[Eric A. Taylor (OP)]

The Earth is about 4% closer to the sun in northern hemisphere winter (December-January).Is this enough to make a difference in the average temperature between the two winters each year? What about summers? Is summer warmer in the south?

I know that some of the coldest temperatures recorded on Earth are found in Antarctica, but the south pole is land locked and the north pole is open sea.

[Soul Surfer]

Eric as you suggest  the location of landmasses on the earth has a big effect on things and tis is very different between the northern hemisphere which is predominantly land and the southern hemisphere which is very much ocean.

[Eric A. Taylor (OP)]

I know the lay of the land has a lot to do with temperature. Death Valley in southeast California is famously hot because of the way the mountains sit (I've worked in Death Valley NP several years ago). The sun hits the valley floor and the mountains on the west and east sides of the valley. The rock of the mountains is dark and this sets up an inversion layer over the valley creating a greenhouse effect. Summer time temperatures often reach 130 degrees or more (into the 50's C).

The Grand Canyon has the same problem. The canyon has a wide outer (or upper) canyon and a narrow inner canyon. The rock making up the inner canyon is very dark and very hard. The sun heats it quickly leading to very high temperature at the level of the river.

[evawanling]

Eric as you suggest the location of landmasses on the earth has a big effect on things and tis is very different between the northern hemisphere which is predominantly land and the southern hemisphere which is very much ocean.

[tommya300]

.
Similar to discovering heavy deposits of gold, it is located in specific parts of the world.
Focus on a specific land mass has its own climate characteristics, which is insignificant to the hemispheric part of the world. Water is a contributor within the (GHE)greenhouse effect cycle, it is more of a conduit, not the cause. I think that GHE is the natural order of the earths evolving orchestra. External disturbance  just amplifies the results in a shorter time that will happen in time anyway.
Since the Southern Hemisphere has the most water the overall southern hemisphere winters are warmer then the northern hemisphere.
Comparing major land masses: Look at North America with respect to South America, look at Southern Africa with respect to Northern Asia, (Russia).
Through this observation, the North has colder winters then the south. Is it all relative to the point of view? [?]
.

[tommya300]

I know the lay of the land has a lot to do with temperature. Death Valley in southeast California is famously hot because of the way the mountains sit (I've worked in Death Valley NP several years ago). The sun hits the valley floor and the mountains on the west and east sides of the valley. The rock of the mountains is dark and this sets up an inversion layer over the valley creating a greenhouse effect. Summer time temperatures often reach 130 degrees or more (into the 50's C).

The Grand Canyon has the same problem. The canyon has a wide outer (or upper) canyon and a narrow inner canyon. The rock making up the inner canyon is very dark and very hard. The sun heats it quickly leading to very high temperature at the level of the river.

I have a question to this:
You all get my interests going, making me dig for avalable info. Watching all the wild west movies it never occured to me of the western US climate!

Your model is 12hr dependent. You only refer to the daytime in these places.
At Night you need to cover up from the cold or freezing it varies in records.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic-art/121560/111214/When-the-valley-floor-warms-during-the-day-warm-air [Links inactive - To make links active and clickable, login or click here to register]

[Eric A. Taylor (OP)]

Your model is 12hr dependent. You only refer to the daytime in these places.
At Night you need to cover up from the cold or freezing it varies in records.

Most deserts can become extremely cold at night. In the Sonora or Mojave you can have a daytime temperature of well over 120 degrees F while dropping below freezing at night. This happens because there is so little water in the air, all the heat escapes into space as soon as the sun goes down.

In Death Valley, however, the inversion layer remains stable holding in the heat. In the summer it may be over 100 degrees even at night for weeks and weeks.

[tommya300]

Your model is 12hr dependent. You only refer to the daytime in these places.
At Night you need to cover up from the cold or freezing it varies in records.

Most deserts can become extremely cold at night. In the Sonora or Mojave you can have a daytime temperature of well over 120 degrees F while dropping below freezing at night. This happens because there is so little water in the air, all the heat escapes into space as soon as the sun goes down.

In Death Valley, however, the inversion layer remains stable holding in the heat. In the summer it may be over 100 degrees even at night for weeks and weeks.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_Valley [Links inactive - To make links active and clickable, login or click here to register]

I believe that it has hit several ranges of temperatures at night also freezing cold is included.

is this the thermal flow you speak of?   [ Invalid Attachment ]
 

[Eric A. Taylor (OP)]

Yes I think so. Owens Valley is adjacent to Death Valley.