Final Revised (Essay #1)

Winter

Winter is a season full of freezing temperatures and dangerous weather conditions yet, it can be fun-filled for the creatures of the earth. The seasons best understood by its astronomical factors, weather conditions, and activities that can only occur at that time of year.

The climate and weather is affected by the side of the earth that is facing the sun. Think about when there is shade under a tree; its cooler and the objects underneath aren’t getting as much sun, the temperature of the earth is also affected by the amount of sunlight it receives. In the Northern Hemisphere, the winter months are normally late November through early March and the Southern Hemisphere winter is June through August (Hewitt). The Earth is closest to the sun during the cold months. Sunlight will strike the earth at an obtuse angle. Earth’s temperature depends on the angle the earth’s rotating which affects the angle of the sun’s rays. At times, the angle of the sun’s rays skims the surface of our planet causing the sunlight to barely hit the earth. Temperatures will fall and the weather becomes colder. Due to the temperatures decreasing, the weather changes as well (Hewitt). There will be no more steaming hot temperatures and bikinis by the outdoor pool where the temperature decreases. In the Northern areas, snow falls from the sky more than rain will during the winter months.

Snow is a type of precipitation within the atmosphere formed by water vapor in cold clouds that have condensed into ice crystals (Hewitt). A snowflake eventually gets too heavy within a cloud and falls to the earth. Snowflakes can come in many different sizes, shapes and textures; they fall from the full clouds in the form of a ball, start to melt then refreezes and reforms due to the cold climate. The snow falls down from the sky during the winter months in different areas. If the ground is warm, the snowflake will melt, making everything cold and wet. If the ground is already chilled, the snowflake will be able to stick to the surfaces either making it difficult for people to get where they are heading, or make snowy white scenery for people to enjoy. During the winter months freezing rain could fall from the sky as well. Freezing rain is when rain forms in the clouds yet it doesn’t turn into snow. This rain is considered the most deadly of winter storms. It occurs when precipitation falls from the clouds in a liquid form. The moisture will form as raindrops and will freeze as it hits almost any surface. Freezing rain can also happen if snow or rains fall through layers of warm air while traveling through the atmosphere. These layers are normally 2,000 or 3,000 feet above the sub-freezing layer (Oblack). Once the moisture hits the frozen surface, it will freeze and form a glaze or coating over the area. It does not matter if the rain hits the ground, a house, sidewalk or anything else; it will freeze over. Drivers have to be careful because of black ice on the roads so they do not become involved in accidents. Black ice is when there is ice on the roads but drivers cannot see it because it is “black” or not visible to the eye. Drivers must be careful if they are ever caught in freezing rain.

Along with weather conditions, winter is famous for the different activities you can only do during this season. There are holidays being celebrated, and seasonal sports. During the winter months one holiday’s celebrated on December 25^th; the birth of the “son of God” Jesus. The story goes that the Virgin Mary birthed Jesus in Bethlehem on December 25^th. During this day Christian’s go to church, celebrate his life, exchange presents and spend time together. Along with holidays many enjoy ice skating on frozen lakes. Once lake water chills below 39 degrees Fahrenheit it’ll become less dense as it cools (Williams). The water will expand then turn into ice; making it solid. Now people are able to glide on its surface.

Depending on where the earth’s angled to, winter will be different whatever a person is located. There are many negatives about winter conditions, but people have to think about the positives as well. Winter wouldn’t be the same without its astronomical factors, weather conditions and activities that only occur during the season. All should enjoy the time of year and soak up the cold weather.

Works Cited

Hewitt, Kristen. "What Is Snow? Farmers' Almanac." Farmers' Almanac - Weather, Gardening, Best Days, Full Moons. Almanac Publishing Co., 31 Oct. 2006. Web. 10 Sept. 2010. <http://www.farmersalmanac.com/weather/2006/10/31/what-is-snow/>.

Oblack, Rachel. "Freezing Rain - What Is Freezing Rain? - Ice Storms, Sleet, and Snow - Frozen Precipitation." Weather Articles - Weather Forecasts and News - Weather Science. The New York Times Company, 2010. Web. 10 Sept. 2010. <http://weather.about.com/od/winterweather/f/FreezingRain.htm>.

"What Causes Freezing Rain?" Weather Questions and Answers. WeatherStreet, 2007. Web. 11 Sept. 2010. <http://www.weatherquestions.com/What_causes_freezing_rain.htm>.Williams, Jack. "USATODAY.com." News, Travel, Weather, Entertainment, Sports, Technology, U.S. & World - USATODAY.com. Gannett Co. Inc, 2010. Web. 22 Sept. 2010. http://www.usatoday.com/weather/tg/wicetop/wicetop.htm>.