Coldest time of the day: Lowest temperature is just after sunrise

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. However, all through the night the ground is losing heat and the air is steadily getting colder.

Then the sun pops over the horizon, but its first rays are very weak. When the sun initially rises, there is still more heat being lost than is being received.

After about half an hour or so, the sun is strong enough to add a little warmth and the temperatures can start to rise, first warming the ground and subsequently the layers of air above it.

Of course, there are plenty of things which can cause the temperature to change during the day. Warm or cold air can drift in from another area, whilst rain or snow can drag the temperature down even in the middle of the day.

However, if nothing else is affecting the weather, the coldest time of the day will ususally be just after dawn.