Have you ever wondered, as you watched the snow fall or basked in the summer sun, why is it that we have seasons? Why does water freeze into snowflakes at times while at others suffocates us with humid vapour.
What directs the drastic shifts in climate every spring or fall? No, it’s not because we revolve closer or further from the sun as many believe, the difference in the slightly elliptical orbit is not enough to cause heat changes.
We have seasons because our planet is tilted and at different times of the year the warm sunlight reaches the ground differently.
In the winter, not only are the days fleeting and short, but sunlight fall at an angle, failing to provide enough warmth to warm us up. Meanwhile, in the opposite hemisphere, light descends straight and the days are long and warm.
As for spring and fall, it is the time when the sun shines equally on both hemispheres, gifting us soft, temperate weather.
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