Suggested by a conversation I just had with an idiot related to me, in which the idiot claimed that it is currently summer in Argentina.) In the northern hemispshere, 21st June is the day of the summer solstice. Many persons refer to that event as the first day of summer, but that’s never seemed right to me. The solstice is the day when the sun’s apparent path is furthest north or south of the equator, and there are two each year; summer solstice means the the day is the year’s longest, and winter solstice, the shortest. (Obviously the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere is the winter solstice in the southern, and vice versa.)
But all that is about astronomy, not meteorology; it’s always seemed to me that the seasons should really be defined by average temperatures, amount of rainfall, and so forth. Here in Memphis it’s been summer since at least the first of June, and really since early May. People who call the solstices and equinoxes the “official” start of summer, winter, spring, and autumn are so full of shit they cannot possibly have assholes.
But that’s just me. Which definitions do you go by?
It’s going to hit 90, and it’s humid. It’s summer. I, also, don’t buy into the seasons being defined by the dates of the solstices and equinoxes (if those are the correct plurals).
I’ve always gone with the meteorological sense, at least in those standard “weather” conversations. As often as not, New England tends to skip straight from 70 degrees to 90, so it’s a pretty obvious transition.
Also, in my mind, you’re serving those lemonades you can get at the fair, with fresh lemons and a ton of sugar. Perfect for Friday afternoon when work can’t get out fast enough!
I dunno. I don’t particularly care if Summer begins on the 21st of June, but I know that summer begins when I start contemplating buying corona and limes.
I hate it when weathermen say, “today is the official start of summer” (on June 20-21.) I don’t believe an organization exists for setting the official start of seasons. Maybe I’m wrong.
It was almost 100 degress in DC this week. If that ain’t summer, I don’t know what is. Besides, everyone knows summer starts on Memorial day.
There’s nothing “official” about when the seasons start and end, and if there were, it certainly wouldn’t be the solstices. Summer started many weeks ago and winter starts well before Dec. 21 or whatever.
I always go by the convenient rule of thumb that the summer is June, July and August. Autumn is Sept-Nov. Winter is Dec-Feb and spring from March-May. The weather might not always cooperate, but that gives us license to complain that “this is a mild winter” or “colder than average spring.”
Here in the GTA it’s been summery for at least a week. We’ve already had our first tornado. School is out (I graduated yesterday! ) and lawns are thickly green.
I’ve been going outside assuming I don’t need a jacket. THAT is the definition of summer.
I used to think June-July-August made more sense as summer, since it more closely aligns with the hottest 1/4 of the year than summer solstice-autumnal equinox. But that meant summer ended before I was ready for it to end. I’d kind of go with it starting on the summer solstice, but the summer solstice is my wedding anniversary, so think about that, instead of summer.
Astronomical facts aside, as far as I’m concerned it’s been summer down here since the middle of May, and that’s late for us. Usually it’s the beginning of May, but we actually had a spring this year that lasted longer than a week or two. It was nice. Weird, but nice.
Summer for me is when I can go outside in the evening without sleeves and not shiver.
He says that when it’s summer is a reference to the time of year–that is, the months June, July, and August–rather than to temperature and precipitation conditions.
I just think of spring as being a hot-ending season. I have no need to call any hot day a summer day because ‘hot spring day’ suffices. Similarly, summer ends a bit chilly.
) and lawns are thickly green.