Questions about seasons and weather happenings of late and some outer space.

I live in the US, midwest. There have been some threads with information as to why, but I had some questions more regarding the planet's position orbiting the sun while these bizarre situations in weather occur.

So I was wondering..

In the winter months, the Earth is on its path farthest from the Sun, right? Which obviously shortens our daylight, as it starts going black around 5pm, by 6pm it is usually completely dark. With our distance from the sun, how come I am still experiencing spring-time weather in the upper 40's and 50's (degrees fahrenheit)?

I know it has to do with weather fronts moving in from different parts of the world, I learned a bit of that in a class about natural disasters awhile ago, but I am just confused as to this weather can still be happening because the heat we get from the Sun isn't as direct as it is a bit more 'out there'.

So I guess I am just asking, why we have hotter weather yet the daylight we get is still very short compared to summer?

Our whole solar system is heating up.

Originally posted by TheWhaler
In the winter months, the Earth is on its path farthest from the Sun, right?

Wrong The earth is always the same distance from the sun.

The Earth is not furthest from the Sun. It is tilted on it's axis, during the summer months in the Northern hemisphere it is winter in the Southern hemisphere and vice versa depending on where it is in it's orbital path around the sun.

reply to post by TheWhaler
its not that the earth is further from the sun in the winter its to do with the tilt of the planet and i must say the weather is a bit off at the moment as here in victoria Australia it is summer and relatively cold at the moment we are supposed to be frying but its jumpers on right now la nina ??

I learned that in grade 8, but TheWhaler has to learn it on a web forum ???
What is wrong with todays schools ??

reply to post by mwuhi


The earth orbits the sun in an elliptical orbit...

reply to post by Chadwickus

Sure if you insist on splitting hairs.
That little bit dont amount to much, and is grossly exaggerated in that diagram.

Originally posted by mwuhi
reply to post by Chadwickus

 

Sure if you insist on splitting hairs.
That little bit dont amount to much, and is grossly exaggerated in that diagram.

edit on 11-1-2012 by mwuhi because: (no reason given)

Im sure even a single million km matters

Its a very small percentage, not enough to have any effect on the weather.

reply to post by TheWhaler

www.msnbc.msn.com...

Scientific reasons for Earth’s seasons
Our planet’s tilt dictates cycle of summer and winter

reply to post by TheWhaler


this ought to further confuse you

wiki.answers.com...

reply to post by mwuhi


hahaha. how do you know I am not in 7th or 8th grade???????? Schools in my country are just fine, rather than superiors being not as strict. If I did learn it, maybe you should just GFY