3. SEASONS AND WEATHER

WHAT ARE SEASONS?

Every year our planet experiences four seasons: autumn, winter, spring and summer.

As Earth moves around the Sun it spins in a slightly tilted position (on an axis tilted 23.5 degrees from a straight up, vertical position). This tilt is what causes our seasons because through the year different parts of the planet are angled towards or angled away from the Sun's light. More or less sunlight and heat impact on the length of each day and the average daily temperature in different seasons, as well as the amount of rainfall.

There are differences in the weather, length of day light available and plant life during the seasons. Typically:

In autumn the amount of time it is light for becomes less, the leaves start to change colour and fall off the trees. Autumn is called Fall in the United States of America.
In winter we have colder weather, sometimes snow and frost, the trees have no leaves and the amount of time it is light during the day is at its shortest.
In spring the weather usually turns warmer, trees begin to grow their leaves, plants start to flower and young animals such as chicks and lambs are born.
In summer the weather is usually warm, trees have full green leaves and the amount of time it is light for during the day is longer.