BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Over the next week, days will continue to get longer and nights shorter, giving the Lehigh Valley the most daylight it will see all year.
There’s just one question as we approach the summer solstice — where’s the warmth?
Long-range outlooks from the government’s Climate Prediction Center show probabilities of temperatures that will continue to lean below normal through the end of June, and possibly beyond.
- Long-range outlooks are unfavorable for summer warmth
- The Climate Prediction Center says the pattern depicted by major weather models has been quite persistent and favors continued below-normal temperatures
- The summer solstice arrives in the coming days, bringing us our longest day of the year
In a prognostic discussion, CPC forecaster Daniel Barandiran said the pattern depicted by an ensemble of major weather models — the GFS, European and Canadian models — continues to show troughing over the West Coast and Mid-Atlantic and broad ridging over the North Pacific and eastern Canada.
“The pattern has been quite persistent and favors continued above-normal temperatures for the central U.S. and below-normal temperatures for … much of the Eastern Seaboard,” Barandiran wrote.
That mirrors what the National Weather Service in Mount Holly said in its forecast discussion Thursday morning, predicting the long-term period would be “characterized by a period of unsettled weather and below normal temperatures.”
The approach of the summer solstice
People have undoubtedly noticed the days getting longer and the nights getting shorter over the past couple of months.
This will continue until we reach the summer solstice on June 21.
During the solstice, the sun is at its northernmost point in the sky in the northern hemisphere compared to any other day of the year. That means we’ll see our longest day of the year and the shortest night, as well.
Here’s a look at the sunrise and sunset times in the Lehigh Valley over the next seven days, according to timeanddate.com:
- June 15: Sunrise 5:30 a.m. | Sunset 8:34 p.m. | Daylight length 15:03:50
- June 16: Sunrise 5:30 a.m. | Sunset 8:34 p.m. | Daylight length 15:04:10
- June 17: Sunrise 5:30 a.m. | Sunset 8:35 p.m. | Daylight length 15:04:26
- June 18: Sunrise 5:30 a.m. | Sunset 8:35 p.m. | Daylight length 15:04:39
- June 19: Sunrise 5:30 a.m. | Sunset 8:35 p.m. | Daylight length 15:04:48
- June 20: Sunrise 5:31 a.m. | Sunset 8:35 p.m. | Daylight length 15:04:53
- June 21: Sunrise 5:31 a.m. | Sunset 8:36 p.m. | Daylight length 15:04:55
The solstice in the Lehigh Valley officially takes place at 10:57 a.m. June 21. In terms of daylight, the day is 5 hours, 49 minutes longer than the December solstice.
The summer outlook
After the solstice, the days will get shorter and the nights longer. It’s why many folks want the chance to enjoy swimming and outdoor activities with daylight at its peak.
Meteorologist Bobby Martrich of EPAWA Weather Consulting said he puts July temperatures at very slightly above average in the long-range outlook.
"During the warmest time of the year, that's quite summery," he said, while noting that "aside from something transient" there are no heat waves in the foreseeable future.
"Mid-July normal [temp] is 87, so slightly above average can do it, but again, in short spurts," Martrich said.
The latest seasonal outlooks from Climate Prediction Center are projecting a warmer-than-average summer in the Lehigh Valley, along with most of the eastern United States.
They’re also predicting chances for slightly above-normal rainfall this summer.
It all adds up to some big question marks as we approach the July 4 holiday.
Average high temperature in the region by July 4 is about 86 degrees, with a record high of 102 on the date in many areas.
Water temperatures of rivers and streams in the Lehigh Valley are rather chilly right now, in the low 60s.
Meanwhile, ocean water temperatures at New Jersey beaches are in the low to mid 60s in places like Avalon, Beach Haven, Cape May and Seaside Heights.
