Days are getting shorter, cooler
Sep 10, 2013, 10:14 PM | Updated: Sep 11, 2013, 9:03 am
Since the latter part of June, we have now lost close to two hours of daylight on both ends of each day - sunrise and sunset, about four hours in all. (MyNorthwest/Alyssa Kleven)
(MyNorthwest/Alyssa Kleven)
Days are getting shorter. Nights are getting longer. Leaves are beginning to fall. School has started. Football season is here. Fall must be just around the corner.
Since the latter part of June, we have now lost close to two hours of daylight on both ends of each day – sunrise and sunset, about four hours in all. The fall equinox will occur in Seattle on Sunday Sept. 22 at 1:44 p.m, marking the end of summer on the calendar. We are losing about four minutes of daylight each day right now.
Average high and low temperatures reflect the shorter days. At the beginning of September, the average high temperature for Seattle is 74 degrees and the average low, 55. By the end of the month, the averages are 66 and 49 – much cooler as a result of shorter days.
When we get unseasonably warm days like this week, the temperature rises and falls much more quickly than during the longer days in June and July. So it may feel hot during the afternoon, but it cools off more quickly.
In the next few weeks, I will address what is expected for this coming fall and winter, and what you can do to get ready for winter weather. In addition, is there a question you have always wanted to ask a meteorologist? Send me your questions and I can try to answer them in this column.
