What's a Solstice and Where is Summer?
Jun 21, 2011; 9:14 PM ET
For many of you, "summer started weeks ago," but astronomical summer begins today for the Northern Hemisphere. Not to be forgotten, astronomical winter will begin for the Southern Hemisphere.
Many places, especially in the Southeast and Southwest, seemed to skip right over spring and went right into summer with the extreme heat and humidity.
There are several different ways to classify the seasons. The three most common are solar, meteorological and astronomical.
The equinoxes and solstices that occur during the year mark the astronomical beginnings of seasons.
During the summer solstice, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the sun, while the Southern Hemisphere is tilted away from the sun. This year, the summer solstice occurs June 21 at 1:16 p.m. EDT.
Unlike astronomical seasons, which are determined by the Earth's position in relation to the sun, meteorological seasons are categorized by temperature.
Meteorological winter is the coldest quarter of the year (December-February), while meteorological summer is the warmest (June-August).
Additionally, there are solar seasons, which are categorized by the length of daylight hours. Solar summer is May-July, the months with the longest daylight hours.
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For more information about what kind of summer your region can expect this year, be sure to check out the AccuWeather.com Summer 2011 Forecast.
By Gina Cherundolo, AccuWeather.com staff writer
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Daily U.S. Extremes
past 24 hours
| Extreme | Location | |
|---|---|---|
| High | 107° | Death Valley, CA |
| Low | 28° | Daniel, WY |
| Precip | 3.25" | Buffalo, MN |
WeatherWhys®
People need to pay close attention to the UV index during this time of year. On a sunny day late in the spring and into the summer, the UV is usually at least an 8, which is very high. Readings over 11 are considered extreme values in which only 10 minutes of full exposure to the sun will produce a sunburn.
This Day In Weather History
Oklahoma (1940)
Hail fell to depths of 6-8 inches near Ada. Hail drifted to 5 feet in places with the help of rain runoff.
Northern Texas (1986)
Severe thunderstorms produced 95-mph wind gusts and widespread damage. More than 3 inches of rain fell in less than an hour. A 29-year-old woman and her 6-year-old daughter drowned in their car which was found submerged in an underpass.
Rough Weather
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