Minnesota Loses A Staggering Amount Of Daylight In August

It seems to happen so fast every year, and I'm always caught off guard. The days get short, and it almost feels like someone hit a switch. Just a couple of weeks ago it was still bright at 9 pm. Then, it hit me. Last night I looked at my wife at about 8:40 pm and said, "Holy, it's already pitch black out."

Why does it seem to get so dark in the fall so fast?

We really get the shaft in Northern regions when it comes to daylight. We lose daylight faster than a lot of other places as summer transitions to fall because of the Earth's tilt. At higher latitudes (like Northern Minnesota), the difference is more extreme because of the angle of the sun.

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Around late August and into September, the Northern Hemisphere tilt starts to shift away from the sun. The decrease in sunlight happens rapidly.

How much sunlight do we lose in August?

On August 1st, the sunrise in Duluth, Minnesota is at 5:45 AM, and the sunset is 8:45 PM. That gives you 15 hours of sunlight. By August 31st, the sunrise is 6:22 AM, and the sunset is around 7:54. That gives us only 13 hours and 30 minutes of daylight. So you basically lose an hour and a half of sunlight in August. Ouch.

Daylight Saving Time Ends November 3

Days will feel a lot shorter for most people with the end of daylight saving time. The sunset for November 3rd will be 4:48 PM. I guess it's time to get one of those white lamps to combat my seasonal affective disorder. Get the vitamin D ready, and soak in what sunshine we have left this summer.