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Summer Season of 2019 Officially Arrives on Friday Morning

Summers in the High Country makes the area such a popular outdoor attraction. (Photo by Jesse Campbell)

By Nathan Ham

Friday, June 21 will mark the longest day of 2019, as the Summer Solstice will begin at 11:54 a.m.

The sunrise will be at 6:09 a.m. tomorrow morning and sunset will be at 8:47 p.m., giving everyone in the High Country 14 hours, 37 minutes and 36 seconds of daylight, making it the longest day of the year. Days will slowly begin to get shorter, only by a few seconds of course. The Summer Solstice is also four hours and 56 minutes longer than the Winter Solstice will be in December.

While it is the longest day of the year, the Summer Solstice is not necessarily the day of the year with the earliest sunrise and latest sunset. June 10 through June 16 saw the sun come up at 6:08 a.m. June 27 through July 1 will have the latest sunsets happening at 8:48 p.m.

Scientifically speaking, the Summer Solstice in the northern hemisphere is when the sun reaches its highest point in the sky because the North Pole is at its maximum tilt in the sun’s direction.

Lots of countries across the northern hemisphere celebrate the arrival of summer and have celebrated it for thousands of years. Residents in the Scandinavian countries such as Sweden, Iceland, Denmark, Norway and Finland hold annual festivals celebrating the longest day of the year and what they call the “Midnight Sun.”

Celebrations in Canada and the United States may not be quite as popular, however, there are many music, art and nature festivals that are centered on the Summer Solstice.

Looking ahead to the rest of the year, the fall season will begin on Monday, September 23 and winter will begin on Saturday, December 21.