Looky here...2/3 of December is in the Autumn, from December 1st to the 20th. Only 1/3 of December is in the Winter, from December 21st (the first day of Winter), to the 31st. This makes December an Autumn Month! Today is the Winter Solstice, which is the year's shortest day and the longest night. From now until the Summer Solstice on June 21, the days will be growing longer by a few minutes each day. That's it! Hal
Hal, your right.. December isn't a winter month.. I agree with you.......................................... except ..... Where I live we have had about 3 feet of snow and night temperatures as low as -42c with brisk winds which gives a wind-chill of about -50c.... Daytime temps are a bit warmer at -20c mark.. HOWEVER IT ISN'T WINTER YET !!!!!!
The seasons often like to violate our conceptions of them, and I think that "seasonal shift" can also be operational. Elements and days of wintery weather often arrive in my area during Autumn, and it can be pretty Spring-like when the calendar insists that it's still Winter. Mother Nature has a mind all her own, and the calendar, of course, is a human construct!
Here in Louisiana the weather doesn't listen to when a Calendar says it's Spring, Summer, Winter, or Fall....it has a mind of it's own and may bring summer days in Winter, etc. ...although we usually have enough days of seasonal weather to know what season we are experiencing.
It can definitely be winter in Colorado. When we lived there, had a big snow blizzard during the week of Christmas 2006. It was called "The Holiday Blizzard". People wanted to know if Denver metro was going to have a White Christmas and many, many wishing for it. Well, it happened...…..all 7 or so feet of snow fell.
Up where I live, I had my winter tires installed on November 5th as we already had snow.. Yes I drive an all wheel drive with a 4 wheel lock, and traction control, but snow tires are a necessity starting early November till at least early April.. BUT PLEASE REMEMBER IT ISN'T WINTER TILL THE END OF DECEMBER … That is just for the calendar season but in certain places, ……. it is what it is..
The possible origin of the word “winter” was probably the Norse word Vetrardag which started between October 10-16. So, winter is sort of subjective and the start and end times may be a tad different depending on whom we are talking to.
Your talking to me and winter up here starts with the first snow storm which this year was the first few days of November... Snow tires go on usually the first week of November and they come off early in April... Shovels come out at the end of October..
I can identify with that, @Steve North! Our winter starts about the same time--October, although we usually get snow in September too, but the October snow lasts until April in most years and May is some. Many years in the past, November has had the lowest temps of the season, but it usually is colder longer in January and February.
Don.. I realise you live north of where I am but we both have the experience of living through tough winters.. I live just on top of Lake Huron in Massey, Ontario.. We get our fair share of the white stuff and we also have lake effect snow and squalls that can surprise us without much notice.. Up here most drive 4X4's or All Wheel Drive with 4 wheel lock (like I have), we put on our 4 snow tires in early November and we all have big shovels, warm parkas, and winter clothing.. No problem accepting the winters as we are accustomed to them.............................. however ....................... Those that live south and don't really know what our winters are all about can only assume what it would be like.. Personally I would rather have winter than the 43c heat some are having.. Living up north I enjoy breathing air that hasn't been breathed before.. Really clean air....
Our winters here aren't much worse than yours or Ken's, but our winters are probably a bit longer and darker. We are just about at 5 1/2 hours of daylight now and increasing a bit at a time. By the end of February we will be gaining almost 5 minutes of daylight each day, and by June we will have around 18 or 19 hours of daylight. Usually Maine folks and Minnesotans are jealous of our winters and protest that their winters are as cold as ours. Alaska is so large that it is difficult to compare. I think the high in Fort Yukon was -27 F. today. I don't know what the low was there. We are pretty cold here, and have gotten down to -52 F. (-47 C.) here since we lived here. We were told that it got down to -70 F. here in 1989, but we didn't live here then. Whoever measured that temp would have to have had a sophisticated thermometer to go that low. I have a 4x4 truck that we use when things get difficult, but most of the time, my wife's car (front wheel drive with studded winter tires) does fine if we allow time for the road crews to do their work. We have a tractor and we once had sled dogs to get around with before things got so developed. I agree that those who have never lived in the North have a hard time imagining it. I went in the Navy with some guys from Alabama and they thought we were joking when we talked about driving cars and trucks on lakes and rivers. They thought it was impossible. We have had a unique situation here this year with the earthquake breaking the ice into floes and the snow covering the cracks. The ice is over 12 inches thick or more but the quake cracked the ice. We have had four people drive snowmobiles through the ice at the cracks and two of them have died so far. Normally everything would be safe, but the earthquake changed that, and the folks who plow the ice roads are being very careful.
I lived in Michigan for six years. That was far enough north for my taste, and December was definitely winter up there......all of December. When I'm sloshing around in six inches of slush in leaky boots, it's winter, no matter WHAT the calendar says!
Don.. Up here as well the roads are cleared very shortly after the snow stops.. Like you, I have 4 studded snow tires mainly because I live in one of the back roads and even if cleared, proper tires are essential.. Now that December is over, I can report that we had about 3 feet of snow so far this season since early November.. Not winter yet, but winter weather.... Another thing I want to mention is, up here, we plug in our vehicles at night when the temperature drops below -20c ….. Some will probably ask what plugging in the vehicle means..
I guess that , for today, December is not a winter month . Right now it is 72 here, and has been warm all day. We have the doors and windows open to air out the house even. However, we are under a tornado watch, and the storm should be coming through here any time now. It is just a skinny red line on the radar, so it will probably not last long, and as far as I have seen, no actual tornado warnings. I imagine that @Tim Burr is probably under a tornado watch, too, since he is just north of us in Tennessee.