While Memorial Day weekend is often considered the unofficial start of summer, we have FINALLY reached the official start of our hottest season.
Summer officially began at 10:32 PM on Sunday, June 20th. So, today is the first full day of summer. However, it hasn't felt quite as "summer-y" thanks to Sunday's cold front. Don't worry though, the summer heat will kick in again soon!
But back to the official start of summer. It is marked by the summer solstice, or when the sun is directly over the Tropic of Cancer. It is considered "the longest day of the year" by the standard of hours of daylight in the northern hemisphere.
It's during this time that those living within the Arctic Circle up north received 24 hours of daylight where the sun never fully sets below the horizon. In comparison, on the 20th, Omaha saw about 15 hours and 9 minutes of daylight. This also means now our "days" will be getting shorter. The opposite is true in the southern hemisphere. There, it marks the beginning of winter, and the Antarctic Circle receives no sunlight during this time.
So, hopefully you're ready for more heat as we continue through the hottest part of the year and look forward to more 90-degree days!
