Days are Getting Markedly Longer Throughout the Northern Hemisphere

'Tis the season for the amount of daylight to increase with each passing day. While daylight savings does not start until March 9 this year, you can still count on longer and brighter days across North America as spring approaches. Here is what you need to know about how much daylight will increase in your neck of the woods in the days and weeks ahead.

March Marks Jump in Daylight Hours

The northern tier of the U.S. will see the most dramatic increase in daylight hours in March. Some communities will gain over 100 minutes of daylight throughout the month. This is because cities positioned at higher latitudes will naturally see a more noticeable increase in daylight hours as March continues compared to areas located closer to the equator.

March is known as a transitional month as winter eases and the spring season makes an appearance. Although the weather pattern can resemble a roller coaster at times with back-and-forth temperatures, one thing that you can count on is the increase in daylight hours with each passing day.

The amount of light in a day will get noticeably longer as March continues. Some of the most northern locations will enjoy the addition of 2 to 3 minutes of sunlight from one day to the next. While this may not seem like a lot on the surface, this type of incremental jump every day will add up quickly. By March 31, the sun will be hovering over the horizon for over an hour longer than it did at the start of the month for the bulk of the country.

For instance, places like Seattle will see a gain of over 100 minutes of daylight from March 1 to March 31. This is good news for a part of the country that is particularly dark during the winter months. The difference will be less stark moving to the south with places like Miami experiencing just a small jump when compared to the beginning of the month.

The exact shift in the number of daylight versus nighttime hours will happen on the spring equinox on March 20. This is the point in which the days will linger longer than 12 hours with the nights shortening to less than 12 hours across the Northern Hemisphere. It will be the opposite situation in the Southern Hemisphere where the balance will change to favor more time of darkness.