Seasons happen because Earth's axis is tilted, not because of distance from the sun.

The longer version

Earth's axis leans over by a fixed amount and keeps pointing the same direction in space as the planet orbits. For half the year one hemisphere is tilted toward the sun and for the other half away, which changes both the angle at which sunlight arrives and the length of the day.

The distance to the sun varies only slightly over the year and plays no real part in the cycle. What matters is that direct sunlight delivers more energy per unit of area than slanted sunlight, and that longer days give far more time for that energy to accumulate.

Where this entry sits

Clouds, wind, rain, and storms shape daily life in ways that most people barely notice. This collection explains snow, lightning, rainbows, the turning seasons, temperature, the instruments forecasters rely on, and scraps of old weather lore. The full list sits on the Weather and Climate page, where every entry is listed in order.