“As full of spirit as the month of May, and as gorgeous as the sun in midsummer.” 

~ William Shakespeare

Summer is fast approaching! Once this time was referred to as “midsummer,” as in Shakespeare’s “Midsummer’s Night Dream.”

The Oxford English Dictionary defines midsummer as “The middle of summer. Specifically Midsummer Day, which is June 24.” You might think the first day of the summer is June 21; however, modern calendars and media have gotten it wrong. Somewhere in history the accurate meanings of midsummer and midwinter were lost. Consider that the solstices mark the midpoint of the seasons, established by the course of the Sun throughout the year. Basing calculations on four seasons, summer would begin around the first of May, hence the May Day celebrations. This is when the planting is completed and the Earth is again filled with growing foliage. The Sun is moving toward its annual apex, or high point, which falls at midsummer around the 20th of June, marking the longest day of the year. After that point, the Sun’s energy begins to wane and the days grow shorter.

So if the summer solstice marks the beginning of summer, how can it also mark the middle? In part, we can blame astronomers and meteorologists for failing to agree on a summer start date. According to weather experts, astronomical seasons are determined by the Earth’s position in relation to the sun, while meteorological seasons are determined by temperature. So astronomical summer started yesterday. On the other hand, meteorological summer begins June 1 and ends in August. Which makes this, yep, pretty close to the middle of summer.

Astronomically, midsummer falls on June 21, but the event traditionally was reckoned in northern Europe on the night of June 23-24 (with summer beginning at the start of May). Midsummer night was an occasion of superstitious practices and wild festivities.

This morning we wake to diminishing low clouds as a short-lived high-pressure system moves in. Warming temperatures are likely through Friday. A low-pressure system may arrive over the weekend, accompanied by increasing clouds and cooler temperatures.

Sue Kilpatrick is a Crescenta Valley resident and  Official Skywarn Spotter for the
National Weather Service. Reach her at
suelkilpatrick@gmail.com.