Should Spring start on 1st Feb ?

[Essan]

In recent years, the coldest, snowiest weather has occurred in late Feb (and early March). So maybe winter should start on the 1st Feb? The astronomical definition suits me fine and matches well with my perception of winters, both now and in the 80s. After all, I expect more snow on the hills in April than I do in December

Then again, based on last year, perhaps Summer should end on 30th April?

Besides which, why should Britain have season deferent to the rest of the world?

[Chris Knight]

In recent years, the coldest, snowiest weather has occurred in late Feb (and early March). So maybe winter should start on the 1st Feb? The astronomical definition suits me fine and matches well with my perception of winters, both now and in the 80s. After all, I expect more snow on the hills in April than I do in December

Then again, based on last year, perhaps Summer should end on 30th April?

Besides which, why should Britain have season deferent to the rest of the world?

But we do have seasons different from the rest of the world, dependent on our regional climate - by the general definitions of seasons - there is no tropical Winter or Summer, southern hemisphere seasonal changes occur with a six month relative shift to the NH. If we fell in with the rest of the world, there are only two different states, cooling and warming.

On a climatic basis, we could use daily temperature maximum and minimum trends to indicate the dates of upturn and downturn in temperature on annual scales, for all regions globally, with less noise and more precision than the current use of temperature means allows. If you want to subdivide them, High and Low for Summer and Winter, SpringUp and FallDown.

So, two seasons - Cooling and Warming, Down and Up

[Bobby]

I don't think so - the seasons are just divided up into 3 months which are the 3 warmest months (summer), 3 coldest (winter) and the others in between. Even if we warm a lot I doubt we'll see this order changing, such as November, December and February becoming the coldest.

Edited February 12, 2008 by Magpie

[noggin]

No, leave them as they are. It doesn't do to mess about with things as you'll end up with a rod for your own back, chopping and changing with every warm/cold cycle.

The names and dates of the seasons are only for man's convenience anyway. Nature will continue to take it's course whether we change our dates or not.

So, IMVHO, the answer to the question posed is an emphatic "no"!

Edited February 13, 2008 by noggin

[stewfox]

please explain how it is broke, and the last few decades is just not a cycle of weather that the planet is going through in its very long existence. a decade of time is merely a tiny speck in the age of the planet. surely we cant judge how to classify our seasons on a few years of records? oh and talking of which, who is to say we have not been here before? records and data only go back a short time you know

Im not in favour of changing the 'seasons' yet as we havent had enough time. I bet if we did we would have a freezing feb next yr

Many places have a dry/wet season a monsoon non monsoon season

We have at present 'four' .

Now for us in the UK daylight is of course an issue, that wont change

However if we had 30 more mild febs and all things 'woke up from hibernation' '30 days early' every year it would make sense for Jo public to redefine the 'seasons'. we are not there yet

What the tech people do is another thing

If we have 25 'spring like days' for the next 25 yrs in 'winter' whats the problem with calling it Spring ?? Nature will

[Azores Hi]

Just keep it as it is. Any weather that falls outside the accepted norm, eg snow in April or warm days in Feb, is called unseasonal weather!

Oh but the you get some bright spark that says snow in April isn't that uncommon in Shetland so calling it unseasonal is wrong so I see the point.

In the end I don't really think it matters, we live in a little country with quite a large range of seasonal variety so there will always be dissagrements on this subject and there will allways be blurred edges to the seasons, thats just the way things are.