in the united states, why is it colder in the winter and warmer in the summer?

Answer 1

It is because during the winter we do not receive direct sunrays.
In the summer we receive more direct sunrays for a longer duration

Answer 2

The earth is actually farther from the sun during summer in the Northern Hemisphere. It is colder because due to the tilt of the earth, the Southern hemisphere faces the sun more directly than the Northern hemisphere. During the winter the same amount of sunlight is spread over a larger area due to the angle of the sun, leading to colder temperatures. In addition the light must travel further through the atmosphere allowing it to dissipate more heat.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter#What_causes_winter

Answer 3

Because of the way the earth tilts in relation to its orbit around the sun.

In the winter it is colder in the northern hemisphere becauase it is tilted further away from the sun. In the summer, it is tilted closer to the sun.

The rotation of the earth continues, but does not affect the actual tilt (more than a few degrees).

Or, for your religious types. God makes it colder in the winter and warmer in the summer in order to confuse the devil.

Answer 4

Two things determine how much heat we get from the sun. One is how high in the sky it gets. During the summer it is higher than winter and we receive more heat per square inch. Also the sun is out longer in the summer also causing more heat to build up during the day. The reason for all this heat is that during the summer our hemisphere is tipped towards the sun. During winter it is tipped away from the sun and the opposite happens.

Answer 5

The same answer applies to the rest of the world. The USA is not unique in this. The tilt of the axis of the planet means that in the southern hemisphere summer, the southern hemisphere is closer to and receives more radiation from the Sun so it gets hotter. In the southern hemisphere winter, it is the northern hemisphere that is tilted towards the Sun so it is warmer in summer in the northern hemisphere.

Answer 6

The heat or cold is caused by the tilting of the earth . Earth moves around and around the sun but also tilt it self forward or backwards and so . it tilts the usa futher from the sun , making it colder and then tilts it back making it warmer .... i need points

Answer 7

because the tilt of the earth. The sun is closer to us in the summer.

Answer 8

Its a complex topic. It all has to do with the NAO and the way the jet streams are