It's June 18th and the weather is still pretty crappy. Highs predicted in the 60's with rain all week... Doesn't feel like Summer does it?

Well it's not Summer, yet. Not until June 21st. (Which is this Sunday, and it just so happens to have a forecast of 80's and sunny - definite Summer weather)

We've had a lot of mild weather the past few years, and it's easy to forget when the seasons change. I noticed a lot of my friends on Facebook griping about the weather and thought I'd do some research on when the seasons actually change. I knew it was determined by solar events, but I wasn't sure exactly how everything was decided.

So how is the changing of the seasons determined?

Summer starts with the Summer Solstice; when the day is the longest it will be all year, and the night the shortest. The solstice always comes in late June in the northern hemisphere. (If you are in the southern hemisphere you will have your Winter Solstice and the start of Winter when we have our first day of Summer)

After Summer, Autumn (or Fall) begins on the Autumnal Equinox, which is when day and night are of equal length on all parts of the globe, approximately 12 hours each. Fall begins in late September.

The first day of Winter aligns with the Winter Solstice, the opposite of Summer and the shortest day of the year with the longest night. This occurs in late December in the northern hemisphere.

Spring begins on the Vernal Equinox, again when day and night are approximately equal all over the globe. This usually falls in late March.

In most parts of the world the official change of seasons does not match up with the actual change of seasons. Up here in Rochester, for example, Winter begins much sooner than the end of December, while March (even the end of March) is hardly ever warm enough to be considered Spring. By mid-June most places expect the weather to be warm and summery, not cold, dreary, and spring-like... even though it is still technically Spring.

This Winter has been particularly long and cold. One possible culprit is the sun, and it's recent lack of spots. The sun is set to start a new cycle pretty soon and begin bursting with flares again; hopefully this won't cause the opposite effect and create super hot summer months or - even worse - disrupt the electric and power grids!

While the weather recently is far from ideal now, try to remember that Summer is coming with it's warmth, barbecues, and flowery shirts.

Or as The Byrds say:
To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time for every purpose, under heaven