The days are getting shorter: Here's how much daylight disappears in August
Days are becoming much shorter, with some areas of the United States losing over an hour of daylight between Aug. 1 and Aug. 31.
Sunflowers stand on a field in Frankfurt, Germany, Thursday, July 25, 2019. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)
The long days of summer are fading, and early hints of fall are starting to creep in. The impending seasonal shift is already noticeable, not in the leaves just yet, but in the light.
The summer solstice is the longest day of the year, and for North America, it took place at 10:42 p.m. EDT on June 20. Ever since then, days have been getting shorter and shorter. At first, it was just by a few seconds every day, but that change is accelerating.
By August, each day is 1 to 2 minutes shorter than the day prior for many areas of the United States. This adds up fast, and by Aug. 31, the time between sunrise and sunset is over 60 minutes shorter than it was on Aug. 1.
Due to the Earth's tilt on its axis and the way the planet orbits the sun, this change is most dramatic in areas closer to the poles compared to areas closer to the equator.
Daylight lost in August:
•Miami: 40 minutes
•Houston: 46 minutes
•Los Angeles: 55 minutes
•New York City: 71 minutes
•Minneapolis: 84 minutes
•Seattle: 92 minutes
Days will continue to shorten while nights perpetually grow longer until the winter solstice, which occurs at 10:03 a.m. EST on Dec. 21, 2025.
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