SAN DIEGO — For the first time in 2024, the sun will set beyond the 4 o’clock hour at 5:00 p.m. on the dot on Tuesday evening as days lengthen following the start of the winter season.
Days will progressively get longer through the summer solstice with earlier sunrises and later sunsets across the Northern Hemisphere.
The sunset was at 4:59 p.m. on Monday evening and as the day lengthens by about 50 seconds, it will bring the first 5:00 p.m. sunset of the new year.
By March 19, the sun will set at 7:00 p.m. (with an hour boost following the start of Daylight Saving Time on March 10). By that time, days will lengthen by about 2 full minutes each day close to the Spring Equinox.
By June 20, the sun will set after 8:00 p.m. – coinciding with the longest day of the year, the summer solstice. So for those who have endured a long winter with late sunrises and early sunsets, you can rejoice as days continue to lengthen.
By that time, San Diego’s day length will be roughly 14 hours and 18 minutes. That’s a notable improvement from Jan 9, where the day length is a mere 10 hours and 8 minutes.
Longer days through the next several months will allow for more time to explore and enjoy the outdoors locally. For those farther north of San Diego -- especially close to the North Pole -- day length will be increasing even more dramatically.
By the summer solstice, Anchorage, Alaska will see a day length of 19 hours and 21 minutes which is more than 5 hours longer than that of San Diego.
