Over an hour of daily sunlight gone, 4.7 hours to go

The sun’s been rising later and setting earlier in the nearly two months since summer’s official open in June. It’s a process which whittles away at the number of hours of sunlight each year—very slowly at first, then at a faster pace. While sunset took place at 8:29 p.m. in late June, it will set at 7:49 p.m. Wednesday evening. The city receives one hour and 26 minutes less sunlight Wednesday than just 57 days ago on June 21. Another four hours and 39 minutes disappears by the official start of winter at 12:35 p.m. on December 21.
Shorter days haven’t yet eliminated the chance for hot weather. Low 90s return Friday, the eastern extension of an air mass which boosted temperatures at Billings, Mont. from 61° Saturday to 92° Tuesday. Powerful Montana and Utah thunderstorms proved such prolific hail producers, 3” of the icy stones covered the ground in their wake Tuesday evening.