Season

A season is one of the major divisions of the year, generally based on yearly periodic changes in weather.

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In temperate and polar regions generally four seasons are recognised: spring, summer, autumn (fall), and winter.

Related Topics:
Temperate - Polar - Spring - Summer - Autumn - Winter

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In some tropical and subtropical regions it is more common to speak of the rainy (or wet, or monsoon) season versus the dry season, as the amount of precipitation may vary more dramatically than the average temperature.

Related Topics:
Tropical - Subtropical - Rainy - Monsoon - Dry season - Precipitation

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In other tropical areas a three-way division into hot, rainy and cool season is used. Ancient Egypt also divided the year into three seasons, Aklet, the season of the inundation (flood), "going out", the season of ploughing and sowing for crops, and Stem, the hot harvest season.

Related Topics:
Ancient Egypt - Aklet - Stem

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Some indigenous peoples in Australia's Northern Territory use six seasons, while the Sami (aboriginal) peoples of Scandinavia recognise no less than eight.

Related Topics:
Australia - Northern Territory

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In the Melbourne area of southeastern Australia, Dr. Beth Goth of the Monash School of Biological sciences has compiled the work of a number of colleages who are promoting a six season model for that region.

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On Vancouver Island off the west coast of Canada, John Neville, a well known naturalist and writer, believes the east side of the island experiences a de-facto pre-spring season in between winter and spring. An early growing season in February is occasionally interrupted by small, short-lived dumps of snow that give the February/March period the characteristics of a hybrid season that is neither fully winter nor fully spring.

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In some parts of the world, special "seasons" are loosely defined based upon natural events such as a hurricane season, tornado season, or wildfire season.

Related Topics:
Hurricane - Tornado - Wildfire

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