ABC6 WeatherLab – Vernal Equinox
With the season of Spring upon us, it’s time for a refresher course on how the Earth’s spatial relationship with the sun causes seasons. Because of the Earth’s tilt, Winter is cold because that’s when we are tilted AWAY FROM the sun, while Summer is warm because that’s when we are tilted TOWARD the sun. In Summer (Winter), the sun’s rays are more (less) direct, causing warmer (colder) weather.
In the seasons of Spring and Autumn, the Earth is tilted neither away nor toward the sun, therefore the temperatures are more moderate across the globe. On the first day of Spring (and Autumn), every point on Earth theoretically experiences 12 hours of day and 12 hours of night. It’s not exact, but it’s close.
-Kevin Coskren, ABC6 Chief Meteorologist
