WEST MICHIGAN — With Pumpkin Spice set to return next week, there's another key signal Fall isn't far away.
Since the Summer Solstice on June 20th, Grand Rapids has lost nearly 2 hours of daylight.
Grand Rapids sees its final 8:30 P.M. sunset of the year on August 24th. The first sunset after 7 A.M. is August 26th, the same say Fall themed drinks return to Starbucks. We are losing over 2 minutes of daylight per day.
The shift is most noticeable in August and September. Grand Rapids loses over 75 minutes of daylight during August. September loses another 80 minutes of daylight, with the most minutes lost in a single day at the autumnal equinox. This year the equinox is September 22nd.
With just over a month until the autumnal equinox on September 22, when daylight and darkness balance almost evenly. While fall officially begins then, West Michigan residents are feeling the seasonal transition at the end of August, with cooler mornings and school rhythm returning.
The End of Tanning Season
While the sunset timing gets the most attention, the sun’s strength is also fading.
The UV index, which peaks in June and July, declines through late August as the sun angle lowers. In Grand Rapids, the average daily maximum UV index drops from 7–8 in midsummer to about 5 by late September.
Statistically, “tanning season” is over when the solar angle dips below about 45 degrees at solar noon. At that point, the sun’s rays are weaker, and tanning (or burning) becomes less likely without prolonged exposure.
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