Summer's Early Arrival: Why Meteorologists Start it in June

Summer is just around the corner. But did you know that for scientists, it starts a bit earlier? Meteorologists mark the beginning of summer on June 1st. This might seem odd, but there's a good reason behind it. The summer solstice, which is when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted closest to the sun, happens around June 20th. This is what most people think of as the start of summer. It's the longest day of the year, with the most daylight. But meteorologists use a different system. They base their seasons on consistent weather patterns, not the Earth's position relative to the sun. So, why June 1st? Well, in many places, especially in the Southeast, summer-like weather starts to kick in around this time. For example, in Columbia, temperatures can reach the 90s in May. This early heat makes it feel like summer has already begun. Meteorological seasons are divided into three-month chunks. This makes it easier to compare weather data over long periods. It also helps in studying trends like heatwaves, rainfall, and hurricanes. Plus, it aligns better with what people actually experience. If you've turned on the AC in May, you know summer comes early in some places. The astronomical seasons, on the other hand, vary in length. This is because Earth's orbit isn't a perfect circle. It's a bit stretched out, and it takes about 365 days to go around the sun. To keep our calendars in sync, we add an extra day every four years, known as a leap year. This shift in the Earth's orbit causes the timing of solstices and equinoxes to change each year. Both ways of marking summer are correct. They just serve different purposes. Meteorological summer is about our experience on the ground. Astronomical summer is about the Earth's motion in space. So, whether you start counting down to summer on June 1st or June 20th, remember that both dates have their own significance.