It's Not About Distance

Here's a common misconception: seasons aren't caused by how close Earth is to the sun. Actually, we're closest to the sun in January! Seasons happen because Earth's axis is tilted about 23.5 degrees.

Summer vs Winter

When your part of Earth is tilted toward the sun, you get more direct sunlight and longer days - that's summer. When tilted away, sunlight is more diffuse and days are shorter - that's winter. Simple!