Should ''March'' become a winter month?

[conor123]

For me it seems confusing why March is not a winter month

Take this year for example, March was by far the snowiest month of the year and it looks like

it could well end up being the snowiest month next winter imo. So i dont see why it should not be

classed as a winter month, as it is often the most wintry. It is much more likely to snow in March

than in December. January seems to becoming more snowless each year, but it's consistantly cold

at some point between 20th Feb - 20th March and in most years this is the snowiest time.

I think March should certainly not be classed as a Spring month, because to be honest it seems that

winter is shifting slightly later each year, April this year and last year was more like an expected March with

snow even to lower levels in England & Wales both times.

Also with September temperature's have been on the rise & with Global Warming heatwaves will become

more frequent in September anyway. Ive always classed September since 2000 as a summer month anyway.

However i think Septembers as warm as the one this year will be quite rare for another 10 years then become

more frequent.

Edited December 29, 2006 by conor123

[reef]

If we simply classed months based on the weather contained in them we probably wouldnt have had 'winter' in the UK for around 10 years. At the end of the day, meterologically speaking winter is December, January and February. Wintry weather can still happen in March (as it has in April, May and even June) as can Autumnal weather in August or December (like this month). This is similar to the analogy that rears its head every year that once we reach spring, it should be warm and sunny, with no frosts or wintry weather. Alas, the weather doesnt stick to such strict rules. The months and seasons are just our attempt in making some order out of things.

[*Stormforce~beka*]

In which case should September be summer? ...

Nov - Feb = Winter

March - May = Spring

June - August = Summer

September - November = Autumn

?????

[Ross B]

When it snows in March it only lasts for 5minutes, thats why it's called spring a transitional period between winter and summer.

it could well end up being the snowiest month next winter imo.

Next winter as in 2008? Might be(or 2007 if you did mean this year), but nobody knows so whats the point adding that? Thats like saying next December is going to be the mildest on record so lets add it to summer!

[conor123]

In which case should September be summer? ...

Nov - Feb = Winter

March - May = Spring

June - August = Summer

September - November = Autumn

?????

November is certainly not a month id class as winter and September seems to be on

a border between Summer & Autumn nowadays.

I think the seasons should be as follows:

Jan - March: Winter

April & May: Spring

June - Mid September: Summer

Mid September - Mid December: Autumn

Mid December - Early Jan: Autumn/Winter Borderline

[Anti-Mild]

Obviously we all know the meteorological definitions of the seasons but my own classification is much more complicated although perhaps truer:

Spring - mid-March to mid May (2 months)

Summer - mid-May to mid-September (4 months)

Autumn - mid-September to mid-December (3 months)

Winter - mid-December to mid-March (3 months)

[Osbourne One-Nil]

Why would it make any difference whatsoever to anything at all?

[conor123]

-->

QUOTE(Ross B @ 29 Dec 2006, 03:37 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

When it snows in March it only lasts for 5minutes, thats why it's called spring a transitional period between winter and summer.

Next winter as in 2008? Might be(or 2007 if you did mean this year), but nobody knows so whats the point adding that? Thats like saying next December is going to be the mildest on record so lets add it to summer!

This winter i mean.

If you look at most years though March has seen more snow events than November & December, especially in the even larger teapot/spring.

Im thinking that over the next few years it will become increasingly that March is the snowiest month of the year.

[Ross B]

To be honest mate, i think you will find it just about always snows in march. Last year we had a big snowstorm, but i dont remember anything as big in the years before that?

As OON says however, it doesn't matter how you define the seasons the weather will do as it pleases.

[*Stormforce~beka*]

November is certainly not a month id class as winter and September seems to be on

a border between Summer & Autumn nowadays.

I think the seasons should be as follows:

Jan - March: Winter

April & May: Spring

June - Mid September: Summer

Mid September - Mid December: Autumn

Mid December - Early Jan: Autumn/Winter Borderline

Oops I messed myself up LOL.

I class as below;

Dec - Feb = Winter

March - May = Spring

June - August = Summer

September - November = Autumn

Although as has been suggested Spring and Autumn are transitionals and Winter and Summer are "extremes" - In theory!! And of course we have our stray autumns in summer and summer in winter etc etc.

[Paul]

I don't get this thread at all. By calling a month a 'winter' month it doesn't mean it'll snow more!

[*Stormforce~beka*]

I don't get this thread at all. By calling a month a 'winter' month it doesn't mean it'll snow more!

Yes. And it definately makes no difference to the south we get no snow full stop so its still spring to us

[Intrepid]

Take this year for example, March was by far the snowiest month of the year

March is the snowiest time of the year in other places, I remember reading that March is the snowiest month in New England, probably because it is a transitional period. Winter doesnt just mean snow.

Edited December 29, 2006 by Intrepid

[Roger J Smith]

Perhaps if January and February would co-operate and become winter months, then March could be asked in as well.

December has clearly been slacking off on the job, so time to give it the sack and bring in March instead.

[Essan]

It's only meteorologists who don't class March as a winter month. Everyone else (well, everyone who matters) follows the astronomical definition which counts winter as running from winter solstice to spring equinox

(And yes, this also means September is a summer month )

[tinybill]

no our winters geting later now lol

[Azores Hi]

If you just accept the fact that it can snow in March and you can have summer heat in September then keep it like it is. By shifting everything back a month and assuming we would keep 3 months per season, that would make June a spring month and I can't buy into that theory I'm afraid.

[*Stormforce~beka*]

no our winters geting later now lol

So winter should be April May June? Haha!! or June July August!

[SMU]

So winter should be April May June? Haha!! or June July August!

The way things are Currently Going the British Climate will be classed as -

Jan - Feb Winter

March - April - Spring

May - October - Summer

November - December Autumn-

Steve

[The PIT]

Maybe in a few years it might be.

Feb >> Winter

March, April >> Spring

May, June, July August, September, October >> Summer

Nov, Dec, Jan >> Autumn

[phil nw.]

I tend to agree with you Steve.The growing season is extending well into "Autumn" these days.

[Weather-history]

It's only meteorologists who don't class March as a winter month. Everyone else (well, everyone who matters) follows the astronomical definition which counts winter as running from winter solstice to spring equinox

(And yes, this also means September is a summer month )

The trouble with that Andy, is that the last third of March would then be a spring month.

Another words, March would be be both a winter and a spring month

[Rollo]

Snow is probably at least as likely in March than December but I suppose with the lengthening days and stronger sunshine it is more than entitled to be called a spring month, certainly I find 21c much nicer in March than October even though the are at opposite sides of the winter solstice.

[Weather-history]

A possible meteorological defintion of a winter month at least for the UK anyway, could be a month that is capable of producing a sub-zero CET. December, January and February have achieved this but March has never.

Interestingly, if we measured the CET from winter solstice to spring equinox, then a winter like 1989-90 would have a CET over 7C

Surely that's only a problem for recording the weather though? I've always followed the solstice-equinox (etc) theory for defining the seasons. But because that doesn't fit nicely into dedicated months it isn't used for meteorology. Which is fair enough as far as I'm concerned.

Yes, it makes it awkward for doing the maths, also the dates of the solstices and equinoxes changes. Sometimes, its on the 21st, sometimes on the 22nd etc.

[Bottesford]

The way things are Currently Going the British Climate will be classed as -

Jan - Feb Winter

March - April - Spring

May - October - Summer

November - December Autumn-

Steve

haha a 5 month summer- now that I'd enjoy! Of course I'd never call getting dark at 5pm in any way summer (i.e. October) even if its still in the high teens.

The seasons are defined by two things

1) By the position in our orbit around the Sun and thus day length & Sun height throughout that day.

Using purely this scale you get (roughly):

Spring: Feb-April

Summer: May-July

Autumn: August-Oct

Winter: Nov-Jan

2) By the prevailing weather conditions- affected by thermal lag so always behind 1). Using that a pure scale, like many of you are doing, would mean seasons changed every year and were dependant on your location.

Add 1) + 2) and you get what we have now (meteologically speaking anyway). I find the astronomical definition hard to use as this makes 20th June still spring which it really isn't!