Summer solstice in North Texas brings heat, humidity, triple-digit heat index
North Texas will have plenty of sunshine, heat and humidity on Friday, the summer solstice.
Temperatures this afternoon will top out near 96 degrees, with feels like temperatures around 102-105, making it a great day to spend at the pool.
High pressure will sit over North Texas and begin to shift east this weekend into early next week, keeping the region sunny and rain-free.
The next seven days will be similar, with high heat and sunny skies. The next chance of rain is not until Thursday.
When and what is the summer solstice?
The word "solstice" comes from the Latin words "sol" for sun and "stitium" which can mean "pause" or "stop." The solstice is the end of the sun's annual march higher in the sky, when it makes its longest, highest arc.
In North Texas, Friday will have 14 hours and 19 minutes of daylight, the longest of the year. Starting on Saturdays the days will get shorter until the winter solstice, when there will be 9 hours and 59 minutes of daylight.
The summer solstice is also the beginning of astrological summer.
What's the difference between meteorological and astronomical seasons?
Astrological and meteorological seasons are two different methods to carve up the year.
Astronomical seasons depend on how the Earth moves around the sun, whereas meteorological seasons are defined by the weather. They break down the year into three-month seasons based on annual temperature cycles. By the meteorological calendar, spring starts on March 1, summer on June 1, fall on Sept. 1 and winter on Dec. 1.
