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Location: The Valley Of The Sun just east of Canberra
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Roughly, when do each of the four seasons (if you have four at all) commence at your location? Not every place fits neatly into the meteorological and/or astronomical definitions that have taken precedence in Western society. Here in SE Australia, for instance, Indigenous peoples use up to six seasons to describe the climate.
Here's my opinion for Sydney, Australia.
Summer: December-March
This is the season when warmth is pretty much guaranteed, with virtually no days featuring maxima below 20C/68F (the only exception being in heavy rain). This past December featured quite a few days at or below 20C, but this was an exceptionally cold month in NSW.
"High summer", when heatwaves are common, occurs roughly between Christmas and the middle of February. March is decidedly milder than the rest of summer with fewer days above 30C/86F and rain is common. However, since days below 20C are still rare in March (and nights are still very warm for the most part), I don't consider it to be autumn just yet.
Autumn: April-May
This is the season when cooler days (<20C/68F) creep back into the mix. Days are shorter and some trees are turning (more noticeable at elevation). Autumn in Sydney is very gradual with the occasional summer like day (>26C/80F) possible well into May. This is our most stable season, though significant rain is a possibility particularly in early April. Night time temps are significantly cooler than summer ; minima above 20C are very rare.
Winter: June-July
To call this season "winter" is quite frankly a bit of an insult, though true winter with frost and snow can be found at elevation just to the west and south. What little winter there is manifests itself in shorter days with low sun angle (no risk of sunburn) and a few bare trees. Maximum temps are mostly below 20C/68F, though days up to 25C/77F occur infrequently. Night time temps are mostly below 10C/50F in the suburbs. June can be wet and windy, whilst July usually features stunning bluebird days as winds turn offshore.
Spring: August-September
Flowers are budding in early August as the sun regains its punch. Central Australia is heating rapidly; NW winds ahead of cold fronts bring down some of this warmth to Sydney, causing temperature spikes in the high 20s C in August and low 30s C in September (not unlike the "little summer" observed in Argentina). For this reason, August doesn't really feel like winter, especially towards the end of the month. Nights are starting to warm but remain cool, especially in August. This is the driest time of the year in Sydney as westerly winds off the continent dominate. Days above 20C start to become common by mid August, even outside of NW wind days.
Pre-summer or "Sprummer": October-November
This is a highly variable time of year, with summer and winter both getting a look in at times. Most days are above 20C with the odd cold front bringing lower temps, whilst nights remain coolish. Hot weather (35C-40C) is possible by mid October, though usually not for extended periods. November can see extended runs of heat but again, it's less common here than in "true" summer. Easterly (onshore) winds start to dominate as we get closer to summer, hence October/November is usually wetter than August/September.
Comment
In my analysis above, I have tended to use 20C maximum temps as a baseline for warmth. This seems like a sensible approach given that this temp is considered "room temperature". Basically:
Summer should feature consistent (or total) warmth
Winter should feature a lack (or total absence) of warmth
Spring/Autumn should contain some warmth, but it is not consistent.
The definition of "warmth", of course, changes with the climate. I know 18C is used as the base for heating/cooling degree days. A higher value seems more appropriate for my Cfa climate.
Roughly, when do each of the four seasons (if you have four at all) commence at your location? Not every place fits neatly into the meteorological and/or astronomical definitions that have taken precedence in Western society. Here in SE Australia, for instance, Indigenous peoples use up to six seasons to describe the climate.
Interesting, do you know what they and their characteristics are? I've said many times that the idea of four three-month seasons might work well here but comparing them to much of the rest of the world it seems a Eurocentric idea which doesn't necessarily translate well into local reality.
I'm more or less happy with the 1 March-31 May etc definitions of our seasons. To take the example of winter/spring, March 1st may be slightly colder than December 1st, but it's much brighter and lighter with the first of the spring growth generally already showing, so it seems reasonable to say it's spring. The earliest ice day recorded here in living memory was November 28th and the latest March 1st, a period which fits more or less well with what I could call winter. Ditto September 1st is warmer than June 1st, but the sun is noticeably getting weaker and the evenings less long, and most of the events you'd associate with summer have already been and gone, so it seems fair to call it autumn.
Location: The Valley Of The Sun just east of Canberra
414 posts, read 798,399 times
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Quote:
Sydney's six-season Aboriginal calendar is based on the flowering of various native plants.
• Murrai'yunggoray, when the red waratah flower blooms, is the first season. Spanning September and October, it is a time when temperatures rise.
• Goraymurrai, when the two-veined hickory wattle flowers, occurs around November to December. It is a time of warm, wet weather and historically Aborigines would not camp near rivers for fear of flooding.
• Gadalung marool, when the single-veined hickory wattle flowers, is hot and dry. It occurs from January to February and Aborigines only ate fruit and seeds as the heat meant stored meat would spoil quickly.
• Banamurrai'yung, when the lillipilli tree produces tiny sour berries, is around March to May and is a time of wet, cooling temperatures, a signal to make cloaks to keep warm.
• Tugarah'tuli, when the forest red gum flowers around June to July, is a cold time. Aborigines would traditionally journey to the coast where food was more abundant.
• Tugarah'gunyamarra, when the gossamer wattle flowers around August, is the (start of spring)?
^^ Ah, that's more like it! I bet indigenous cultures in most European-descended countries have a similar thing which probably makes more sense to them than the imported winter-spring-summer-autumn idea.
Seasons in Perth can be defined as well by its rainfall patterns as it temperatures. Here's my personal interpretation within the traditional four season model:
Summer (Late-November-March): Consistently warm-hot (25C+/77F+) and dry. Easterly winds with afternoon seabreezes occurring most days. Heatwaves of (35C+/95F+) are common. Rainfall is sparse and erratic, with most days being dominated by blazing sunshine.
Autumn (April-May): Arrival of the the first significant winter cold fronts. Still plenty of sunshine and warm days (25C+/77F+), particularly during April. Heatwaves and days of 30C+/86F+ become rare by mid-April
Winter (June-August): The wettest time of year. Wet, windy days are experienced interspersed with clear, calm days. Consistently cool-mild with max. temperatures rarely rising much above or below 19C/66F.
Spring (September-Early November): Wildflower/hayfever season. Starts off cool though temperatures steadily increase as rainfall tapers off. By mid-November temperatures are consistently warm and rainfall has tapered off to summer levels. By the end of the season temperatures start getting close to or surpassing 38C/100F on some days.
The indigenous Noongar's of the Perth area traditionally split the year into 6 seasons:
Six Noongar Seasons (http://www.excelsiorps.det.wa.edu.au/Turtle%20Warriors%20New/favorite.htm - broken link)
I think we either have less than four seasons or more. I'll break it up into what seems to be important here:
Crummy Winter: Late October-Late January
This is the period when you really notice the short days. The early part of this period is usually marked by several severe wind storms. You can still get out and play, but you don't have a lot of light to do it in.
Good Winter: February-Early April
More light, fewer clouds, and usually a good snowpack. Time for fun in the mountains.
Spring: Mid April-Late May
More accurately called "Breakup," this is a time of great slushiness and also new leaves and greenery. Bears start coming out of their dens and people are getting ready for gardening, but there's still enough snow in the mountains for skiing.
Summer: June-August
Warmer temps, clearer skies, endless daylight. Time for camping and fishing. You may at some point find yourself wondering if 10pm is too late to mow your lawn. August can be rainy.
Fall: September-Mid October
Can be rainy, or there can be an Indian summer in September. This period is for hunting, berry-picking, and harvesting the last of your garden veggies. It's the end of salmon season, the time when the tourists leave and town quiets down, and locals hurry to finish outdoor projects and get the yard ready for snow.
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