From Slate:
Sunday marked the winter solstice—both the official start of winter and the shortest day of the year. But December is rarely as cold as January. Why isn't the month with the least sunlight also the one with the lowest temperatures?
Because water retains heat. Between 70 percent and 75 percent of the Earth's surface is covered in oceans, rivers, and lakes. (There's even more water vaporized in the air or stored in the ground.) During seasons of longer days and more sunlight, these geographical features are able to store up and retain heat over long periods of time, before emitting it as the days get shorter. A body of water is far more effective as a space heater than, say, a big field of rocks: The water holds on to five times as much heat per gram.
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