Dear Tom,
In order to determine whether or not certain areas of my Chicago property will be in shade or sunlight during the four seasons, I need to know the sun’s elevation angle above the horizon each season.
Jim McGough, Chicago
Dear Jim,
At Chicago’s latitude, about 42 degrees north of the equator, the sun climbs to just under 25 degrees above the horizon on the winter solstice during its 9 hour and 8 minute celestial trek after rising in the southeast and setting in the southwest. That changes considerably by the summer solstice when it soars to nearly 72 degrees above the horizon in a 15 hour and 14 minute trip from its rise in the northeast to its set in the southwest. At the spring and fall equinoxes, the sun reaches a peak altitude of just below 49 degrees during its 12 hour and 12 minute sojourn from its rise directly in the east to its due west set.
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Tom Skilling is chief meteorologist at WGN-TV. His forecasts can be seen Monday through Friday on WGN-TV News at noon and 9 p.m.
Write to: ASK TOM WHY, 2501 Bradley Pl., Chicago, IL 60618 or asktomwhy@wgntv.com (Mail volume precludes personal response.)
WGN-TV meteorologists Steve Kahn, Richard Koeneman and Paul Dailey plus weather producer Bill Snyder contribute to this page.
