What is the hottest time of day? 3 P.M., or noon? (2024)

FAQs

What is the hottest time of day? 3 P.M., or noon? ›

However, air temperatures continue to increase during the afternoon. This occurs as gases in the atmosphere continue to absorb heat from both direct sunlight and the ground surfaces, which radiate energy back into the surrounding air. On most days, the highest temperature occurs between 3pm and 6pm.

The greatest rate of heating occurs at solar noon, when the Sun is at its highest angle. However, the rate of heating generally continues to outpace the rate of cooling for a while after this, so it's typical to have your highest temperatures in mid or late afternoon.

On average, the time of day when air temperature is the highest is usually about 3 PM, as heat continues to build up after noon. However, after 3 PM the Sun is low enough in the sky for more heat to be lost than absorbed, causing a gradual decline in air temperature.

Usually, the maximum temperature of a day is recorded during the afternoon because the sun is present overhead. At this time we not only get the heat directly from the sun but also from the earth's surface.

The Earth's surface temperature is generally the highest around 6:00 PM, and the lowest around 6:00 AM. This is due to the position of the Sun and the amount of sunlight the Earth has had time to absorb and release.

Just as the hottest days of summer don't happen until after the summer solstice, high temperatures don't usually happen until the late afternoon — typically 3 to 4 p.m. local time. By this time, the sun's heat has built up since noon and more heat is present at the surface than is leaving it.

The sun appears to be at the highest point in the sky at 12 noon solar time. At daylight savings time, it appears the highest at 1 pm. At this time, the sun is maximally heating the earth's surface.

The hour angle at 10 am is −30° and at 3 pm is 45°. From the problem data, we have P = 1 m, G = 0.5 m, H = 2 m, β = 75°, and Z_s = 0°.

Did you know that the coldest time of the day is normally about half an hour after sunrise? That surprises a lot of people because it seems logical that the coldest time should be in the middle of the night.

The lowest natural temperature ever directly recorded at ground level on Earth is −89.2 °C (−128.6 °F; 184.0 K) at the then-Soviet Vostok Station in Antarctica on 21 July 1983 by ground measurements.

Why is it hottest in the evening? ›

“During the day, that moisture reflects the heat, but at night, it traps the heat in.” Increasing nighttime heat is even more common in cities because of the urban heat island effect, in which metro areas are significantly hotter than their surroundings.

Tom Frieders, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Phoenix, said the hottest time of the day is usually between 2 and 5 p.m. But this time could always change depending on environmental factors. When monsoon thunderstorms develop, the rain cools the air.

PHOENIX — The hottest time of the day is not noon, despite what many people might think. Noon is usually the pick, because that's when the sun is straight up in the air. But it takes time for the Earth to heat up, so the hottest part of the day in Phoenix is actually around 3 p.m.

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5)— Most people know that the hottest temperature recorded in Phoenix was 122 degrees on June 26, 1990. However, the hottest temperature in the state was recorded at Lake Havasu when the thermometer reached 128 degrees on June 29, 1994.