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Minnesota is now gaining daylight faster than any time of year as we approach the spring (Vernal) equinox Sunday. 

The Twin Cities is gaining 3 minutes and 9 seconds of daylight per day this week. That’s the fastest daylight gain of the year. I’ve highlighted the daily 

Our sunset time in the Twin Cities is 7:20 p.m. Wednesday. The sun will set at 7 p.m. or later in the Twin Cities through Sept. 27. Sunset time in the Twin Cities peaks at 9:04 p.m. in late June. 

One very important aspect of our bright spring days is the higher sun angle. The sun reaches 45 degrees above the horizon on the spring equinox Sunday. This higher sun angle and intensity are equal to September 20. 

The higher sun angle and intensity help melt snow cover more quickly now. That’s a big part of our warmup process in spring. Shorter nights also mean air masses don’t have as much time to cool. That means higher over-light minimum temperatures, which sets a higher “floor” for the next day’s potential temperature rise.

Just like it takes time for water to heat on your stove after you turn the burner higher, it takes time for the atmosphere to heat up as our sun intensity increases. The lag of seasons is almost a month most times of the year. 

So as you see our sunlight increasing and feel the extra warmth, think about the effect it’s having on our atmosphere this time of year.

Weather and Climate News

Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Paul Huttner

Author

We’re gaining more than three minutes of daylight per day this week. 

Brighter spring days: Minnesota gaining 3 minutes of daylight per day now

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