<p>Northern Hemisphere has probably 3 times more population compared to SH. That means more fuel burning, electricity, animals, flights. Every heat producing thing is way more in NH.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-18T20:57:26.837Z
Re "Northern Hemisphere has probably 3 times more population compared to SH." The imbalance is more extreme than that. Approximately 90% of human population lives in the Northern Hemisphere. However, this is *not* the reason for the average temperature being higher in the Northern Hemisphere.
njuffa
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-07T22:29:03.317Z
2024-12-07T22:29:03.317Z
atul
<blockquote>
<p>Is the southern hemisphere colder than the northern one or is it just me?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It's not just you. The Southern Hemisphere is slightly cooler, on average, than is the Northern Hemisphere.</p>
<p>The most significant factor in the difference is that the Southern Hemisphere has a lot less land (and a lot more water) than does the Northern Hemisphere. This large difference (40% land / 60% water north of the equator versus 20% land / 80% water south of the equator) means that the Southern Hemisphere is affected much more by oceans than is the Northern Hemisphere. This tends to make Southern Hemisphere land temperatures more moderate than Northern Hemisphere land temperatures, with hot Northern Hemisphere summers winning over not quite so hot Southern Hemisphere summers, by quite a bit. Northern Hemisphere winters are colder than are Southern Hemisphere winters, but not by as much as the difference between summers. The following table (source: <a href="https://profhorn.aos.wisc.edu/wxwise/AckermanKnox/chap14/climate_spatial_scales.html" rel="noreferrer">University of Wisconsin</a>) summarizes the differences:</p>
<div class="s-table-container"><table class="s-table">
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Hemisphere</th>
<th>Winter</th>
<th>Summer</th>
<th>Year</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>NH</td>
<td>  8.1 °C</td>
<td>22.4 °C</td>
<td>15.2 °C</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SH</td>
<td>  9.7 °C</td>
<td>17.0 °C</td>
<td>13.3 °C</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Delta (NH-SH)</td>
<td>-1.6 °C</td>
<td>  5.4 °C</td>
<td>  1.9 °C</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div>
<p>Another factor is ocean currents. While the Earth essentially has two atmospheres (a Northern Hemisphere atmosphere and a Southern Hemisphere atmosphere) that slightly intermingle at the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), the Earth essentially has one ocean. Unlike the winds, ocean currents have no problem crossing the equator. Very cold water in the far north downwells and follows the ocean bottom, only to later upwell in the far south. Southern Hemisphere surface waters can be very cold, and this affects Southern Hemisphere land temperatures. Eventually, these cold waters warm up and become warm water currents north of the equator. This thermohaline circulation transports heat from the Southern Hemisphere to Northern Hemisphere. For example, see <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00382-014-2147-z" rel="noreferrer">Kang, Sarah M., et al. &quot;Croll revisited: Why is the northern hemisphere warmer than the southern hemisphere?&quot; Climate Dynamics 44 (2015): 1457-1472</a>.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-05T18:53:46.360Z
When you say "NH winters are colder than SH summers, but not by as much as summers" you mean "not by as much as _southern hemisphere_ summers", right?
Little Mind
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-05T21:23:36.063Z
@LittleMind I wrote "Northern Hemisphere winters are colder than are Southern Hemisphere winters", which is true. I followed this with "but not by as much as summers", which is also true. In other words, how much colder NH winters are vs SH winters is smaller than how much warmer NH summers are vs SH summers.
David Hammen
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-06T07:51:19.503Z
Yet another factor: The winter temperature distribution is more homogeneous in the Southern Hemisphere than in the northern one (due to oceans).  Siberian and inland North American winter temperatures bring down the average, but the largest population centres are in more moderate areas near the coasts. The perception of people like the OP might well be biased to densely populated areas, such as northwestern Europe, and overlook the cold winters in Saskatoon or Irkutsk (both at 52°N).
gerrit
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-06T11:09:24.643Z
@gerrit Oh yeah. i grew up in Minnesota, so I know what cold is. I once played a backyard New Year's Eve game of football (American-style football) at 40 below zero. (I don't have to specify Fahrenheit or Celsius, because 40 below is 40 below in both scales).  Lots of antifreeze (aka ethanol) was required.
David Hammen
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-06T11:13:53.270Z
@gerrit There's a poem by Robert Service, [*The Cremation of Sam McGee*](https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45081/the-cremation-of-sam-mcgee), that says a lot about how cold it gets inland in the far, far north.
David Hammen
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-08T03:17:53.970Z
*The most significant factor in the difference is that the Southern Hemisphere has a lot less land (and a lot more water)* I don't understand why this is so. This could indeed explain why *Southern Hemisphere land temperatures [are] more moderate than Northern Hemisphere land temperatures* but this doesn't explain why *hot Northern Hemisphere summers winning over not quite so hot Southern Hemisphere summers, **by quite a bit***, while *Northern Hemisphere winters are colder than are Southern Hemisphere winters, **but not by as much** as the difference between summers.*
user182601
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-08T03:19:33.953Z
Why couldn't it be that NH summers are hotter than SH summers by X°, while NH winters are colder than SH summers by X°, so that on average the two hemispheres have the same average temperature? (If we restrict attention only to what you call *the most significant factor---namely, that the *Southern Hemisphere has a lot less land (and a lot more water)*.)
user182601
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-05T18:28:50.990Z
2024-12-05T22:02:44.240Z
2024-12-05T22:02:44.240Z
David Hammen
<p>When comparing the same latitude at each hemisphere I've got the impression that the southern hemisphere is generally colder.</p>
<p>Tasmania and New Zealand's North Island for instance are around 36-43 degrees South and have a mild oceanic temperate climate whereas in Europe at the same latitudes you have a hot mediterranean climate (and in California a warm mediterranean one).</p>
<p>Southern Patagonia (around 47-49 degrees) has a cold sub-Arctic climate while Europe and Washington state have a mild temperate climate at those latitudes.</p>
<p>Heard Island, South Georgia and the Sandwich Islands are at 53-55 degrees South and have a near-Arctic tundra climate while this is where you find northern England and northern British Columbia on the opposite hemisphere, both of which are cold but still temperate.</p>
<p>Is my impression correct that the southern hemisphere is colder than the northern one and why is this? I know the Sun is farthest from Earth during the southern hemisphere winter, but on the other hand it is closest to Earth during the southern hemisphere summer. Doesn't this cancel each other out?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-05T15:29:18.957Z
The Southern Hemisphere is certainly colder than the Northern Hemisphere.  I don't have time for an answer, but one reason the aspect in your last paragraph doesn't cancel out is that being closer in NH winter and further in NH summer makes NH winters shorter than summers, whereas SH winters are longer than summers.  It's not the distance that's the most important, but the duration of the seasons.  Another reason is the asymmetry of the continents.  I'll type up an answer if I find time and remember.
gerrit
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-05T16:24:03.650Z
@gerrit You mean that because an orbiting object is slowest around its apoapsis the SH winter lasts longer?
Little Mind
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-06T15:50:07.187Z
Note that even in the Northern Hemisphere, locations at the same latitude can have significantly different climates. Compare Bordeaux (44.8N, 7.1-21.9°C daily mean temp) and Toronto (43.7N, -3.5-22.5°C) or Montreal (45.5N, -9.2-21.7°C) or even Vladivostok (43.1N, -15.0-17.9°C)... Quite notably, western Europe is much warmer that most other locations at the same latitude.
jcaron
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-06T15:51:47.350Z
@jcaron Yes I believe Europe is the hottest continent for a given latitude.
Little Mind
<meteorology><climate><temperature>
Is the southern hemisphere colder than the northern one or is it just me?
Little Mind
# Is the southern hemisphere colder than the northern one or is it just me?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-12-05)

When comparing the same latitude at each hemisphere I've got the impression that the southern hemisphere is generally colder.

Tasmania and New Zealand's North Island for instance are around 36-43 degrees South and have a mild oceanic temperate climate whereas in Europe at the same latitudes you have a hot mediterranean climate (and in California a warm mediterranean one).

Southern Patagonia (around 47-49 degrees) has a cold sub-Arctic climate while Europe and Washington state have a mild temperate climate at those latitudes.

Heard Island, South Georgia and the Sandwich Islands are at 53-55 degrees South and have a near-Arctic tundra climate while this is where you find northern England and northern British Columbia on the opposite hemisphere, both of which are cold but still temperate.

Is my impression correct that the southern hemisphere is colder than the northern one and why is this? I know the Sun is farthest from Earth during the southern hemisphere winter, but on the other hand it is closest to Earth during the southern hemisphere summer. Doesn't this cancel each other out?

**Tags:** meteorology, climate, temperature

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: The Southern Hemisphere is certainly colder than the Northern Hemisphere.  I don't have time for an answer, but one reason the aspect in your last paragraph doesn't cancel out is that being closer in NH winter and further in NH summer makes NH winters shorter than summers, whereas SH winters are longer than summers.  It's not the distance that's the most important, but the duration of the seasons.  Another reason is the asymmetry of the continents.  I'll type up an answer if I find time and remember.  
> **username_0**: @username_1 You mean that because an orbiting object is slowest around its apoapsis the SH winter lasts longer?  
> **username_2**: Note that even in the Northern Hemisphere, locations at the same latitude can have significantly different climates. Compare Bordeaux (44.8N, 7.1-21.9°C daily mean temp) and Toronto (43.7N, -3.5-22.5°C) or Montreal (45.5N, -9.2-21.7°C) or even Vladivostok (43.1N, -15.0-17.9°C)... Quite notably, western Europe is much warmer that most other locations at the same latitude.  
> **username_0**: @username_2 Yes I believe Europe is the hottest continent for a given latitude.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2024-12-05. Score: 21 | Accepted answer

> Is the southern hemisphere colder than the northern one or is it just me?

It's not just you. The Southern Hemisphere is slightly cooler, on average, than is the Northern Hemisphere.

The most significant factor in the difference is that the Southern Hemisphere has a lot less land (and a lot more water) than does the Northern Hemisphere. This large difference (40% land / 60% water north of the equator versus 20% land / 80% water south of the equator) means that the Southern Hemisphere is affected much more by oceans than is the Northern Hemisphere. This tends to make Southern Hemisphere land temperatures more moderate than Northern Hemisphere land temperatures, with hot Northern Hemisphere summers winning over not quite so hot Southern Hemisphere summers, by quite a bit. Northern Hemisphere winters are colder than are Southern Hemisphere winters, but not by as much as the difference between summers. The following table (source: [University of Wisconsin](https://profhorn.aos.wisc.edu/wxwise/AckermanKnox/chap14/climate_spatial_scales.html)) summarizes the differences:

| Hemisphere | Winter | Summer | Year |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| NH | 8.1 °C | 22.4 °C | 15.2 °C |
| SH | 9.7 °C | 17.0 °C | 13.3 °C |
| Delta (NH-SH) | -1.6 °C | 5.4 °C | 1.9 °C |

Another factor is ocean currents. While the Earth essentially has two atmospheres (a Northern Hemisphere atmosphere and a Southern Hemisphere atmosphere) that slightly intermingle at the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), the Earth essentially has one ocean. Unlike the winds, ocean currents have no problem crossing the equator. Very cold water in the far north downwells and follows the ocean bottom, only to later upwell in the far south. Southern Hemisphere surface waters can be very cold, and this affects Southern Hemisphere land temperatures. Eventually, these cold waters warm up and become warm water currents north of the equator. This thermohaline circulation transports heat from the Southern Hemisphere to Northern Hemisphere. For example, see [Kang, Sarah M., et al. "Croll revisited: Why is the northern hemisphere warmer than the southern hemisphere?" Climate Dynamics 44 (2015): 1457-1472](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00382-014-2147-z).

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: When you say "NH winters are colder than SH summers, but not by as much as summers" you mean "not by as much as _southern hemisphere_ summers", right?  
> **username_5**: @username_0 I wrote "Northern Hemisphere winters are colder than are Southern Hemisphere winters", which is true. I followed this with "but not by as much as summers", which is also true. In other words, how much colder NH winters are vs SH winters is smaller than how much warmer NH summers are vs SH summers.  
> **username_1**: Yet another factor: The winter temperature distribution is more homogeneous in the Southern Hemisphere than in the northern one (due to oceans).  Siberian and inland North American winter temperatures bring down the average, but the largest population centres are in more moderate areas near the coasts. The perception of people like the OP might well be biased to densely populated areas, such as northwestern Europe, and overlook the cold winters in Saskatoon or Irkutsk (both at 52°N).  
> **username_5**: @username_1 Oh yeah. i grew up in Minnesota, so I know what cold is. I once played a backyard New Year's Eve game of football (American-style football) at 40 below zero. (I don't have to specify Fahrenheit or Celsius, because 40 below is 40 below in both scales).  Lots of antifreeze (aka ethanol) was required.  
> **username_5**: @username_1 There's a poem by Robert Service, [*The Cremation of Sam McGee*](https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45081/the-cremation-of-sam-mcgee), that says a lot about how cold it gets inland in the far, far north.  
> **username_6**: *The most significant factor in the difference is that the Southern Hemisphere has a lot less land (and a lot more water)* I don't understand why this is so. This could indeed explain why *Southern Hemisphere land temperatures [are] more moderate than Northern Hemisphere land temperatures* but this doesn't explain why *hot Northern Hemisphere summers winning over not quite so hot Southern Hemisphere summers, **by quite a bit***, while *Northern Hemisphere winters are colder than are Southern Hemisphere winters, **but not by as much** as the difference between summers.*  
> **username_6**: Why couldn't it be that NH summers are hotter than SH summers by X°, while NH winters are colder than SH summers by X°, so that on average the two hemispheres have the same average temperature? (If we restrict attention only to what you call *the most significant factor---namely, that the *Southern Hemisphere has a lot less land (and a lot more water)*.)  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2024-12-07. Score: -2

Northern Hemisphere has probably 3 times more population compared to SH. That means more fuel burning, electricity, animals, flights. Every heat producing thing is way more in NH.

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: Re "Northern Hemisphere has probably 3 times more population compared to SH." The imbalance is more extreme than that. Approximately 90% of human population lives in the Northern Hemisphere. However, this is *not* the reason for the average temperature being higher in the Northern Hemisphere.  

---

