Why is the summer hot after the earth passes the solstice & is moving toward Fall? Shouldn't it get cooler?

Question

Is it because the Earth heats up from exposure to the sun's rays that continues building up after the solstice and doesn't go away until it actually gets into the fall season, and the heat begins to dissipate?

Answer 1

its actually because earth is closest to the sun during summer

Answer 2

The Earth does follow an elliptical orbit around the Sun, so we are closer to the Sun around January, and furthest away around July. I know some people think this sounds backwards, because they think this is what causes summer and winter. It isn't. The difference between our closest and furthest distance from the sun is about 2%. On the scale of our orbit around the Sun, this makes no measurable difference in our climate. It is the tilt of the Earth's axis that results in our seasons, which is also why as we enjoy summer now in North America, the Australians are dealing with the beginning of winter.

Answer 3

You are right, the earth stores heat energy and seasons lags after the sun. But this lag is quite different from continental to coastal climate. That is because the sea that makes 2/3 of the surface of the earth, stores much heat and thanks god for that, otherwise our climate worldwide would be quite different!

I live near the coast in Norway. At this time of the year, inland Norway, up in the mountains, gets warmer days but cooler nights than the coast. During fall, the coast will be warmer than inland and while the snow may come as early as October, the coast, at the same latitude has to wait until Christmas to see the first snow.

Another amazing factor is that water is the heaviest at 4 degrees Celsius. If it was like other elements: heavier and heavier when colder then ice would form on the sea and sink at the bottom. It would then never melt again and only the very near surface would melt during the summer. Again, our climate would be entirely different. Incidentally you know now that at the bottom of all oceans, the water temperature is ... 4 degrees Celcius!

(EDITED) No the earth is not closer to the sun in the summer! In the northern hemisphere, the sun is higher because the tilt of the earth in relation to the plane of its orbit is different from the winter. And when it is summer in the northern hemisphere, it is winter in the southern one!