Sunsets growing earlier across Canada as summer starts to fade
Fall approaches as the sun lowers in the late-summer sky.
Though plenty of summer weather remains, late sunsets are now behind us as the season's end quickly approaches. Almost three minutes of daylight is lost each day as the sun’s angle steadily decreases, marking the transition toward fall.
For reference, Toronto’s sun angle peaked at 70° during the summer solstice in June and is now declining as the autumnal equinox nears.
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Sunset times are shortening noticeably across Canada, influenced by time zones and latitude.
Montreal experienced its final sunset after 8:00 p.m. on August 15, while St. John’s will follow on August 21. Halifax sees its last post-8:00 p.m. sunset on August 26, with Toronto shortly after on August 27.
For much of the Prairies, northern latitudes will delay sunsets before 8:00 p.m. until well into September. Regina, however, is an exception due to its time zone placement.
In addition to shorter days, average daily temperatures will begin their gradual decline as the sun's angle lowers each day, signaling the transition to cooler weather conditions.
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In August, Toronto’s average daytime high sits around 26.0°C, but by September, that drops to 22.3°C.
The decline is even more pronounced across the Prairies, with Winnipeg’s average high dipping from 25.4°C in August to 19.6°C in September.
The autumnal equinox is just a few weeks away, marking the shift when nighttime gradually becomes longer than daytime across the northern hemisphere.
Summer warmth is still hanging on, but the cooler days of fall are fast approaching.
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With files from Dennis Mersereau, a digital journalists at The Weather Network.