# Months of the seasons **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 31, 2001, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/months-of-the-seasons/79088 "2001-08-31T08:53:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bryanmaguire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d07c76/32.png) [@bryanmaguire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bryanmaguire)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2001, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/months-of-the-seasons/79088/1 "2001-08-31T08:53:26Z")
Somebody help me here. I am trying to clarify which months belong in which seasons I think Spring - February, March, Arpril Summer - May, June, July Autumn - August, September, October Winter- November, December, January Somebody is trying to convince me that autumn doesnt start until september with the effect that winter is December, January, February. I have been told this may have a US/Europeaa bias to it i.e. Mine id the European version but the person I was talking to was using the american version. anybody know for definite? ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2001, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/months-of-the-seasons/79088/2 "2001-08-31T12:32:01Z")
The boundaries traditionally fall on the vernal and autumnal equinox and the winter and summer solstice (not sure on the plural of these words: equinoxes, solstices?) Vernal (spring) equinox = March 20 or 21 Summer solstice = June 21 or 22 Autumnal (fall) equinox = Sept 22 or 23 Winter solstice = December 22 or 23 These would be reversed in the Southern Hemisphere. Anyway, these are decent demarcations for the season, but will of course vary with latitude. As you get closer to the Equator you begin to lose any sense of season. As you move closer to the poles you distort the winter to an extreme, not sure how this plays out with other seasons. But using the above, the seasons for the temperate Northern Hemisphere would be as follows: Spring = late March, April, May and the beginning of June Summer = late June, July, August and the beginning of September Fall = late September, October, November and early December Winter = late December, January, February and early March. For my personal perspective I would use the whole of the first month on that list and lop off the end month on each. Here’s a [link](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/newreply.php?action=newreply&threadid=84689) ---
**Author:** ![Popup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/94ad74/32.png) [@Popup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Popup)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2001, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/months-of-the-seasons/79088/3 "2001-08-31T13:34:08Z")
[The master speaks](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_170b.html) Short version: > [@](#): > > There is a widespread misconception in this country–which extends, I might note, to the makers of most calendars, dictionaries, and encyclopedias–that summer “officially” starts on the day of the summer solstice, June 21 or 22, which is the longest day of the year. Americans also believe (1) that there is some valid scientific reason for doing it that way, and (2) that everybody in the Northern Hemisphere does it that way, and always has. > > None of these things is true. So far as I have been able to discover, no scientific or governmental body has ever formally declared that summer starts on the solstice. My favourite definition of the four seasons (Vivaldi aside) is the Swedish: [ul][li]Summer is when the average temperature is above +10°C[/li][li]Winter is when the average temperature is below 0°C[/li][li]Spring and Autumn fit in between[/li][/ul] [Link](http://www.smhi.se/kund_t/arstider.htm) (in Swedish) After all, it’s more important what the weather’s like, than what the calendar says. ---
**Author:** ![Phobos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Phobos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phobos)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2001, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/months-of-the-seasons/79088/4 "2001-08-31T13:35:38Z")
Like ShibbOleth said, I usually hear that, on paper, the equinox and soltices are used to declare the beginning of a season. However, I have also heard that this is not official &/or mandatory. For example, some people consider summer to end when schools re-open. Or, some consider summer = hottest months and winter = coldest months with snow (which in my area means summer = June, July, August and winter = December, January, February). ---
**Author:** ![Phobos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Phobos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phobos)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2001, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/months-of-the-seasons/79088/5 "2001-08-31T13:36:44Z")
tc - - yeah, I guess that’s where I heard it! d’oh! ---
**Author:** ![bryanmaguire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d07c76/32.png) [@bryanmaguire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bryanmaguire)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2001, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/months-of-the-seasons/79088/6 "2001-08-31T13:42:15Z")
Thanks TC, so this a European/US bias (well Irish/US bias but when did we irish ever care what the rest of Europe thought?) thing which means I am right. Thank You. Though the master did have the cheek to say > [@](#): > > I should emphasize that just because our Irish friends start their summer earlier does not mean Ireland gets warmer earlier. The cruel truth is that it never gets warm in Ireland, which has one of the most dismal climates on earth. TO this I heartily disagree. It is our “dismal climate” which is responsible for the rolling green fields so beloved of tourists. Despite all the complaining we Irish do about the weather there isnt one among us who would change it. ---
**Author:** ![Gaspode](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gaspode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaspode)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2001, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/months-of-the-seasons/79088/7 "2001-08-31T13:46:51Z")
In tropical Australia at least summer is generally considered to be December, January & February, the three hottest and wettest months of the year. June, July & August are the three coldest months and naturally make winter. No problem. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2001, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/months-of-the-seasons/79088/8 "2001-08-31T14:09:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tc \* > \*\* > My favourite definition of the four seasons (Vivaldi aside) is the Swedish: > [ul][li]Summer is when the average temperature is above +10°C[/li][li]Winter is when the average temperature is below 0°C[/li][li]Spring and Autumn fit in between[/li][/ul] > After all, it’s more important what the weather’s like, than what the calendar says. \*\* My father, who was from the real extreme far North in Sweden, prefered to dress according the calendar, or rather according to the usual weather where he grew up. Thus he started wearing long underwear in September/October, even if it was +15-20°C outside. BTW I always thought that that was the standard way for meteorologists to separate between the seasons, not a particularly Swedish way. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Bad\_Astronomer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@The\_Bad\_Astronomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Bad_Astronomer)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2001, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/months-of-the-seasons/79088/9 "2001-09-01T01:40:00Z")
I happen to agree with the Master: [Phil Plait's Bad Astronomy: Misconceptions](http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/misc/badseasons.html) 😉 ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2001, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/months-of-the-seasons/79088/10 "2001-09-01T06:39:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bryanmaguire \* > \*\*Despite all the complaining we Irish do about the weather there isnt one among us who would change it. \*\* I’m gonna take a straw poll at work on Monday and report back. I think there might be a _few_ who’d raise the temperature a few degrees in winter 😉