NEW YORK CITY (PIX11) — The longest day of the year will officially kick start the summer season this weekend.

The summer solstice will begin on Sunday at 4:24 a.m. EST, marking the first day of astronomical summer in the Northern Hemisphere, according to the Old Farmers’ Almanac.

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On the solstice, the Sun reaches its northernmost point in the sky for the year and is visible for the longest period of time in the year. In New York, the Sun will rise around 5:25 a.m. and set at 8:31 p.m., offering a little over 15 hours of sunlight for the day, the Farmer’s Almanac says.

The summer is forecasted to be hot and dry for the tri-state this year, the Old Farmer’s Almanac reports. However, the weather will be picture-perfect for the first weekend of the season, allowing New Yorkers ample time to enjoy all 15 hours of the longest day of the year.

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To truly mark the solstice, residents can go outside around 1 p.m. on Sunday to see their shortest shadow of the year.

Dominique Jack is a digital content producer from Brooklyn with more than five years of experience covering news. She joined PIX11 in 2024. More of her work can be found here.

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