February to bring longer days, shorter nights

Longer days are ahead across the Northern Hemisphere with places such as New York City gaining more than 60 minutes of daylight throughout February.

Wintery weather still has a strong foothold across North America in February, a month that can often feature winter storms and waves of Arctic air. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel for folks who are looking forward to the longer, warmer days of spring and summer.

Since the December solstice, the amount of sunlight has been increasing each day. Initially, this change was slow, adding just a few seconds per day. However, in February, the increase rapidly accelerates. Areas farther north, closer to the poles, experience a more dramatic shift in the annual balance between daylight and nighttime. In contrast, places nearer the equator see a more subtle change.

In New York City, the amount of sunlight increases by more than two minutes each day. By Feb. 28, the sun is above the horizon for 67 minutes longer than it was on Feb. 1. In comparison, Miami, which is much closer to the equator, sees an increase of only 37 minutes of sunlight throughout the month.

While the days are getting longer, the nights are starting to shrink, resulting in earlier sunrises, later sunsets, and less time for stargazing.

Days will continue to grow longer and nights will progressively get shorter across the Northern Hemisphere until the summer solstice on June 20. After that, the daily dose of sunshine will start to decrease, and the nights will begin to lengthen each day until the winter solstice.

When does daylight saving time start in 2025?

Clocks will spring ahead one hour on March 9, 2025, as daylight saving time begins across most of the United States. The shift will result in later sunrises and sunsets, which can benefit outdoor businesses that rely on daylight, such as golf courses, in the summer months.

In 2025, daylight saving time will end on Nov. 2, when clocks will fall back one hour and the entire United States will return to standard time.

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