Seasons by city

The year in Bloemfontein

Bloemfontein lies on the open grassland plains of the Free State, under a very wide sky, with a single hill, Naval Hill, rising above the city.

Biome Grassland
Rain Summer rain
Altitude about 1 400 m
Rainfall about 550 mm a year
Province Free State

Where the year begins

Summers are hot, with rain mostly in thunderstorms from November to March. Winters are dry and cold, with hard frosts on many nights and bright, still days.

Grassland covers the high central plateau: open, rolling veld with few trees, cold dry winters and green summers. Its wild flowers come up after the first rains and after the winter fires.

What summer rain means here

Most of the year's rain falls between October and March, often in afternoon thunderstorms, and winter is the dry season.

Keep outdoor lessons to the morning in summer, when storms are least likely, and treat the first big storm of spring as an event to mark together. Winter is the long, dry season for walks, fires and gathering seed.

The turning points of 2027

Dates are in South African time. Sunrise, sunset and daylight are worked out for Bloemfontein's rounded location.

Solstices and equinoxes in 2027, with sunrise, sunset and daylight in Bloemfontein
Turning point	Sunrise	Sunset	Daylight
Autumn equinoxSaturday 20 March 2027	06:18	18:26	12 h 8 min
Midwinter, the shortest dayMonday 21 June 2027	07:08	17:25	10 h 17 min
Spring equinoxThursday 23 September 2027	06:04	18:11	12 h 8 min
Midsummer, the longest dayWednesday 22 December 2027	05:13	19:13	14 h 1 min

Summer: December, January, February

Thunderstorms build over the plains in the afternoons, and on these flat lands a storm can be watched coming from far off. Go outside early, and come indoors well before it arrives.

First signs to watch for

Christmas beetles singing
Streams running full
Longest day
Widowbirds displaying
Afternoon storm
Termites flying after rain

Afternoon thunderstorms rolling in almost every day, then a fresh, cool evening

In the evening sky

On 22 December 2027, midsummer, the longest day, at about 20:28: the moon is waning crescent, 25 percent lit, not yet up, and the Southern Cross is below the horizon or too low to see. Planets: Saturn, high in the north-west; Venus, low in the west. For early risers: Jupiter before dawn in the north-east.

Also up: The Small Magellanic Cloud, halfway up in the south; Grus, the Crane, halfway up in the south-west; The Large Magellanic Cloud, halfway up in the south.

On the nature table

Rich green cotton with a strip of dark grey silk at the back for the storm clouds, with long grass seed heads from a field edge or your own garden; fallen feathers; a smooth stone or two; a small potted plant, such as a red-hot poker or an agapanthus.

Safety this season

On midsummer's day the sun is highest at 12:13, 84 degrees above the horizon, so a child's shadow almost disappears at noon; keep the hours around it for shade, hats, sunscreen and water.
Snakes are about in the warm months: stay on paths, look where you step, and leave any snake alone.
Ticks are in the long grass now: check arms, legs and hair afterwards.

Festivals

Midsummer Festival on Wednesday 22 December 2027; Christmas on Saturday 25 December 2027 (Christian).

Three things to do outside

Shelling on the Stoep

Practical life, 30 minutes

Sitting together in the shade of the stoep, your child pops green peas out of their pods in spring or rubs dry kernels off mealie cobs in autumn, counting as they go.

Dry mealie kernels are small and hard. Keep them out of the reach of babies and toddlers, who can choke on them.

Dawn Bird Calls

Nature walk, 40 minutes

Getting up just before sunrise to walk quietly and listen to the birds waking, learning one or two calls by ear and ending with a warm drink as the sun comes up.

Walk on pavements and garden paths you know well, as the light is low. Hold small hands near any road or driveway.

Washing the Stoep

Water, 40 minutes

On a hot day, scrubbing the stoep together with buckets, brushes and a little soap, splashing as you go and leaving everything clean and cool.

Water: an adult stays within arm's reach of every child near water, the whole time.
A small child can topple head first into a bucket. Keep only a little water in each, stay within arm's reach, and tip the buckets out as soon as you finish.

Autumn: March, April, May

The grass seeds and turns gold, and the mornings begin to bite. It is a good time to collect seed heads for the nature table.

First signs to watch for

Cosmos in flower
Swallows gathering
Last storm of summer
Swallows gone
First frost
Leaves turning yellow

Clear, cool mornings and warm, still afternoons

In the evening sky

On 20 March 2027, autumn equinox, at about 19:41: the moon is waxing gibbous, 96 percent lit, halfway up in the north-east, and the Southern Cross is halfway up in the south-east. Planets: Jupiter, halfway up in the north-east; Mars, halfway up in the north-east. For early risers: Mercury before dawn in the east; Venus before dawn in the east.

Also up: Canis Major and Sirius, almost overhead in the north-west; Carina and Canopus, high in the south; Orion, high in the north-west.

On the nature table

Rusty red-brown cotton with a scatter of pink and white felt cosmos flowers, with dry red grass seed heads; fallen yellow leaves from a garden or street tree; dry cosmos seed heads from your own garden; seed pods and fallen twigs.

Safety this season

At the autumn equinox the midday sun, at 12:22, still stands 61 degrees high and burns quickly, so hats stay on and the late afternoon becomes the pleasant time to be out.
Snakes are about in the warm months: stay on paths, look where you step, and leave any snake alone.
Ticks are in the long grass now: check arms, legs and hair afterwards.

Festivals

Autumn Harvest Festival on Saturday 20 March 2027; Easter on Sunday 28 March 2027 (Christian); Freedom Day Family Stories on Tuesday 27 April 2027.

Three things to do outside

The Worm Heap

Garden, 40 minutes

Building and feeding a compost heap together, turning it now and then and finding the earthworms that turn kitchen peels into dark, crumbly soil.

Spiders and the odd scorpion like warm heaps. Wear gloves, and the adult lifts the top layer with the fork before small hands go in.

A Stick and Grass Hut

Building, 120 minutes

Over two or three autumn afternoons your child builds a small hut from long sticks and bundles of dry grass, layering the grass from the bottom up so that it sheds the rain.

Snakes rest in long grass, even as the weather cools. The adult cuts the grass, wearing boots and long trousers, and makes plenty of noise while working. Check everyone for ticks when you finish.

Autumn Seed Walk

Nature walk, 45 minutes

A slow autumn walk to gather the seeds, pods and winged fruits that plants are letting go of, then sorting them at home for the nature table.

Some seeds and berries are poisonous, such as syringa berries and castor oil seeds. Your child gathers but never puts seeds in the mouth, and everyone washes hands afterwards.

Winter: June, July, August

Hard frosts make the grass crunch underfoot at dawn, and ice can form on standing water. Children need warm layers outside until the sun is well up. The dry air makes for very clear night skies.

First signs to watch for

Ice on the birdbath
Snow on the Drakensberg
Green shoots in the burnt veld
Coldest morning
Blossom on the fruit trees
August wind

Burnt firebreaks showing black, and soon the first green shoots poking through

In the evening sky

On 21 June 2027, midwinter, the shortest day, at about 19:00: the moon is waning gibbous, 94 percent lit, not yet up, and the Southern Cross is high in the south. Planets: Mars, high in the north-west; Jupiter, halfway up in the north-west. For early risers: Saturn before dawn in the north-east.

Also up: Centaurus and the Pointers, almost overhead in the south; Carina and Canopus, halfway up in the south-west; Leo, the Lion, halfway up in the north-west.

On the nature table

Pale straw-coloured cotton with a strip of white felt for frost and blue silk for the sky, with dry pale grass stems; fallen bark or a few pine cones; pale stones from your own garden; a small potted aloe.

Safety this season

On the shortest day the sun reaches only 37 degrees, at 12:16, and midday shadows are long, but it still burns; cold mornings mean water play waits for a warmer day.

Festivals

Midwinter Lantern Evening on Monday 21 June 2027; Women's Day on Monday 9 August 2027.

Three things to do outside

Naming the Sunset Colours

Sky watching, 30 minutes

On a clear winter evening, sitting together to watch the sun go down and naming each colour in the sky as it changes, then painting them the next morning.

Look at the sky around the sun, never straight at the sun itself, even when it is low and red. If it dazzles, look away.

Water for the Trees in Winter

Practical life, 30 minutes

In the dry winter months of the summer-rainfall areas, your child carries water to the young trees once a week, gives each one its share and tucks dry leaves around the trunk to keep the soil damp.

Water: an adult stays within arm's reach of every child near water, the whole time.
A small child can drown in a few centimetres of water. An adult stays within arm's reach while children fill their cans, and no bucket or tub of water is left standing afterwards.

Midday Shadow Tag

Game, 20 minutes

A running game for a cold, bright winter day. Around midday, when the low winter sun still casts long shadows, the catcher tries to step on the other players' shadows.

The winter sun is low but can still burn at midday, especially at altitude. Wear hats, and put sunscreen on faces if you play for long.

Spring: September, October, November

Bloemfontein calls itself the city of roses, and the gardens show why in October. The first storms usually arrive later here than in the north-east of the country.

First signs to watch for

Weavers building
First wild flowers
First summer thunderstorm
Jacaranda in bloom
Swallows back
Fireflies

Swallows back, swooping low over the fields

In the evening sky

On 23 September 2027, spring equinox, at about 19:26: the moon is last quarter, 47 percent lit, not yet up, and the Southern Cross is low in the south-west. Planets: Mars, halfway up in the west. For early risers: Saturn before dawn in the north-west.

Also up: Sagittarius and the Teapot, almost overhead in the west; Scorpius, high in the west; Pavo, the Peacock, high in the south.

On the nature table

Charcoal grey cotton at the back with fresh green silk spreading forward, like new grass after the veld is burnt, with a small piece of charcoal from your own cold fireplace or braai; fallen blossom petals from a peach or plum tree; grass and twigs for a weaver's nest; a small potted plant in flower, such as a wild gerbera.

Safety this season

By the spring equinox the midday sun is back up at 61 degrees, at 12:07, and UV climbs quickly towards October, so bring the hats out before the heat arrives.
Bees are busy with the spring flowers: walk calmly past hives and flowering trees.

Festivals

Spring Festival of Blossoms on Thursday 23 September 2027; Heritage Day on Friday 24 September 2027; First Rains Festival on Monday 25 October 2027; Diwali on Monday 1 November 2027 (Hindu), a date that moves; check locally.

Three things to do outside

A Woven Reed Fence

Building, 90 minutes

In spring your child weaves a low fence around a garden bed, threading reeds or bendy prunings in and out between upright stakes, and sees how weaving makes thin stems strong.

Wetlands and river banks are protected places. Cut reeds only on your own land or where the owner has given permission, and take only a few from each clump.

Planting Beans

Garden, 30 minutes

Planting and caring for a row of beans in a garden bed or a big tin, and watching them come up.

Raw dry beans are not for eating. Keep the seed packet or bag up high.

A Friendly Scarecrow

Practical life, 75 minutes

At spring planting time your child builds a scarecrow from two poles, old clothes and dry grass, gives it a kind face and a name, and plants it in the vegetable bed to keep the birds off the seedlings.

If you cut long grass for stuffing in spring or summer, wear boots, make plenty of noise as you go and let the adult do the cutting, because snakes rest in long grass.

Places to walk

Naval Hill and the Franklin Game Reserve

Giraffe, zebra and antelope on a hill in the middle of the city, with views across the plains.

Free State National Botanical Garden

Grassland, a dam and rocky koppies north of the city, with paths through the veld.

Where these facts come from

Biome, rainfall regime, solstices, equinoxes, sunrise, sunset, the midday sun and the evening sky are computed by Selemo's season engine for Bloemfontein at 29.10 degrees south, 26.20 degrees east, rounded to about 5 km, using Meeus's astronomical algorithms and the NOAA solar equations.
Biome names follow the national vegetation map of South Africa (Mucina and Rutherford); first signs, the nature table and festivals come from Selemo's seasons library, version 1; activities come from Selemo's activity library, chosen by the Outdoor Matcher for a typical clear morning in each season after the safety rules; altitude and rainfall are rounded long-term figures, being checked against South African Weather Service climate data.

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