June 18, 1999

    Summer Solstice

Summer solstice occurs June 21 or 22 when the Earth's orbit is positioned so that the north polar end of its axis leans at the full 23½-degree angle toward the Sun, giving everything north of the Arctic Circle constant daylight.  In the Northern Hemisphere, the year's longest span of daylight comes on, and from that point until December's winter solstice, nights will lengthen and days diminish.

This year, astronomical summer begins at 2:49 p.m. Monday.  It is the longest day of the year, with 15 hours, 37 minutes of sunlight in the Twin Cities area.  Winona, in southeastern Minnesota, will have 15 hours, 30 minutes of sunlight, and Hallock, in the extreme northwestern part of the state, will have 16 hours, 15 minutes of sunlight.  In the Twin Cities area, there actually is 15 hours, 37 minutes of daylight starting today and continuing until next Friday, when we will lose a minute.

Even though the sun is highest in the sky now (68½ degrees above the horizon at noon), it will take about five weeks until we get our warmest days.  That means July 26, statistically, should be the warmest day of the year.