Here comes the sun: Boise is gaining daylight rapidly. Here’s how much sun we’ll see soon
It can sometimes be difficult to remember what the sun looks like in Boise. Especially this winter, where it’s felt like it’s snowed endlessly and a constant blanket of clouds has enveloped the Treasure Valley.
But believe it or not, the sun will return soon. It will be quicker than you think.
Since the Winter Solstice on Dec. 21, Boise has been picking up more sunshine by the day. Boise saw 8 hours, 55 minutes and 59 seconds of sunlight on Dec. 21, with the sun setting at 5:10 p.m.
On Monday, Jan. 22, Boise enjoyed 9 hours, 31 minutes and 21 seconds of sunshine, with the sun setting at 5:42 p.m.
Here’s how fast we’re gaining sunlight in Boise and why it’s been increasing since December.
How fast is Boise gaining sunlight?
At the start of January, Boise had approximately nine hours of daylight, meaning in just 22 days, we’ve gained about half an hour of sunlight.
By the end of the month, Boise will see approximately 9 hours and 51 minutes of daylight, with the sun rising at 8:02 a.m. and setting at 5:54 p.m.
Boise’s daylight will increase exponentially until the spring equinox on March 19 before slowing down until the summer solstice in June.
Why do we gain so much sunlight in March?
March witnesses the fastest increase in daylight of any month as we approach and move past the spring equinox on March 19.
The spring equinox is when the sun crosses the celestial equator — an imaginary line that lines up with the equator on Earth — and the northern hemisphere tilts more often toward the sun. On the spring equinox, the northern and southern hemispheres receive about the same amount of sunlight; after the equinox, the northern hemisphere transitions to spring and summer while the southern hemisphere goes into fall and winter.
Boise will gain approximately three minutes of sunlight every day in March. By the end of the month, the sun will set at 8:11 p.m. — Daylight Savings Time on March 10 helps push that time forward, but with a sunrise of 7:27 a.m., Boise will already be seeing over 12 hours of daylight per day.
The transition is fastest during March because about 10 days before and after the equinox, the Earth’s tilt causes the sunlight that hits a region to increase more rapidly than in the middle of summer or dead of winter.
Following the spring equinox, Boise will still gain more sunlight but at a slower pace. The city’s daylight hours will peak on the summer solstice on June 20, when Boise will enjoy 15 hours, 26 minutes and 18 seconds of daylight.
After that, we’ll slowly start losing sunlight again as we creep toward winter.
The sun is positioned at either extreme of the spectrum during the summer and winter solstices, when the days are either longest or shortest, respectively, and therefore the change in daylight isn’t as drastic.
This story was originally published January 23, 2024 at 4:00 AM.
