I certainly don’t mind if someone posts the answer, for those who haven’t yet picked up on it in numerous posts. Carry on. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Tonya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/4491bb/32.png) [@Queen\_Tonya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Tonya)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-why-the-weather-is-warmer-in-the-summer-not-a-general-question/306810/17 "2005-06-04T14:21:53Z")
Hmm, just to check on the common answers, I asked my 7th grader and two adult friends, none of them got it correct. My boy had a “oh, yeah, I knew that, I forgot but now I remember” reaction as soon as I started to explain the right answer, the two adult friends needed full explanations with visual demonstrations to understand. But they’re not dopers. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-why-the-weather-is-warmer-in-the-summer-not-a-general-question/306810/18 "2005-06-04T16:40:03Z")
[official moderator warning]Why don’t you just go ahead and give us the “right” answer in MPSIMS, or if you wish to put down people who don’t agree with your “right” answer, start something in the BBQ Pit. This is the second supposed poll you’ve started in IMHO with the purpose of showing that you are right and others are wrong, and this is the second thread of yours I’ve had to close.[/official moderator warning]