Northernmost point in the U.S. won’t see a sunset until early August

The town formerly known as Barrow, Alaska saw the sunrise Sunday and it won’t set until early August

(Courtesy: University of Alaska - Fairbanks) (University of Alaska - Fairbanks)

UTQIAGVIK, Ak. – This time of year, the northern latitudes (like Alaska) gain daylight at a faster clip than we do. Then, there reaches a point in Utqiaġvik (formerly known as Barrow) when it’s sunny all day for months.

The sun rose at 2:46 a.m. (their time) Sunday. Imagine that wake up call!

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It will not set until the first days of August. This kind of thing happens every year, but for folks like us - it’s unimaginable.

Meanwhile, we currently stand at about 14 hours of daylight. Daylight will increase up until the first days of summer (late June) before gradually decreasing again. By early August (the first sunset in Utqiaġvik in about three months), we’ll be at about 14 hours of daylight again.

The reason for this is that the sun is getting closer to the Tropic of Cancer (23.5°N latitude). Once its direct rays are over that point, summer will begin (the summer solstice).

Why it's "always" sunny in Utqiaġvik, Alaska

About the Author:

Meteorologist Chris Michaels is an American Meteorological Society (AMS) Certified Broadcaster, forecasting weather conditions in southwest Virginia on WSLS 10 News from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. weekdays on Virginia Today.