Kansas is losing sunlight as the autumn equinox nears. Here’s how early will it get dark

Lindsay Smith
·2 min read

Fall is just a few days away. The autumn equinox is expected to occur Saturday, Sept. 23, marking the beginning of the fall season.

According to NASA, the autumn equinox is when the sun shines “directly over the equator,” which means the Earth experiences the same amount of night and day, other than the North and South poles. Throughout the fall season, the sun will continue to set earlier and rise later, making the days shorter and shorter.

The days officially started getting shorter June 21 with the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. The shortest day of the year lands Dec. 21, the winter solstice.

In Wichita, the sun is expected to rise at 7:17 a.m. and set at 7:24 p.m. Saturday for the autumn equinox, according to timeanddate.com. For comparison, the sun rose at 6:59 a.m. and set at 7:58 p.m. Sept. 1.

How much sunlight will Wichita lose following the autumn equinox?

Here are some upcoming fall sunrise and sunset times in Wichita this fall:

  • Sept. 25: Sunrise at 7:19 a.m. and sunset at 7:21 p.m.

  • Sept. 30: Sunrise at 7:23 a.m. and sunset at 7:14 p.m.

  • Oct. 5: Sunrise at 7:28 a.m. and sunset at 7:06 p.m.

  • Oct. 10: Sunrise at 7:32 a.m. and sunset at 6:59 p.m.

  • Oct. 15: Sunrise at 7:37 a.m. and sunset at 6:52 p.m.

  • Oct. 20: Sunrise at 7:42 a.m. and sunset at 6:45 p.m.

  • Oct. 25: Sunrise at 7:47 a.m. and sunset at 6:39 p.m.

  • Oct. 31: Sunrise at 7:53 a.m. and sunset at 6:32 p.m.

This means by Halloween, Wichita will have lost one hour and 28 minutes of sunlight since the equinox.

What will fall weather look like in Wichita?

Wichita has likely seen the last of three-digit temperatures after a summer of record-breaking heat, a forecaster told The Eagle earlier this month.

As for what kinds of weather the area is expected to receive come autumn, the federal Climate Prediction Center forecasts the Wichita area has equal chances of temperatures above or below normal from October through November. Looking at September, the whole state of Kansas is expected to see temperatures “likely above” normal.

This week, the area is expected to see a high of 80 degrees Fahrenheit and a low of 63 Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service forecast. Thursday sees a chance of showers with a high of 84 and a low of 65. The chance of showers continue into Friday, with an expected high of about 82 and low of 68.

The weekend sees highs of 83 degrees Saturday and 78 Sunday.