Despite the occasional rain shower, thunderstorm, and downpour of hail, spring in Houston is a wonderful thing. It’s the perfect time of year to go for a hike, stop and smell the roses, and/or enjoy a crisp libation at Houston’s patio bars. For better or worse, spring will be short-lived this year, as summer is expected to arrive at the earliest time in the past 128 years.
According to Farmer’s Almanac, summer officially will arrive on North America beginning at 3:51 pm CDT on June 20. This happens in accordance with the summer solstice (or June solstice) when the Sun follows its most northerly trajectory across the sky.
It takes place when Earth reaches the position in its orbit where the North Pole is tilted maximally towards the Sun. Consequently, this leads to the longest day (the day with the most hours of sunlight) and shortest night of the year. During the June solstice, the Northern Hemisphere experiences sunlight at its most direct angle of the entire year.
The publication points out that this will be the earliest summer in the past 128 years. The first day of summer will also correspond with a glorious Strawberry Moon.
While many – us, anyway – have believed that start of summer always occurs on June 20. Almanac points out that this is not entirely the case:
“The timing of the June solstice is not based on a specific calendar date or time; it all depends on when the Sun reaches its northernmost point from the celestial equator. Therefore, the solstice won’t always occur on the same day. Currently, it shifts between June 20, 21, and 22.”
As for what summer has in store for Texas, meteorologists predict that it will be sizzling, humid, and rainy. According to Farmer’s Almanac, Texas will experience scorching temperatures along with a stormy August. The publication also predicts that a hurricane may form along the Gulf Coast at the end of August.