Welcome First Day Of Summer

Staff Photo by Jeff Depew

Those that have witnessed the traffic on the area lakes might be hard to convince but today is actually the first day of summer 2014. The calendar says that summer is finally upon us, as of June 21, 2014. Mother Nature, however, has been sending soaring temperatures to the region for several weeks. Saturday is also the Summer Solstice, which is the considered to be the longest day of the year. In actuality, the length of the day will not begin to shorten until June 25, 2014, when the daylight hours will shorten by one minute. As for the first official day of summer, expect to see the dawn break locally at 4:27 am and the sun rise at 6:17 am. The sun will set at 8:53 pm and dark will descend at 10:43 pm creating a 14 hour and 36 minute day. For those keeping track of such events, the region has enjoyed a 14 hour and 36 minute day for several days prior to the first day of summer but Saturday marks the latest sunset by one minute. A few seconds here and there may not seem like much but there are only 182 days until Winter Solstice arrives on Sunday, December 21, 2014 and brings with it the shortest day of the year. As the thermometer burns red and the sun shine hot and long, the solstice watchers have their eye on the chilly days of December.