tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572286363399496963.post517666107228411544..comments2024-03-28T07:09:59.093-08:00Comments on Deep Cold: Alaska Weather & Climate: Length of Summer - Brian B BlogRickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03946704894714514716noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572286363399496963.post-30344149913831574832020-04-28T08:32:34.225-08:002020-04-28T08:32:34.225-08:00Meanwhile, we in the Northern Hemisphere await the...Meanwhile, we in the Northern Hemisphere await the Final Warming often promised to those that outlast winter.<br /><br />GaryNL7Yhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15874712728971005352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572286363399496963.post-90288274470291115942020-04-28T05:52:24.839-08:002020-04-28T05:52:24.839-08:00I really like what Bousted et al. did with the win...I really like what Bousted et al. did with the winter severity index (AWSSI). They defined winter using four criteria that are applicable everywhere - perhaps more applicable for mid latitudes, but satisfactory for high latitudes. A companion analysis for summer would be great. Climatologist49https://www.blogger.com/profile/04560505931210357679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572286363399496963.post-1895455563357265482020-04-28T04:23:51.968-08:002020-04-28T04:23:51.968-08:00Yes, intractable and perhaps futile in the end. O...Yes, intractable and perhaps futile in the end. Of course I didn't mean to suggest that a fixed temperature threshold could serve by itself, but it could provide a useful extension to the 90 days in places with a long winter/summer. The problem is that perceptions differ so wildly that no simple scheme will seem reasonable everywhere.<br /><br />But I agree - your analysis was a good place to start and the results are informative, well done.<br />Richard Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08313902028896263276noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572286363399496963.post-41993533183145931922020-04-27T22:21:40.663-08:002020-04-27T22:21:40.663-08:00Thank you for sharing my post. Defining the season...Thank you for sharing my post. Defining the seasons is a rather intractable problem. What Kansans consider winter would not seem very wintry here in Alaska. Vice versa for summer conditions. Defining a set length for a reference period and measuring how long those prior conditions are experienced today felt like a good place to start, but is just that, a start. It breaks down though for tropical latitudes, where winter and summer have little meaning with respect to temperatures. <br /><br />I do like the idea of perceived season length, but then we get into the issue of defining some initial conditions. If we say summer has a daily mean of 27°C, then no station in Alaska has ever had a single summer day. :) Climatologist49https://www.blogger.com/profile/04560505931210357679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572286363399496963.post-87212295031458419792020-04-27T09:08:04.530-08:002020-04-27T09:08:04.530-08:00Yes that's about right in my experience...a mo...Yes that's about right in my experience...a month for each maybe and often + or -. When I use the term average that may be gracious. Staying above freezing daily closely guarantees winter conditions like snow and ice are at risk. <br /><br />By ~April 20th it should be spring enough to support greenup and fall can end soon after September 20-25th. Varies by year. Photoperiod/solar angle plays a factor in fall more than Spring. Even with 12+ hrs in later March there's usually a delay in warmup. Hit that equinox in September and prepare yourself for winter. <br /><br />Leaves turn yellow in mid to later August and new buds can form in later April if that's any indication of seasonality. <br /><br />GaryNL7Yhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15874712728971005352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572286363399496963.post-79382490194279083052020-04-26T16:56:32.545-08:002020-04-26T16:56:32.545-08:00Grim indeed. So that leaves about one month each ...Grim indeed. So that leaves about one month each for spring and autumn. Interesting perspective, thanks.Richard Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08313902028896263276noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572286363399496963.post-39988694140705886132020-04-26T08:22:38.423-08:002020-04-26T08:22:38.423-08:00It's subjective and likely based upon personal...It's subjective and likely based upon personal experience. For me anything that averages daily temps over 0*C in Fairbanks is either spring or fall. Anything over +10*C is summer. Grim but true. <br /><br />GaryNL7Yhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15874712728971005352noreply@blogger.com