Phenomenon whereby maximum average air temperature is delayed by a period of time
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Seasonal lag" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR(May 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
Seasonal lag is the phenomenon whereby the date of maximum average air temperature at a geographical location on a planet is delayed until some time after the date of maximum insolation (i.e. the summer solstice). This also applies to the minimum temperature being delayed until some time after the date of minimum insolation. Cultural seasons are often aligned with annual temperature cycles, especially in the agrarian context. Peak agricultural growth often depends on both insolation levels and soil/air temperature. Rainfall patterns are also tied to temperature cycles, with warmer air able to hold more water vapor than cold air.
In most Northern Hemisphere regions, the month of February is usually colder than the month of November despite February having significantly later sunsets and more daylight overall. Conversely, the month of August is usually hotter than the month of May despite August having later sunrises, increasingly earlier sunsets, and less daylight overall. In all cases, the change in average air temperature lags behind the more consistent change in daylight patterns – delaying the perceived start of the next season for a month or so.
An analogous temperature lag phenomenon occurs in diurnal temperature variation, where maximum daily temperature occurs after noon (maximum insolation). Both effects are manifestations of the general physical phenomenon of thermal inertia.
Seasonallag is the phenomenon whereby the date of maximum average air temperature at a geographical location on a planet is delayed until some time after...
sky during the summer months, which increases the solar flux. Due to seasonallag, June, July, and August are the warmest months in the Northern Hemisphere...
instead starts on May Day and the summer solstice is Midsummer. A variable seasonallag means that the meteorological centre of the season, which is based on...
September. In addition, the lack of continental influence promotes the vast seasonallag, as March is the second-warmest month of the year, while September is...
since heat is lost all night long. The analogous annual phenomenon is seasonallag. As solar energy strikes the Earth's surface each morning, a shallow...
fewest hours of daylight — ought to be in the middle of the season, but seasonallag means that the coldest period normally follows the solstice by a few...
significant seasonality, the autocorrelation plot should show spikes at lags equal to the period. For example, for monthly data, if there is a seasonality effect...
variation – e.g., peak daily temperature typically occurs after noon Seasonallag – e.g., peak annual temperature typically occurs after the summer solstice...
recorded in July and August, partly a result of the western European seasonallag from the maritime influence of the Atlantic warm waters in combination...
thermal lag. Thermal lag is the reason the high temperatures in summer continue to increase after the summer solstice (in this case, it is termed seasonal lag)...
thoroughly maritime; precipitation is moderately high, fog is frequent, and seasonallag is noticeable both in winter and in summer. The city is sheltered from...
Seasonallag is extreme in the low-sun half of the year, with December being milder than April in terms of mean temperatures. During summer the lag is...
Sintra Mountains which can receive triple that precipitation. Due to the seasonallag, September is the warmest month. Extreme points of Europe Cape Finisterre...
is manifested in low diurnal temperature variation and a vast summer seasonallag. Due to the influence of the interior, there is a sharp drop in temperatures...
The Wheel of the Year is an annual cycle of seasonal festivals, observed by a range of modern pagans, marking the year's chief solar events (solstices...
surrounding sea, as a result, the city has very mild winters and a long seasonallag. The official climate recording station in Malta is at Luqa Airport,...
build up and sustain heat despite being on an island. There is vast seasonallag, especially in late summer courtesy of the seawater peaking in temperatures...
cold spells. The region, like much of Japan, experiences a one-month seasonallag. The warmest month is August, which averages 26.9 °C (80.4 °F). The coolest...
Portugal's central west and southwest coasts have an extreme ocean seasonallag; sea temperatures are warmer in October than in July and are their coldest...
milder waters to its west delays the onset of sea ice and causes vast seasonallag in shoulder seasons. Due to latitudinal differences, the temperatures...
Global Information