Summer solstice is almost here. Here’s how quickly Boise starts losing sunlight
Boise is about to experience the longest day of the year.
The summer solstice marks the official start of summer in the Northern Hemisphere — and the date with the most daylight.
Here’s what to know:
When is the summer solstice in 2026?
The summer solstice doesn’t “always occur on the same day,” the Old Farmer’s Almanac said. “Currently, it shifts between June 20, 21 and 22.”
In 2026, the summer solstice falls on Sunday, June 21.
The June solstice will share a date with a major holiday: Father’s Day.
What is the summer solstice?
The summer solstice occurs when “the sun reaches its highest and northernmost points in the sky,” the Old Farmer’s Almanac said.
Once this happens, Earth reaches a point in its orbit where the North Pole is at its highest tilt toward the sun.
“The June solstice is significant because the sun reaches its northernmost point in the sky at this time, at which point the Sun’s path does not change for a brief period of time,” the almanac said.
When summer starts in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s the beginning of winter in the Southern Hemisphere.
Thanks to Earth’s tilted axis, the sun doesn’t rise and set in the same place in the sky each day.
The sun’s “rise and set positions move northward or southward in the sky as Earth travels around the sun through the year,” the Old Farmer’s Almanac said.
After the solstice, the sun’s path will appear to reverse and head southward in the sky.
When is the first day of summer?
According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the solstice is considered the start of astronomical summer, even though meteorologists track the season change earlier.
“Most meteorologists divide the year into four seasons based on the months and the temperature cycle,” the almanac said. “ In this system, summer begins on June 1 and ends on Aug. 31.”
How much daylight do we get on the solstice?
On Friday, June 21, the sun will rise in Boise at 6:03 a.m. and set at 9:29 p.m., according to online clock Time and Date.
Boise will experience a total of 15 hours, 26 minutes and 17 seconds of sunshine.
When will Boise start losing daylight?
After the summer solstice, the days begin to get progressively shorter in Boise.
The day after the summer solstice — Monday, June 22 — the City of Trees will lose four seconds of daylight, according to Time and Date.
“After the solstice, we’ll start losing daylight, but the pace will happen much more slowly in the summer and start to speed up as we reach the autumnal equinox,” the Old Farmer’s Almanac said.
Boise will have lost about 20 minutes of daylight by the end of July, according to Time and Date.
By the time the fall equinox rolls around on Tuesday, Sept. 22, Idaho’s capital city will be short 2 hours and 46 minutes of daylight.
