Summer solstice 2024: It's a hot start to summer. Here's how it stacks against years past

Joyce Orlando, USA TODAY NETWORK
·3 min read
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It is officially summer! And just in time for a heat wave to hit Tennessee.

The first official day of summer astronomically for 2024 is Thursday, June 20. This means today is when the Northern Hemisphere has the longest day of the year, according to the Farmer's Almanac. It also means the dog days of summer are upon us.

The weather over the last week has prepped us for the coming summer months, but it's about to get a whole lot hotter as some communities across Tennessee face eight straight days of 95+ degree temperatures while others simmer in the lower 90s.

Here's how summer solstice 2024 compares to years past.

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What is the summer solstice?

The summer solstice marks the astronomical first day of the summer season in June in the Northern Hemisphere.

This is also when the Earth arrives at the point in its orbit where the North Pole is at its maximum tilt toward the sun, according to the Almanac. This makes it the longest day with the longest period of sunlight hours and shortest night of the calendar year.

When is the longest day of the year?

The summer solstice is the longest day of the year. Thursday will be the day with the longest period of sunlight coming in at 14 hours, 53 minutes, 42.5 seconds, according to NASA.

What was the hottest day in Tennessee?

According to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the two hottest days on record for Tennessee occurred less than two weeks apart in 1930. Perryville, Tenn., hit a high of 113 degrees on July 29, 1930, and August 9, 1930.

Summer solstice 2024 one of the hottest starts to season

Each year the summer solstice heralds the start of the season, but some years had distinctly more spring-like weather. The high for the 2024 solstice in Nashville is expected to be 96, in Knoxville the high will be around 92 and in Memphis the high will be around 93, according to the National Weather Service.

Here's what the average temperature was in Tennessee for past summer solstices, according to World Weather, a site that archives weather data from around the world.

  • 2023: 77

  • 2022: 93

  • 2021: 90

  • 2020: 88

  • 2019: 88

  • 2018: 79

  • 2017: 82

  • 2016: 88

  • 2015: 91

What will summer weather be like for Tennessee?

The National Weather Service says there is a 40-50% chance of above normal temperatures during May, June and July. The average summer temperature for the Nashville area is 76.
The National Weather Service says there is a 40-50% chance of above normal temperatures during May, June and July. The average summer temperature for the Nashville area is 76.

Expect a possibly hot and damp summer, according to the National Weather Service.

The temperature forecast outlook seems to favor above normal temperatures (40-50% chance) and above normal precipitation (40-50% chance) across much of Tennessee, according to the weather service.

June's weather is expected to start to creep up with much of the month in the 80s and even a few in the 90s for much of the state, there will be several days that dip back down to the 70s especially in the eastern part of the state for the month, according to Accuweather. Precipitation amounts will be around 4 inches.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: When is the summer solstice 2024? Season starts with heat wave