In january, earth is closest to the sun in its orbit. yet the northern hemisphere experiences winter. which statement explains this phenomenon?

The statement that best explains this phenomenon is that "The Northern Hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun". Although the Earth is closest to the Sun in its orbit, it is tilted 23.5 degrees on its axis. The tilt on the Earth's axis is what is responsible for the seasons. The hemisphere tilted towards the Sun experiences summer while the hemisphere tilted away from the Sun experiences winter.