Climatologists and meteorologists need to compare "apples to apples" when looking at weather history. Because the astronomical solstice date moves around (June 20, 21, or 22), comparing seasonal statistics becomes messy.
The answer depends on whether you are looking at the or the thermometer . Here is everything you need to know about Meteorological Summer —and why it probably starts earlier than you think.
Yes, indirectly. When you hear a news report say, "This was the hottest summer on record," they are almost certainly talking about the summer (June–Aug). When you look at long-term farming almanacs or hurricane season forecasts (which runs June 1 to Nov 30), they are using the Meteorological calendar. when does meteorological summer start
Meteorological summer in the Northern Hemisphere consistently begins on June 1 and ends on August 31, aligning with the Gregorian calendar for statistical consistency. Unlike the astronomical season based on the summer solstice, this three-month block represents the warmest period of the year and differs from the Southern Hemisphere's summer, which runs from December 1 through February. Further details on this distinction are available via NOAA . National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) (.gov) +2 AI can make mistakes, so double-check responses Copy Creating a public link... You can now share this thread with others Good response Bad response 3 sites Meteorological Versus Astronomical Seasons | News 22 Sept 2016 —
This is based on the annual temperature cycle and the Gregorian calendar. Climatologists and meteorologists need to compare "apples to
While the general public typically waits for the summer solstice to "officially" start the season, experts at organizations like NOAA and the National Weather Service rely on meteorological dates for several practical reasons:
In the Southern Hemisphere, meteorological summer starts on December 1st and ends on February 28th (or February 29th in leap years). Here is everything you need to know about
By locking summer to the , climatologists can accurately compare weather patterns year over year. Plus, let’s be honest—by June 1, most of the Northern Hemisphere is already feeling the heat, regardless of what the solstice says.
In the Northern Hemisphere, meteorological summer is usually considered to be June, July, and August. In the Southern Hemisphere, it is December, January, and February. These months are typically characterized by the warmest temperatures of the year, as well as the most humid and unstable weather patterns.
In the Southern Hemisphere (places like Australia and Argentina), the dates are flipped. Their meteorological summer runs from .