Summer is coming to an end and your sunset is getting earlier
Fall is steadily approaching as the sun sinks lower in the late-summer sky
Cicadas are singing the song of the end of summer across parts of Canada as the season gradually draws to a close. There’s no escaping our steady march toward fall—and earlier sunsets.
Most of the country enjoyed sunsets well past 8:00 p.m. local time during the peak of the summer months. But nighttime is creeping ever earlier as the days progress, and soon you’ll be saying goodbye to sunsets after 8 o’clock.
Here’s a look at how fast things will change in the days and weeks ahead.
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The sun angle is rapidly declining as we head deeper into the waning days of summer. Folks in Toronto saw the sun angle peak at 70° on the summer solstice back in June. We’re on a fast and steady decline now with just over a month to go before the autumnal equinox.
Days are growing noticeably shorter across the country. Time zones and latitude make all the difference when it comes to sunsets.
Montreal already saw its last sunset after 8:00 p.m. back on August 15. St. John’s is next on August 21, followed by Halifax on August 26, then Toronto one day later.
Folks across most of the Prairies are far enough north that the sun won’t set before 8:00 p.m. well into September, with the exception of Regina due to time zone quirkiness.
Average daily temperatures will start their steady decline as the sun falls lower in the sky each day.
The average daytime high in Toronto is about 26.0°C in August. That average falls down to 22.3°C during the month of September. It’s an even sharper decline on the Prairies, where Winnipeg’s average high of 25.4°C in August drops down to 19.6°C in September.
We’re just a few weeks away from the autumnal equinox, the point after which nighttime is gradually longer than daytime throughout the northern hemisphere. Soak up the sun while it’s still lingering in summer’s warmth.
Header image submitted by Allen Reid in Hamilton, Ontario.
