BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — It’s officially September, and those long, summer days are about to feel a lot shorter.
The rate at which we lose daylight generally peaks around September, as we get closer to the autumnal equinox.
But why does this happen, and what will that mean for us here in Kern County?
Let’s start with the summer solstice. This is when we see the longest day and shortest night of the year in the northern hemisphere. This year, that was June 20.
Since then, daylight hours have been getting shorter and shorter as we approach the autumnal equinox. This is when the amount of daytime is the same as the amount of nighttime. This year, the autumnal equinox is on September 22.
So what does this look like for Kern County?
In Bakersfield, on Monday morning, September 1, the sunrise was estimated at 6:28 a.m. and the sunset at 7:22 p.m. This gives us 12 hours and 54 minutes of daylight.
Now let’s go back in time to August 1. The sunrise was estimated at 6:05 a.m. and the sunset was estimated at 7:59 p.m. That’s 13 hours and 54 minutes of daylight—a whole hour difference, just within the span of a month.
Now let’s fast forward to September 30. Sunrise is estimated at 6:50 a.m. while sunset is estimated at 6:40 p.m., with 11 hours and 50 minutes of daylight. That’s another hour of daylight, gone.
Let’s put it all together.
Between August 1 and August 31, daylight dropped from 13 hours and 54 minutes to 12 hours and 55 minutes, just under a full one-hour difference.
Between September 1 and September 30, daylight is expected to drop from 12 hours and 51 minutes to 11 hours and 50 minutes, just over an hour difference.
Daylight hours are going to continue to fall until the winter solstice on December 21, 2025.
This is the shortest day of the year, and also serves as a turning point where, in the following days, day length will gradually increase, leading up to the spring equinox.
Now this is all specifically looking at the Northern Hemisphere, and the time difference changes depending on your location within the country.
Data on estimated sunrise and sunset times are from timeanddate.com.
Stay in Touch with Us Anytime, Anywhere:
