Winter or Autumn then?

Fooz

For some reason I always thought November 1st was the start of winter but some think it's 1 December. I looked it up on wiki and found that it's officially December 1 in the Northern Hemisphere but according to the "Irish calendar" it's 1 November. So why do most of my friends and colleagues (all in Ireland) think it's 1 December? I'm pretty sure I was taught the Irish way in school...

AlmightyCushion

I was always told it was 1st November, I think. It's not like it matters anyway.

Mint Sauce

ofically, think its supose to be autumn, but feels like winter

Latchy

It's why we have to turn back the clocks in the first place that bugs me and millions like me .In the uk it is somthing to do with scottish farmers blah , blah .........honestly for fcuks sake :rolleyes:

philstar

well i was always led to believe that november, december & january were the winter months.

but the bbc have a program on at the mo called autumnwatch, so i don't know

Latchy

When the clocks go back GMT is officialy when winter time begins .....but it's being kind to us so far ....

peasant

I was taught the astronomical seasons ...so for me it's still autumn

Winter (89 days) begins on 21-22 Dec, the winter solstice
Spring (92 days) on 20-21 Mar, the spring equinox
Summer (93 days) on 20-21 June, the summer solstice
Autumn (90 days) on 22-23 Sept, the autumn equinox

admiralofthefleet

when its brass monkeys outside you know its winter. which is now

leninbenjamin

I was taught the Irish seasons...

going to rain
raining
windy and raining
depressingly dark, windy, cold and raining

l3LoWnA

I was a Summer baby - born in the the Month of May! And no-one can tell me different!

It's Winter now! At least it's winter where I live, the North West! November, December, January = Winter!

robinph

peasant wrote: »

I was taught the astronomical seasons ...so for me it's still autumn

If your going by the astronomical dates then surely those solstices and equinox mark the middle of each season not the start. Why would the start of summer be on the longest day of the year?

The Queen

November is beginning of winter!! or so i was always led to believe.....

peasant

robinph wrote: »

If your going by the astronomical dates then surely those solstices and equinox mark the middle of each season not the start. Why would the start of summer be on the longest day of the year?

Well, in southern Germany (where I come from) the weather does actually tie in quite nicely with the astronomical seasons.

In early June you can still get night frost (occassionaly) and the real "summer heat" only happens in July and particularly August.

Same with winter ...the really cold and frosty months are January and February and even early March.

I have to say though, over here in Ireland "my" seasons don't make that much sense any more

This seems to be more accurate:

Winter begins on 5-10 Nov, Samhain,
Spring on 2-7 Feb, Imbolc,
Summer on 4-10 May, Beltane,
Autumn on 3-10 Aug, Lughnasadh,

watna

I would be of the opinion that December is that start of winter as I'd consider Dec, Jan and Feb as Winter. i hate this Feb is in spring crap.... it doesn't wash with me! Saying that it is fecking freezing and very wintery outside, but still. November = Autumn.

mike65

Winter is Dec-Feb and anyone who tells me Febuary is Spring is an idiot. Feb is the coldest month of the year!

Mike.

Wertz

latchyco wrote: »

It's why we have to turn back the clocks in the first place that bugs me and millions like me .In the uk it is somthing to do with scottish farmers blah , blah .........honestly for fcuks sake :rolleyes:

Try pretending you didn't turn the clock back some morning in december when the kids are off to school and it's still f*ckin' dark at half nine in the monring.
It's not just for farmers (although that's who it was introduced for) it's for anyone that works where light and temperature are important. It's also got a large role to play in road safety, the extra hour in the morning allows for people to drive on freezing ropads that have had an extra hour to thaw, along with the increased light levels.
What's the point in it being bright till 5.30pm when it hasn't gotten bright till 9.30am?
Because you live in London the percieved length of dark hours is less, but move a few degrees north and you see a difference in twilight times.
Maybe London should just stick with BST all year round...never mind what the rst of the UK is doing...

On topic: I consider FebMarApr as spring, MayJunJul as summer, AugSepOct as autumn, and NovDecJan as winter. Our recent changes in climate notwithstanding...seasons are nothing to do with the weather....it's to do with the tilt of the earth's axis.

mike65

Wertz its the tilt of the earth that gives us the coldest weather in Febuary. Cold like heat is a lagging indicator of the tilt (sort of darkest just before dawn effect).

Mike.

Wertz

Oh I know why, same reason as 5am is the coldest time of the day on average.
My point is that just because it doesn't feel like a season, doesn't mean that it isn't that particular season...

mike65

Fair enough thats true and many a "winters" day has been milder than 3 months later (April is the cruelest month).

Mike.

Rhiannon14

I only just learned about this whole Irish seasonal calendar (very odd imo, being american). I was still over there last week and it just felt like a rainy autumn. Now I'm back in Boston and my breath is already freezing and there's frost in the morning *shivers* Lucky for me I love the snow. Over here winter = dec, jan, feb even though there's usually still snow into the beginning of april

mike65

wiki take on seasons

Mike.

Archeron

This is a new and uniquely Irish season called "Munter". All the cold of winter combined with the angry wind and driving rain of Autumn.

Irish weather rocks!!!

WindSock

I thought winter started in Nov-Jan, but February is always the Coldest.

constitutionus

mike65 wrote: »

Fair enough thats true and many a "winters" day has been milder than 3 months later (April is the cruelest month).

Mike.

plus i do remember a time a few years back when it snowed in may