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Kite surfer ends his day with a sunset and a walk in the river.
Credit: Michelle Novak
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EmailSummer began in the Northern Hemisphere on June 21, 2013, at 1:04 A.M. (EDT). Here’s more about the first day of summer—the summer solstice—plus, facts, folklore, and some sensational summer photos!
See when each season starts for 2012 and 2013.
The Summer Solstice
Each year, the timing of the solstice depends on when the Sun reaches its farthest point north of the equator. This occurs annually on June 20 or June 21 in North America, depending on your time zone.
The word solstice is from the Latin solstitium, from sol (sun) and stitium (to stop), reflecting the fact that the Sun appears to stop at this time (and again at the winter solstice).
In temperate regions, we notice that the Sun is higher in the sky throughout the day, and its rays strike Earth at a more direct angle, causing the efficient warming we call summer. In the winter, just the opposite occurs: The Sun is at its southernmost point and is low in the sky. Its rays hit the Northern Hemisphere at an oblique angle, creating the feeble winter sunlight.
The Sun is directly overhead at its most northern point at "high-noon" on the summer solstice, creating more sunlight in the Northern Hemisphere on this day then any other. See your local Sun rise and set times—and how the day length changes!
Sensational Summer Slideshow
Celebrate the best of summer! Take a moment to enjoy this beautiful slideshow of reader photos!
Enjoy all readers' photos and submit you own to share with family and friends. See the free Summer ECard Gallery!
Did You Know?
Question: Why isn’t the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, also the hottest day of the year?
Answer: Earth’s atmosphere, land, and oceans absorb part of the incoming energy from the Sun and store it, releasing it back as heat at various rates. Water is slower to heat (or cool) than air or land. At the summer solstice, the Northern Hemisphere receives the most energy (highest intensity) from the Sun due to the angle of sunlight and day length. However, the land and oceans are still relatively cool, due to spring’s temperatures, so the maximum heating effect on air temperature is not felt just yet. Eventually, the land and, especially, oceans will release stored heat from the summer solstice back into the atmosphere. This usually results in the year’s hottest temperatures appearing in late July, August, or later, depending on latitude and other factors. This effect is called seasonal temperature lag.
Signs of Summer
Everyone loves summer! Filled with trips to the beach, sunny skies, and lazy days, summer is the time of year when the weather gets its warmest.
What are signs of summer? Temperatures rise. The water levels in ponds, lakes, and rivers drop. Lightning bugs brighten the night sky. Nature’s efforts in the spring to fully bloom prove fruitful as the green leaves of various trees shake and rattle in the cool summer breezes and flowers grace our gardens.
It’s also the time of year that is notorious for all sorts of bothersome pests. Mosquitoes, horseflies, and ticks attack our arms and legs, while squirrels, slugs, and innumerable numbers of bugs attack our gardens. See our Pests & Problems page.
You can track when the seasons change by recording animal behaviors and the way that the plants grow. Listen to the new sounds and observe what you hear and see.
What does summer mean to you? Share your comment below!
Summer Folklore and Verse
Deep snow in winter, tall grain in summer.–Estonian proverb
When the summer birds take their flight, goes the summer with them.
If it rains on Midsummer's Eve, the filbert crops will be spoiled.–Unknown
One swallow never made a summer.
Easterly winds from May 19 to the 21 indicate a dry summer.
If there are many falling stars during a clear summer evening, expect thunder. If there are none, expect fine weather.
When does fall start? Click here to see the first date of each season.
Comments
Signs of Summer - contribues
Signs of Summer - contribues to a peaking of natural systems. Heat this year seems a little early but there are records that say that is not unusual and sets no records. Snow is a little late since some flooding is now happening in the mid-west and upper Mississippi Valley, contrary to opinion that flood is not nearly over. Piled dirt does not a levee make, it takes aged piled dirt with roots and natural compaction to hold back water, got to be there long enough to mature some or we are just plain lucky when it works and is a new pile of dirt. Every things else is in vain. I suspect all animals and plants have sense to know summer soltice where ever they are and that intelligence or wisdom is handed down from generation to generation in every species with exception, humans, we don't seem to learn from practice or experience, animals and plants have seen success or mortality of their current nesting fruiting attampts and know time is running out for them in relation to have a successful nesting with a living healthy chick or young or seed for next season and that food, some of this seasons new growth, will become a little more scarce with change in atmosphere and climate rotations, having been eaten as a young or maturing enough to hid, fight back or jsut out run others oong neough to grow up some. It is when plants, arid and aquatic should be matured or fruiting if they are going to repopulate with enough excess to foster a new generation that must wait for a freeze or some kind of reinstituation of vitality to grow anew again. Plants and animals like us have a sense of night, day, cold, hot and in between; wet, dry, windy and calm, bright sun, cloudy, raining, drought, and adjust commonly and intuititively. They use it like we use it, they for life processes, we for work, play, good, bad and in between reasons however they like God said subdue it,, he didn't say kill it all, but enough to get by. Humans do more to quell nature: making hot when it is cold, making cold when it is hot, wet where water should not be, us where it is unhospitable and us where it is unethecial, killing out of anget and sickness and when not hungry. We do this in church, halls of congress, in or out of uniform, in our homes, bedrooms and living places, in our use of things and in our behavior.
Summer soltice is any other day that is naturally hot in most places on this side and on the other end of earth, winter soltice, is cold in most places. Luckly the deviding line is the equator where weather and climate is made, even the cold ends of earth is the result of what happens near the center of earth and is possibly driven due to rotation of earth , that centrificual rotation that spins every thing aerodinamicly and the only fully established method of energy and force of a natural claim to sustainablity, it spins floational and air bornes out as far as it can go making kenetic energy that does drive climate and atmosphere and from that we get all our variables in summer, winter, and climate exchanges making weather. One of two most important days in our rotation, the other one winter soltice. How lucky can we get.
Wow, just relax and enjoy
Wow, just relax and enjoy it.
I live in Arizona. When the
I live in Arizona. When the temperatures are going to heat up above 110 degrees, the little red ants get VERY busy and aggressive. They furiously build new nests and attack anything that moves near the entrance. The rest of the year they are hardly noticeable.
Please explain something to
Please explain something to me. The Summer Solstice or Mid Summer's Day where the sun is at it's highest is surely the middle of summer as the name implies not the start of summer? As the winter solstice is the middle of winter not the start, also the vernal and autumnal equinoxes are the middle of spring and autumn respectively. Your seasons appear to be about a month and a half out.
The solstice does indeed
The solstice does indeed herald the beginning of the astronomical season. Which season? It depends on where you live!
At the June solstice:
* Summer starts in the Northern Hemisphere, and winter begins in the Southern Hemisphere.
* The North pole is tipped 23-1/2 degrees toward the Sun.
* The Sun is directly over the Tropic of Cancer at local noon.
At the December solstice:
* Winter starts in the Northern Hemisphere, and summer begins in the Southern Hemisphere.
* The South Pole is tipped 23-1/2 degrees toward the Sun.
* The Sun is directly over the Tropic of Capricorn at local noon.
Not to sound contrary, but
Not to sound contrary, but this response fails to answer the question of why such an iconic publication as the Old Farmers' Almanac would deliberately choose to mis-name Midsummer and falsely designate it "the beginning of Summer". We understand the differences in the seasonal cycles in the Northern and Southern hemispheres, with our Winter being their Summer and vice verse. That has nothing to do with when Summer begins in either hemisphere.
When I addressed this issue directly to the editorial staff, I was given the same line about the hemispheres, along with "we use the astronomical date". Well, 20 June IS the astronomical Midsummer, there is no other. The Sun reaches its' high point for the year, and the manifestation of the Summer Solstice marks the immediate reversal of the waxing energy of the Sun, as at that point the Sun's energy begins to wane, and the days begin to grow shorter. How anyone could get that this is the "beginning" of Summer has me utterly confused. Show me a logical reason for this and I'll accept it. Otherwise, I would advise getting it right by dropping all this "beginning of Summer on the Solstice" nonsense. Summer as a season began on the first of May-- June 20th this year is the middle of Summer, and Summer will end on the Autumnal Equinox in September.
One would like to believe the Old Farmers' Almanac would be, of all almanacs and calendars, the one we could depend on to be accurate. By designating the Solstices as the "beginning of" Winter and Summer, you're only discrediting your publication.
Midsummer is the pagan name
Midsummer is the pagan name for the summer solstice. it is inaccurate. Same for midwinter. Midwinter is more properly dated as February 1st and called Imbolc and Midsummer is on August 1st and is called Lughnasadh. Misinterpretation of the Pagan names and dates have caused much confusion on this topic. Summer Solstice is called Litha and winter solstice is called Yule. Note these pagan names for the seasonal break ups are only for the northern hemisphere. The entire pagan calendar is as follows: Yule (winter solstice) December 19-22, Imbolc (Midwinter) February 1st, Ostara (Spring Equinox)March 19-22, Beltane (Mid Spring) May 1st, Litha (Summer Solstice) June 19-22, Lughnasadh (Midsummer) August 1st, Mabon (Autumnal Equinox) September 19-22, Samhain (Mid Autumn) October 31st, and bringing us back to Yule.
You are right.
You are right.
Actually, Midsummer and
Actually, Midsummer and Midwinter are not Pagan terms, they're just the old terms for the high point of Summer and the high point of Winter (much as fortnight is an older term once frequently used, but is now mainly considered archaic). The Neo-Pagan revival brought Midsummer and Midwinter into that movement as they were adopted as proper names for the festivals in some traditions, but they aren't particular to Paganism and never were, as they continued to be used long after the establishment of Christianity as the dominant religion.
When looking at the whole
When looking at the whole year it is more accurate to think of there being 8 days to celebrate. The soltice's, equinox's a nd the 4 quarter points. Then th changing into and out of each season and when we are experiencing the fullness of each season is more clearly defined. May day is the official end of sping beginning of summer, and the solstice is the hight and middle of summer, August first is then actually the begging of fall and end of summer And in September at the equinox we are in the midst of fall. And so it goes every six weeks e are in the newnes of either the waxing or the waning of the season.
I completely agree with you!!
I completely agree with you!! Thank you for making an educational response.
Yes, the definition of when a
Yes, the definition of when a season begins can vary between countries, cultures, organizations, and individuals. For example, the ancient Celts considered equinoxes and solstices (called quarter days) as the midway points of the seasons. Their cross-quarter days (halfway between quarter days) were the beginning of the seasons. Astronomically speaking, however, the seasons begin at the equinoxes and solstices, which define four unique points along Earth’s orbit, in which the Northern or Southern Hemisphere tilts toward the Sun (summer), away from the Sun (winter), or is neutral--neither leaning toward nor away from the Sun (spring, autumn).
An astronomical definition does not directly take into account what is going on within Earth’s atmosphere. Other definitions focus on how the Sun’s intensity (energy) or heat affects the surface. A meteorological definition of seasons, for example, often is based on temperature. An international meteorological definition separates the year into groups of three months: March 1 is the beginning of spring; June 1 starts summer; September 1, autumn; and December 1, winter. However, days of greatest warmth and cold (on average), or length of season, can vary by region depending on their proximity to water, latitude, prevailing winds, etc.
Other seasonal definitions take into account annual responses by plants and animals. Or, define the seasons according to religious or cultural criteria.
For The Old Farmer’s Almanac, because we are a calendar of the heavens, we officially use the astronomical definition. But, we certainly agree that there is more than one way to define when the seasons begin.
You are absolutely correct,
You are absolutely correct, June 20th (or 21st, as the date varies) is actually MID-Summer, with Summer having begun on May Day or May 1st. Our modern almanacs, calendars, and often weather people are simply wrong when they say "Summer begins on June 20th". As often happens in our modern world, the older traditions and definitions-- usually more accurate due to our ancestors having been far better attuned to the Earth and her cycles-- have become blurred in the rat race we now find ourselves in the midst of. I'm not sure how those who are supposed to know these things ever got something so simple so wrong, but they did. By the way, 20 or 21 December is also Midwinter, the middle of Winter, and not the "First Day of Winter", which is actually the 1st of November.
Being a meteorologist, we
Being a meteorologist, we work with climatology a lot. Temperatures across North America can be placed into "Meteorological" seasons. Meteorological Summer begins June 1st, Fall begins September 1st and so on. Sometimes you'll hear the local TV weather person mention this.
Hi, Ted, thanks for the info.
Hi, Ted, thanks for the info.
If this is the case, I would suggest all the meteorologists get together and learn that the "meteorlogical" seasons do not reflect the astronomical seasons (anymore than chill factors accurately reflect actual temperatures), and address this in your broadcasts. I feel this is precisely one of the major reasons so many are confused regarding the true beginnings and midpoints of both Summer and Winter.
As for your "Meteorological Summer" beginning on June 1st, my garden and yard would beg to differ. We planted around the first of May, and by the first of June everything was in full growth phase.
One last thing... if you're saying "Meteorological Summer" begins June 1st, why do all of our local meteorologists continue to try to claim Summer begins on June 20th?
Wouldn't it just be a lot simpler (and far less confusing) if everyone-- the meteorologists, the almanacs, the calendars, and whomever else might be considered "knowledgable" in this field-- just admitted they had it wrong for a time and went back to the true and accurate designations? I think most of the public would appreciate it greatly. I certainly know I would.
You know, Lyndon, I agree
You know, Lyndon, I agree 100%. That has been bothering me for a long time, too. I just get so upset when everyone gets it wrong. I mean, I could be outdoors playing with my dog or going to a pool party, but instead I stay indoors and blog on the computer to split hairs because this subject is so important to me. Those dang meteorologists!!
depends on if you are going
depends on if you are going by the pagan calendar or the astronomical calendar. And which pagans you talk to.
I 100% agree with you, but
I 100% agree with you, but it's really just semantics at this point. All the pagan cultures that compiled the basic mapping for our present-day meteorology have been wiped out, and their holidays misconstrued. But of course the names MIDsummer and MIDwinter are a clue to their ancient meanings. Not to mention, think about the weather? And "Groundhog's Day"? It was originally called Imbolc and marks the change of the weather from winter to spring.
The pagan cultures may have
The pagan cultures may have disappeared, but the beliefs are, obviously, still held and the Feast Days still celebrated by many. This is very similar to the misconception of when the new century began. If you really consider it, the old millennium actually ended Dec 31, 2000 the last day of the 2000th year, and the new millennium actually began Jan 1, 2001, or the first day of the 3000th. We do say 21st century, do we not? But everybody celebrated it (and feared it) a year early. If the world really was going to come to the end with the end of the 20th century, would it be 'just semantics' if that little surprise hit us on Dec 31, 2001? We live with our heads so stuffed with what we hear and read, that we don't bother to think things through for ourselves anymore. (When was the last time someone actually counted out change to you instead of just looking at the cash register and saying "Your change is $x.xx"?) It's a good thing that the Earth doesn't depend on our arbitrary naming of things to carry on her grand schedule!
There were a lot of people
There were a lot of people that thought it Dec 31,1999 was the end of the century. Most realized it actually wasn't but it was the first time we actually hit the year 2000 that was celebrated. The fear was not so much the start of a new century but how computers were not set up to recognize anything beyond the year 1999. If you were a computer programmer you would have spent months to years trying to write programs to keep everything running.
You've got yourself in a fog
You've got yourself in a fog (I hope you don't drive as you'd probably drive the wrong way on a freeway and kill someone). Listen up, Fog-Bound....both Solstices and both Equinoxes signify the beginning (not the middle) of their respective seasons.
Got it? I can't draw you a picture here (you'll just have to trust me on this, F.B.)
Well, Casey, you are half
Well, Casey, you are half right. The Equinoxes mark the balance of the length of day and night, one in the Spring and one in the Fall, so one could say they mark the astronomical beginning of those two respective seasons. However, the Solstices mark the high point and the low point of the Sun as it effects the Earth. In the Northern Hemisphere, Winter Solstice marks the shortest day at the same time it marks the longest day in the Southern Hemisphere. This rule is reversed for the Summer Solstice. Each marks the MID-point of these two solar cycles, not the beginning of either.
Start of summer or winter
Start of summer or winter depends on WHERE you are if you go by weather & feel...Northern border states, inland, will be colder than States on the ocean, for example. Ocean states will still get winter, but not as quickly...so dates are chosen for OTHER reasons.
If we went by "weather and
If we went by "weather and feel", there'd be no point at all in even acknowledging the Solstices or Equinoxes. In fact, I guess using that sort of logic, we would have to hold off Christmas until we had snow and Easter until it was fair enough to hold egg hunts.
There is a time lag, and two
There is a time lag, and two different "calendars" (as in, reference systems) ... (& I live in the Northern Hemisphere, seasons are reversed in the Southern, which might help, or just add confusion) ... if we lived anywhere off of the Earth entirely, we could still measure those astronomical (and astrological) cardinal points OF THE Earth's celestial orbit, so in fact some now refer to that as the Northern Solstice (and Midwinter is the Southern Solstice) ... later as the sun angle reduces, we are still warming more than we cool off into space, so the weather calendar, as it were, for the "pastoral year" makes more sense for us who actually go outside sometimes, and it is offset from this, by the amount you mention ... I DO NOT know why meteorologists join in the sloppy habit of calling that the "Official Start of Summer", but for example, Meteorological Summer began on June 1 and will cover the "summer months" as we experience them here (North America).
for example I notice in one
for example I notice in one of these, this Almanac observes both, one for reporting astronomical events correctly, and meteorological seasons re: a weather calendar, which makes good sense.
lets not bring meteorologists
lets not bring meteorologists in on this they start summer on May 31st, Memorial day, and fall on Labor day August 31st, winter on thanksgiving or soon there after and spring on March 1st. Meteorologists have just muddied the waters.
lets not bring meteorologists
lets not bring meteorologists in on this they start summer on May 31st, Memorial day, and fall on Labor day August 31st, winter on thanksgiving or soon there after and spring on March 1st. Meteorologists have just muddied the waters.
Okaaay i may off missed it
Okaaay i may off missed it out haaa, but i live in south england, when does our summer start?!
This rain is doing my heading, this time last year it was hot and sunny. xD
Summer in the Northern
Summer in the Northern Hemisphere begins on May 1st. June 20th (or some years 21st, as the solstices vary) is actually Midsummer or the middle of the Summer season, just as the Winter Solstice is Midwinter, or the middle of Winter. If you're in the Southern Hemisphere, the seasons are reversed and our Midsummer is their Midwinter (June), while our Midwinter is their Midsummer (December).
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