Has summer started? It feels that way but depending on which summer you are referencing it officially hasn’t begun.
Memorial Day traditionally kicks off the unofficial start of summer but the true astronomical summer begins days from now on June 21 at 5:13 a.m.
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This marks the summer solstice when the season officially begins once the planet moves around the sun to a position when the sun’s rays are perpendicular to the equator.
Realistically, however, the climate begins heating up earlier than the solstice so meteorologists use the annual temperature cycle to group the seasons. This aligns better with a meteorological summer when heat builds from June 1 and through Aug. 31.
Meteorological summer is surely being felt around town this week.
Summer has not arrived but the heat has kicked in early this year when we experienced our first +90 degree day in the first week of May. It was followed by six more days over 90 during the month and so far all but six days in June have been over 90°.
May through July marks another less commonly known Solar Summer. During the three-month period sunlight hits the northern half of the planet with the greatest amount of sunlight. But this takes time for the accumulation of sunlight to warm the Northern Hemisphere to a simmering summer heat.
Some years the heat comes early like in 2012 and 1977 when 90s hit on April 2 but typically our first 90 degree day in Jacksonville arrives June 10 a couple of weeks before the start of summer.