“What good is the warmth of summer without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.”

~ John Steinbeck, ‘Travels with Charley: In Search of America’

Wasn’t it just Christmas? What happened to the rain storms, which came barreling through town via “the pineapple express.” Tomorrow marks the first day of summer. Astronomically, the earth and the moon are aligned and ready, as are all the other celestial orbs.   

The Tropic of Cancer is the circle marking the latitude 23.5 degrees north of the equator.  At this point, on June 21, the sun shines directly overhead. The Earth’s North Pole has its maximum tilt toward the sun and marks the beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. In our “neck of the woods” – La Crescenta, California, USA – the summer solstice is on Friday, June 21, 2019 at 8:54 a.m. PDT. The exact time varies from year-to-year.

What does it all mean and what are the benefits? Well …

Summer is finally here. Open the windows, dust off the patio set and enjoy the warmth and sunshine. Now is the time for grilling, gardening, swimming, Popsicles and long evenings outside. As for the family canines, they need shelter from the sun and overflowing buckets of water. Most importantly (according to Abby!) long walks after the sun sets because the temperature begins to cool, plus it remains light outside until 8 o’clock! Dogs in Alaska and northward are really livin’, as the lights stay on past midnight.

The midnight sun is a natural phenomenon that occurs during the summer in places north of the Arctic Circle. At its peak, the midnight sun shines and is visible throughout the night (weather permitting) casting a reddish-yellow hue over the horizon. For kids and dogs, it may be “the best time of the year.” No matter your latitude, there is something special about this time of year.

On the flip-side, kids and their elders in the Southern Hemisphere (let’s say Australia) experience Christmas in the summer! I can’t quite fathom this circumstance. What does a Christmas card depict? How long are dog walks?

It’s that time of year; the mornings and evenings are chilly and daytime temperatures are almost hot. Presently low clouds seem the weather-standard as onshore winds blow over the coasts and into the valleys. Slow and limited afternoon clearing and possible drizzle will continue, especially at the beach. Clearer skies and a slight warm up is predicted over the weekend. But don’t pack up the surfboard yet; it’s not quite beach weather.

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