2 minute read
Weather and Seasons
The United States is in the Northern Hemisphere. In June, it is summer.
New Zealand is in the Southern Hemisphere. In June, it is winter.
Go Online!
Observe how the Earth’s tilt and revolution around the Sun cause us to experience seasons on the NGScience website. QuickCode: R4S7
The Earth is divided into two halves – the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere. As the Earth revolves around the Sun, sunlight hits one hemisphere more directly than the other. This causes us to experience seasons. In June, for example, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun and is in summer. The Southern Hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun and is in winter.
Summer
Winter
Northern Hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
Summer is the hottest season, occurring between spring and fall. Summer is the season with the most hours of daylight. It has the earliest sunrises and the latest sunsets.
Fall is the season after summer. During fall, the temperature gets cool and the number of daylight hours begins to decrease. The leaves on some trees begin to change color and fall away. This will help them to save energy during the approaching winter. During winter, the Earth is tilted away from the Sun. The weather is the coldest and the days are the shortest. The Sun rises later in the morning and sets in the late afternoon. In some parts of the Earth, winter is also the season when it is most likely to snow. The ground may be covered in ice and lakes and streams may freeze. Some animals become inactive or migrate to warmer places during winter. As winter moves to spring, the number of daylight hours increases and the temperature gets warmer. Spring is the season for reproduction. Trees regrow their leaves and start to produce flowers. Animals become active and also reproduce during spring.
AB Activity 9.6
summer
fall
winter
A Closer Look Graphing Weather
Scientists are constantly collecting data about the weather. They often create tables and graphs to help them understand seasonal changes in weather. Tables and charts are also a useful way to communicate weather information to people. Let’s take a look at the yearly changes in weather for San Francisco, United States.
Average Daylight Hours – San Francisco Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 10 11 12 13 14 14.5 14.5 13.5 12.5 11.5 10 9.5
120 mm
100 mm
80 mm
60 mm
40 mm
20 mm
0 mm
Jan Average Precipitation – San Francisco
Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
How does the weather change throughout the year in San Francisco?
25oC
