Summer Is Here

By: Jim Caldwell - Email

Updated: Thu 10:21 PM, Jun 21, 2012

Summer is officially here! Not that it's really a surprise... it's been hot here for a while! So no big surprises.

How did we get here?

The seasons are caused by the tilt of the Earth's rotational axis away or toward the sun as it travels through its year-long path around the sun.

The Earth has a tilt of 22.5 degrees relative to the "ecliptic plane" (the imaginary surface formed by it's almost-cicular path around the sun). The tilt toward the sun is maximized during Northern Hemisphere summer in late June (the "summer solstice"). At this time, the amount of sunlight reaching the Northern Hemisphere is at a maximum.

In late December, on the date of the "winter solstice", the Earth's tilt away from the sun is maximized, leading to a minimum of sunlight reaching the Northern Hemisphere. The seasons, of course, are reversed in the Southern Hemisphere.

During the winter, cold air masses build up over North America, Europe, and Asia, due to the low intensity of sunlight. The oceanic air masses are much less affected by the seasons because circulations in the upper ocean replenish warm surface water if it has been cooled.

The strong temperature contrast between the cold air masses over land and the relatively warmer air masses over the ocean lead to extratropical (non-tropical) cyclone formation (low pressure). These storms are thus much more frequent and intense in the winter than in the summer.

Interesting facts:

The sun is actually closest to the Earth during Northern Hemisphere winter (not summer). Thus, the amount of sunlight averaged over the whole Earth, is as much as 7% more intense in the winter than the summer. Despite this fact, the global-average surface temperature is warmer in Northern Hemisphere summer, due to the much greater expanse of land there, and since land heats to a higher temperature than the ocean does.

This weekend will feature some pretty warm temps this weekend. We'll actually have a front pass over Kentucky on Friday and that could actually force the development of some showers and thunderstorms.

C-Ya Bye

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Summer Is Here

Summer is officially here! Not that it's really a surprise... it's been hot here for a while! So no big surprises.

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