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How are the seasons in Antarctica different to our seasons?
Antarctica only has two seasons: summer and winter. Because it’s located in the southern hemisphere, Antarctica’s summer is from October to February. Days rapidly get longer there in summer, until, eventually, the sun doesn’t set at all. This phenomenon is called the Midnight Sun.
What is winter like in Antarctica?
Antarctic Winters are long and very cold with long dark nights that may last for weeks . The dark doesn’t last as long as the summer light as there is twilight after the sun sets below the horizon and before it comes up again. The further south you go, the colder, darker and longer the winter is.
Does it ever snow in Antarctica?
Snow doesn’t fall fresh very often – the continent only gets an average of 2 inches of precipitation each year. Antarctica is technically a desert, and a particularly dry one at that. You might be wondering why the continent is covered in snow if it rarely falls.
What months are summer in Antarctica?
Its location in the Southern Hemisphere means the Antarctic summer runs from October to February. During this time, the sun is almost always above the horizon. Days rapidly get longer in the Antarctica summer, until the sun doesn’t set at all. This phenomenon is called the Midnight Sun.
What season is in April in Antarctica?
In the southern hemisphere, where Antarctica is, summer and winter are at the opposite time of year to the northern hemisphere. Summer in Antarctica starts in October and ends in March, and winter starts in March and lasts until October.
Why does Antarctica have no rain?
The driest place on Earth is in Antarctica in an area called the Dry Valleys, which have seen no rain for nearly 2 million years. The reason why this region receives no rain is due to Katabatic winds, winds from the mountains that are so heavy with moisture that gravity pulls them down and away from the Valleys.
Why is Antarctica cold in the summer?
Both the Arctic (North Pole) and the Antarctic (South Pole) are cold because they don’t get any direct sunlight. The Sun is always low on the horizon, even in the middle of summer. In winter, the Sun is so far below the horizon that it doesn’t come up at all for months at a time.
What months does it snow in Antarctica?
Weather stations report far greater snow than most tourist destinations snow through most of the year likely to be deepest around October, especially close to late October. The best time to ski (if at all) in Antarctica is often around around December 17th when fresh powder is deepest.
What months is Antarctica dark?
Antarctica has six months of daylight in its summer and six months of darkness in its winter. The seasons are caused by the tilt of Earth’s axis in relation to the sun.