Shrinking Sunlight Hours in September Across the Country

You are not imagining it if it feels like the days are getting shorter. The U.S. has seen increasingly fewer hours of sunlight since the June summer solstice. What can you expect in September? Read on for a closer look at these numbers.

Daylight Fading in September

The amount of sunlight in the morning and evening hours will start to shrink noticeably as the calendar flips from August to September. In fact, you can expect the amount of daylight to fall by 100 minutes in some parts of the country over the course of the month. The specific tilt of the Earth means that the loss of daylight is faster than in any other month.

The northern tier of the country will see the greatest loss of sunlight as the length of the nights becomes longer. Even those located in the southern edge of the nation will notice later sunrises and earlier sunsets due to this change in the tilt of the planet on its axis.

Loss of Daylight in Specific Cities

So how much sunlight can you expect to lose in the coming weeks? The answer depends on your specific location. As noted earlier, areas located farther to the north will see the greatest degree of change. Located in the far northern reaches of the U.S., International Falls, Minnesota, will lose 102 minutes from September 1 through September 30.

It is a similar situation in the Pacific Northwest. The city of Seattle will lose 98 minutes of daylight by the time the month comes to an end. Heading a few hours south on Interstate 5, Portland will lose 91 minutes.

The northeastern U.S. will also see a noticeable loss of daylight. For instance, New York City will lose 77 minutes while Philadelphia will see a loss of 72 minutes.

Moving into the middle of the country, Kansas City can expect a loss of 72 minutes. Just a little bit farther down in latitude, Raleigh, North Carolina, will lose 64 minutes from the start of September to the end.

The southern edge of the country will enjoy more minutes of daylight. This includes San Diego coming in at a loss of 58 minutes, Austin at 52 minutes, and Miami at just 43 minutes.

Now let's move out of the Lower 48. Here is where you will find the most significant difference on either end. The proximity of Alaska to the North Pole means that this state will lose a whopping 193 minutes of daylight by September 30. Meanwhile, the Hawaiian islands will only see 34 minutes from the start of the month to its conclusion.

Although the acceleration will not be as great in October when compared to September, it will certainly be notable across the entirety of the country. Some areas will see the sun go down by 6 pm by the time that Halloween rolls around.

Regardless of your latitude, you will likely notice the impacts of the shorter days in the coming weeks as the Northern Hemisphere transitions from the long days of summer to the short days of winter.

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