ARKANSAS, USA — The long summer days are coming to an end across the United States as September posts the biggest daylight losses of the year.
How much daylight are we losing for the month of September, the start of meteorological fall? (scroll down for a look per state)
--Local Weather: Tap HERE for our interactive radar--
The Northern Hemisphere has been losing daylight since mid-June. The pace was insignificant at first but most Americans are losing 1-3 minutes per day heading into September. These declines will maximize in the middle of the month. After the Autumnal Equinox, September 22, the pace of daylight loss will slow down.
DAYLIGHT LOSS MAP
(the map shows how much you will at least lose in September)
The pace of daylight is strictly based on latitude. The farther north you live, the more dramatic daylight gains and losses are. In the far north, along the US-Canada border, Americans will lose at least 100 minutes. Locations farther south will lose less daylight, but still a respectable 40-50 minutes over the course of September.
LESS DAYLIGHT LEADS TO COLDER AIR
The combination of less daylight and lower sun angles will eventually allow cold air to form in the Canadian Plains and dive south into the United States, bringing stronger cold fronts and more chances for severe weather.
From a atmospheric science perspective, as we have more nighttime rather than daytime, the atmosphere will lose more heat than it gains, allowing temperatures to cool across the northern hemisphere.
STATE BY STATE DAYLIGHT LOSS
- Alabama -- 59min (Birmingham)
- Alaska -- 2hr 45min (Anchorage)
- Arizona -- 59min (Phoenix)
- Arkansas -- 1hr 1min (Little Rock)
- California -- 1hr 11min (Sacramento)
- Colorado -- 1hr 14min (Denver)
- Connecticut -- 1hr 19min (Hartford)
- Delaware -- 1hr 12min (Dover)
- Florida -- 48min (Orlando)
- Georgia -- 59min (Atlanta)
- Hawaii -- 34min (Honolulu)
- Idaho -- 1hr 25min (Boise)
- Illinois -- 1hr 20min (Chicago)
- Indiana -- 1hr 14min (Indianapolis)
- Iowa -- 1hr 19min (Des Moines)
- Kansas -- 1hr 12min (Topeka)
- Kentucky -- 1hr 10min (Louisville)
- Louisiana -- 51min (New Orleans)
- Maine -- 1hr 28min (Bangor)
- Maryland -- 1hr 12min (Annapolis)
- Massachusetts -- 1hr 21min (Boston)
- Michigan -- 1hr 21min (Detroit)
- Minnesota -- 1hr 29min (Minneapolis)
- Mississippi -- 56min (Jackson)
- Missouri -- 1hr 11min (St. Louis)
- Montana -- 1hr 34min (Helena)
- Nebraska -- 1hr 17min (Lincoln)
- Nevada -- 1hr 5min (Las Vegas)
- New Hampshire -- 1hr 24min (Concord)
- New Jersey -- 1hr 15min (Trenton)
- New Mexico -- 1hr 2min (Albuquerque)
- New York -- 1hr 16min (New York City)
- North Carolina -- 1hr 3min (Charlotte)
- North Dakota -- 1hr 35min (Bismarck)
- Ohio -- 1hr 14min (Columbus)
- Oklahoma -- 1hr 3min (Oklahoma City)
- Oregon -- 1hr 31min (Portland)
- Pennsylvania -- 1hr 14min (Philadelphia)
- Rhode Island -- 1hr 20min (Providence)
- South Carolina -- 57min (Charleston)
- South Dakota -- 1hr 26min (Rapid City)
- Tennessee -- 1hr 5min (Nashville)
- Texas -- 57min (Dallas/Fort Worth)
- Utah -- 1hr 17min (Salt Lake City)
- Vermont -- 1hr 27min (Burlington)
- Virginia -- 1hr 8min (Richmond)
- Washington -- 1hr 38min (Seattle)
- West Virginia -- 1hr 10min (Charleston)
- Wisconsin -- 1hr 23min (Madison)
- Wyoming -- 1hr 18min (Cheyenne)
-5NEWS Weather Team