Winter starts soon

[TimberWolf]

Your post that started this thread was alluding to the need to acknowledge winter's start in the UK as having already occurred.

I am trying to agree with you.

No, quite the reverse. I was saying the commonly used start date for Winter has not yet occurred, despite the recent 'winter' weather (it will occur on Tuesday). I often poke fun of that date.

[RichardCranium]

No, quite the reverse. I was saying the commonly used start date for Winter has not yet occurred, despite the recent 'winter' weather (it will occur on Tuesday). I often poke fun of that date.

Please do poke fun at that date. It is bollocks to use it as the start of Winter, and I think you are in a minority in thinking it is commonly used as the start of Winter from a Northern hemisphere, human perspective. Those that do so are wrong, or are lazy journalists filling column inches with stupid bollocks.

[TimberWolf]

FFS.

The hemisphere is completely relevant because in the Southern Hemisphere, it is SUMMER.

Ah, I thought you were speaking of the equinoxes. What are you describing here:

the axis is parallel to the line from the Earth to the Sun,

which axis? Which 'line'? The Earth's axis is never parallel to the ecliptic. It is however perpendicular to it in March and September.

[TimberWolf]

Please do poke fun at that date. It is bollocks to use it as the start of Winter, and I think you are in a minority in thinking it is commonly used as the start of Winter from a Northern hemisphere, human perspective. Those that do so are wrong, or are lazy journalists filling column inches with stupid bollocks.

Perhaps I am wrong. And Wiki, the Encyclopaedia Britannica and probably most calendars. Oh, and astronomers.

[RichardCranium]

Perhaps I am wrong. And Wiki, the Encyclopaedia Britannica and probably most calendars. Oh, and astronomers.

I couldn't give a flying fuck any more. You are determined not to read what I wrote that supports your assertion, starting with midwinter being on 21t December, and instead want the world to be wrong so you can complain about it.

Suit yourself. Be unhappy.

[TimberWolf]

I couldn't give a flying fuck any more. You are determined not to read what I wrote that supports your assertion, starting with midwinter being on 21t December, and instead want the world to be wrong so you can complain about it.

Suit yourself. Be unhappy.

Sorry, I'm just acting for the defence, I don't like the date either. Perhaps that winter start date isn't in as common use as I thought. The likelihood is that most people have only a vague idea when winter starts, except when they see it on a calendar or when it gets cold.

Summer in no better, with mid-summer's day coinciding with the start of summer (at least, as is often shown on calendars) and the longest day.

[doodab]

Perhaps I am wrong. And Wiki, the Encyclopaedia Britannica and probably most calendars. Oh, and astronomers.

In 1780 the Societas Meteorologica Palatina, an early international organization for meteorology, defined seasons as groupings of three whole months. Ever since, professional meteorologists all over the world have used this definition.[5] Therefore, in meteorology for the Northern hemisphere, spring begins on 1 March, summer on 1 June, autumn on 1 September, and winter on 1 December.

Season - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In traditional reckoning, the seasons begin at the cross-quarter days. The solstices and equinoxes are the midpoints of these seasons. For example, the days of greatest and least insolation are considered the "midsummer" and "midwinter" respectively.
This reckoning is used by various traditional cultures in the Northern Hemisphere, including East Asian and Irish cultures.[citation needed] In Iran, Afghanistan and some other parts of Middle East the beginning of the astronomical spring is the beginning of the new year which is called Nowruz.

Season - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In astronomical reckoning, the solstices and equinoxes ought to be the middle of the respective seasons, but, because of thermal lag, regions with a continental climate often consider these four dates to be the start of the seasons as in the diagram, with the cross-quarter days considered seasonal midpoints.

Season - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[doodab]

The Encyclopedia Britannica is a Merkin publication. (FFS, they cannot even spell Encyclopædia correctly.)

They do on the site itself, just not in the domain name. I expect that's because of the limits on which characters one could use in domain names when it was registered.

In this case, Wikipedia seems have bested them.

[TimberWolf]

Season - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



Season - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



Season - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Also in Wiki:

In the USA (and sometimes in Britain) the season is regarded as beginning at the solstice and ending on the following equinox[2][3] — in the Northern Hemisphere, depending on the year, this corresponds to the period between 21 or 22 December and 20 or 21 March.
Winter - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I had previously pointed out that weathermen use whole months, so there's no contention or anything new there.

[doodab]

Blah

My point was actually that there is no "generally accepted" definition, but that most traditional definitions say that 21st December is the middle of winter, not the start.