LogFAQs > #973245175

adjl posted...

Because astronomy is consistent and weather is not. Were seasons based entirely on weather, the start date would vary wildly and you'd really only be able to pin it down a couple weeks after the fact when you confirmed that that was the first day that the 7-day average temperature exceeded whatever arbitrary threshold you decided on. That's not really conducive to throwing a party to celebrate the start of the season/end of the previous one, so people chose something a little more concrete, even if they still had to make some adjustments to their seasonal behaviours based on what the current weather was doing..

Yes, they used it for parties and such but if talking about real weather, it is inaccurate.
Think about it, the basis they use for astronomy doesn't make sense. Why would the day with the most sunlight be the start of the warmest season? It is a simple standard to use but it isn't accurate for the weather at all.

Actually, the winter solstrice was also called midwinter and hence was the middle. More recently it culturally shifted to the beginning. But neither is accurate when looking at average temperatures over the years. In actuality, the winter solstice is about one fourth into the worst winter weather. It isn't the middle because the earth tends to hold the temperature it had had for many months prior. And I should'nt have to explain why it being the start makes no sense (even though that is where the official winter starts).

Looking at averages over the years is where the metereological seasons are set. That is all I am saying.

Ultimately though, every place is different. I am in Minnesota where winter tends to be mid November to late March. Spring is all over the place but essentially April and May only.