Spring fourteen

[swvic]

I'm with swvic.

Though the sun sure has some sting in it today.

'boo's the exception that proves the rule

Trev, just because the BOM says something doesn't mean it's true

I strongly suspect their statement about seasonal definitions reflecting the lag in heating and cooling to be incorrect. My definition of seasonal change is more likely a better fit

Summer - Summer Solstice to Autumnal Equinox. Autumn - Autumnal Equinox to Winter Solstice. Winter - Winter Solstice to Vernal Equinox. Spring - Vernal Equinox to Summer Solstice

[crabmeat thompson]

apart from the last 2-3 weeks, it felt like spring never left from last autumn. hot, northerlies, stuff all swell.

today is one out of the box.

[alakaboo]

BOM uses those dates because the vast majority of lunkheads can't get their head around anything that doesn't involve a pinch and a punch, white rabbit.

[swvic]

Again, 'boo is the man. The rest of you lunkheads should take note and lift your game accordingly

I've done some basic (read Wiki) research about temperature lag following solstices and equinoxes. It varies quite a bit depending on where you are, eg. latitude, proximity to continent and whether it's following a summer or winter. A good example is San Francisco. Because it's largely surrounded by water, its hottest month is September and October is the 2nd hottest. For us, that's equivalent to March and April respectively. Sure, we don't have that much lag here (or probably anywhere Australia), but I've always reckoned March is more like summer than is December

Spring starts on September 23

[Spoon]

List of Realsurfers Most likely to join a Bunch of Hippies worshipping the change of seasons

swvic

[steve shearer]

Vic, up here Spring starts in Sep....most years it starts in August.

[foamy]

I had three surfs on the Sunshine Coast on the weekend. No wetsuit. The water was lovely, though I do prefer the water temp to be a little crisp. I wasn't the only one without a wetsuit.

[swvic]

List of Realsurfers Most likely to join a Bunch of Hippies worshipping the change of seasons

swvic

Buying a house was really hard. I wanted to build, but my wife didn't. As usual, she won. It took 4 years to find a house orientated so we have the sunrise shine glorious light directly down the length of the corridor on the winter solstice. Rest of the house is shit, but that doesn't matter

Vic, up here Spring starts in Sep....most years it starts in August.

Not sure on what basis you make that claim, Steve, but N NSW temps (air or sea) definitely don't lead the solstices and equinoxes

I had three surfs on the Sunshine Coast on the weekend. No wetsuit. The water was lovely, though I do prefer the water temp to be a little crisp. I wasn't the only one without a wetsuit.

Come on down, foamy. If you like crisp, you can wear my old 4/3

[steve shearer]

Wattle in full bloom. Jasmine blooming. Quite often the spring nor-east patten becomes established in august

[swvic]

Might say more about the wattle and jasmine than the season. Keep a close eye out and it wouldn't surprise me if that's not the norm. Having said that, I know you're one to keenly observe his surroundings and it might well be unseasonal, but you could have said the same about here a couple of weeks ago. Change came through overnight and today feels like it's winter again

Spring starts on September 23

[Yuke Hunt]

yeah, hard to say not much swell getting in there, huh?

[Trev]

I learnt all about equinoxes and solstices in primary school. I understand all that shit from way back then. But the simple fact of the matter is that such things are much more obvious in the higher latitudes.
Up this way, we don't need to consider them.

[alakaboo]

Wattle has been in bloom since July, Steve.

[swvic]

Trev, what's obvious is your idea of what Spring is. Doesn't mean it's Spring. I'm not saying it isn't there either, but if you were to make yourself aware of other things that start to happen at or soon before/after the equinox, you might surprise yourself. A local botanist might either verify or condemn your argument. As may any manner of other professionals who seriously study seasonal events. We amateurs often make make observations that are based on very short memory

What are the obvious signs you speak of? Does it rain almost relentlessly for 3 weeks in Spring, but never late Winter? Are there animal migrations strongly associated with mid Spring that are occurring now? There's a lot to consider. An early jasmine or wattle bloom is just that. Some Winters are warmer than average. Some are colder. Some things will respond to the fluctuation, but I strongly doubt that everything associated with it has happened early

Anyway, this is all pointless. To me, anyway. The way I see it, Spring does not conveniently start on the 1st of the month just so us humans can have some misguided sense of order. Even though some things Springy might happen before the equinox, I've long thought it the more appropriate time associated to the commencement of the changing season

[Trev]

Trev, what's obvious is your idea of what Spring is. Doesn't mean it's Spring. I'm not saying it isn't there either, but if you were to make yourself aware of other things that start to happen at or soon before/after the equinox, you might surprise yourself. A local botanist might either verify or condemn your argument. As may any manner of other professionals who seriously study seasonal events. We amateurs often make make observations that are based on very short memory

What are the obvious signs you speak of? Does it rain almost relentlessly for 3 weeks in Spring, but never late Winter? Are there animal migrations strongly associated with mid Spring that are occurring now? There's a lot to consider. An early jasmine or wattle bloom is just that. Some Winters are warmer than average. Some are colder. Some things will respond to the fluctuation, but I strongly doubt that everything associated with it has happened early

Anyway, this is all pointless. To me, anyway. The way I see it, Spring does not conveniently start on the 1st of the month just so us humans can have some misguided sense of order. Even though some things Springy might happen before the equinox, I've long thought it the more appropriate time associated to the commencement of the changing season

The obvious signs I was referring to appear in the "Higher" latitudes. ie down your way or in Europe, North America.
My point was that there are LESS natural indications up here, so it makes more sense to have a definitive date ie 1st Sept.

[bobjs]

Some interesting stuff about the different regional aboriginal 'seasons' on BOM

http://www.bom.gov.au/iwk/climate_cultu ... sons.shtml
http://www.bom.gov.au/iwk/index.shtml

[Slobadan Madicubich]

this countries original inhabitants identified more than 4 seasons & it pre-dated the Gregorian calendar although probably not the celestial one unless it was very dark in the dreamtime, when not many people were awake.

[steve shearer]

exactly....the indigenous more subtle gradations linked to natural phenomena have far more relevance than Northern hemi four seasons.

when the coastal wattle starts to flower spring is imminent...even though in the Northern Hemi classification we are still at least a month away from spring.

Female flathead start to gather in Aug, reaching peak in Sep...again, that means spring to me.

That NE pattern can set in during Aug in a El Nino trending year, as it did last year. Thats Spring.

Last Nino, in 2009, it started mid Aug. There were bushfires in Mullum. Spring.

It's a very rare year when we have to wait for the Equinox for Spring in this part of the world. It's normally well established by any measure by then.