Summer truly arrived on Sunday with the summer solstice — the longest day of the year for the Northern Hemisphere. In Seattle, the sun shone for 15 hours and 59 minutes, and the air warmed to nearly 25°C — not as hot as last week, when the mercury hit record levels, edging toward 35°C. That astronomical milestone, not calendar dates or Memorial Day, is what marks the real start of summer.
From that point on, the days begin to shorten relentlessly — at first by only a few seconds, but by December the daylight hours will drop to eight, a prospect that can’t help but worry residents of the region, accustomed to a long, gloomy winter. Still, there’s plenty of warmth ahead: the National Weather Service warns of a “moderate risk of heat” in the coming days — on Tuesday, Seattle could see temperatures up to 30°C. And starting Wednesday on the Olympic Peninsula, and then in the city itself, cooler air will begin to push in: by the end of the week, temperatures will fall to 15–20°C, and rain is also possible.
Most Seattle residents probably won’t notice the decrease in daylight right now — the losses are only seconds. But by the end of August, when fans and portable air conditioners no longer provide much relief from the haze, many may start wishing for less sun. Then again, a long winter in these parts tends to leave nobody indifferent.
Based on: Seattle solstice kicks off summer with warm high note, peak daylight