Next Sunday (6th Feb) – the transition out of (UK) Winter?

[belfastguzzi]

:!: Local UK content :!:

 

This Saturday's brightening of the sky, blue emerging from the grey; a hint of warmth along with daylight stretching to 5 o'clock… something about the sight and the feel of the air gave a sensation of change. Is this the endpoint of Winter's grip?

 

I checked back to see what the date was, when I had noted that it felt like a definite change into winter time. It was a ride on Sunday 7th November: post 'The event of Winter's arrival' = http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=16286&view=findpost&p=175178

 

 

Counting the days from that Sunday up until the shortest day – and then on forwards to now: it's almost the same number. Next week it will be the same number. We are equidistant, on this other side of 21st December, on the side of lengthening days. It's a total period of 3 months, a quarter of a year. So, despite the continuing cold and promised rain, will next weekend mark the practical end of Winter and feel like the entrance of a new season?

[Admin Jaap]

I really hope so, but I think you're a bit too optimistic. Your maths are valid though.

 

http://www.weatheronline.co.uk/UK/Belfast/Day5to8.htm

Saturday looks promising for you!

[belfastguzzi]

It's called, clutching at straws!

 

Defining the seasons is a tricky business. What we can say is that due to thermal lag and what-not, winter, as we perceive it, won't really move out until the end of March.

 

However, I have just found these dates, which are very interesting because they agree precisely with my posts/observations.

According to the traditional reckoning of seasons, Winter begins between 5 November and 10 November – and by on-bike observation I said 7th November! and it ends between 2 February and 7 February – and I chose the 6th February, just because it's a potential riding day, otherwise it would have been a bit earlier.

Spot-on, eh?

 

Appendix:

Traditional reckoning

Traditional seasons are reckoned by insolation, with summer being the quarter of the year with the greatest insolation and winter the quarter with the least. These seasons begin about four weeks earlier than the meteorological seasons and 7 weeks earlier than the astronomical seasons.

In traditional reckoning, the seasons begin at the cross-quarter days. The solstices and equinoxes are the midpoints of these seasons. For example, the days of greatest and least insolation are considered the "midsummer" and "midwinter" respectively. This reckoning is used by various traditional cultures in the Northern Hemisphere, including East Asian and Irish cultures.

 

So, according to traditional reckoning,

winter begins between 5 November and 10 November, Samhain, 立冬 (lìdōng or rittou);

spring between 2 February and 7 February, Imbolc, 立春 (lìchūn or risshun);

summer between 4 May and 10 May, Beltane, 立夏 (lìxià or rikka);

and autumn between 3 August and 10 August, Lughnasadh, 立秋 (lìqiū or risshū).

The middle of each season is considered Mid-winter, between 20 December and 23 December, 冬至 (dōngzhì or touji); Mid-spring, between 19 March and 22 March, 春分 (chūnfēn or shunbun); Mid-summer, between 19 June and 23 June, 夏至 (xiàzhì or geshi); and Mid-autumn, between 21 September and 24 September, 秋分 (qiūfēn or shūbun).

 

And see http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/misc/badseasons.html