Fun Facts

Summer

Summer is many people’s favorite season, since it brings beautiful sunny weather for everyone to enjoy! No matter how old you are, there are many exciting opportunities to look forward to during this season. Keep reading and discover some sizzling hot facts about summer!

1. The word “summer” comes from the Old English word “sumor”, meaning together.

2. Thunderstorms are more common in summer than in other seasons. This happens because the warm weather creates the ideal conditions for rising hot air and moisture to form thunderstorms.

3. In meteorology, summer refers to the three hottest months of the year. These months can be different depending on the hemisphere.

4. During extremely hot days of the summer season, the iron of the Eiffel Tower can expand and make it a few inches taller than usual.

5. In summer the sun reaches its highest point in the sky and we have the longest day of the year.

6. The term “midnight sun” refers to the case when certain regions of our planet experience continuous sunlight for several days, with the sun not setting at all!

7. Summer happens at different times around the world.

8. The phrase “dog days of summer” is used when the constellation Sirius appears in the sky. This is usually the time during which we experience the hottest weeks of summer.

9. Summer is the season of popular music festivals such as Coachella, Bonnaroo, and Lollapalooza.

10. In 1984, US President Ronald Reagan announced July as the official National Ice Cream Month.

11. Summer is the most popular season of the year for weddings.

12. Summer is a popular time for vacations, making it a favourite season of the tourism industry.

13. Children enjoy a long break from school during summer. In dozens of countries, children take between two weeks and three and a half months off school.

14. Emergency hospital services are busier over the summer.

15. The most popular birthday dates are in summer.

Winter

Winter is the most fascinating time of the year for a lot of people. No matter if you look forward to the cold weather or if you tremble in the idea of snowy landscapes, there are some amazing facts about winter that you might find cool!

1. A snowflake can take up to two hours to fall from a cloud to the ground.

2. The tallest known snowman was higher than a 12-story building.

3. The north pole is warmer than the south pole.

4. Almost 90% of snow is air.

5. It gets so cold in Siberia that your breathe might turn to ice in midair.

6. Winter lasts for 21 years on planet Uranus.

7. Earth is closer to the Sun during winter (of north hemisphere).

8. The lowest natural temperature ever recorded at ground level on Earth is −89.2 °C (−128.6 °F; 184.0 K) at the then-Soviet Vostok Station in Antarctica on 21 July 1983.

9. The word winter comes from the Germanic wintar which in turn is derived from the root wed meaning 'wet' or water', and so signifies a wet season.

10. The exact amount of water contained in snow can vary quite significantly depending on how the snow formed, but as a general average, every 12 cm of snow would provide 1 cm of water.

11. In the Northern Hemisphere, the shortest day of the year is in winter during the winter solstice which happens on December 21rst. It has the shortest number of daylight hours.

12. Every snowflake has 6 sides. This is due to ice having a natural 6-sided crystal structure.

13. According to the Guinness World Records, on January 28, 1887, a snowflake 15 inches wide and 8 inches thick fell in Fort Keogh, Montana USA, making it the largest snowflake ever observed.

14. Bismarck, North Dakota USA, holds the record for the most snow angels made at the same time. On February 17, 2007, several schools joined forces to create 8962 snow angels.

15. Snow affects sound, because freshly fallen snow absorbs sound waves, giving everything a seemingly hushed, quieter ambience after a flurry.