I have heard that Washington and Michigan are the worst states for sunshine. I would like to see a list of all 50 states that shows which has the most sunshine. Could you get me such a list or tell me where to go to get that list? Our family is dealing with Seasonal Affective Disorder.

CaptainForest

US States that are furthest south would get the most sunshine.

The closeer you get to the equator, the more sunshine you get.

Since MI and WA are the most northern states on the continental USA, it makes sense they have the least amount of sunshine.

Really, any southern state would give you the most.

My guess is Florida would be number 1 though. Its nickname is the Sunshine State!

rudi_in

Thank you for posting your question to the Ask Me Help Desk.

Actually, all parts of the globe see just about the same amount of daytime hours as any other part. About 6 months of each.

The equator does not see more sun per se but rather a greater intensity of sunshine. The equator sees an equal 12 hours of day and 12 hours of night year round. So there is very little seasonal difference in that area.

The 23 1/2º tilt of the Earth on its axis provide the seasons that we have come to enjoy here in the mid-latitudes. We have short days in the winter and longer days in the summer which overall balance out to roughly the same amount of daylight hours as the equator over the course of a year.

Actually, as you move closer to the poles you will find a greater difference in the periods of daytime and nighttime hours.

In the northernmost parts of Alaska (around 70º N Latitude) you may find around 2 months between sunrise and sunset in the summer. Of course, you then have about that much nighttime hours in the winter as a counter balance. At the poles you will have 6 months between sunrise and sunset. Keep in mind that this does not mean that there is complete blackness for that length of time as the bending and scattering of light by the atmosphere allows for some indirect light but would be considered nighttime by anyones standards. The poles would actually have only about 3 months of total darkness.

So while the total amount of daylight is pretty much the same, it is the periods of time that we experience the daylight which create the seasonal disorders.

valinors_sorrow

Ummm, I think Matteson was talking more about actual sunny weather instead of hours of daylight?

Look here:
http://www.weathertoday.net/weatherfacts.htm

It sorta challenges the notion of Florida being the "Sunshine State" doesn't it?

J_9

Here in Tenn I think sometimes we tend to get too much sunshine!!!!!!!

Never seem to get any couldy gloomy days that are good for relaxing.

rudi_in

Interesting statistics on that site Val.

I think you are right that matteson meant sunny days as opposed to daylight but since matteson brought up the idea of seasonal affective disorder, I thought it might be appropriate to discuss daylight hours since SAD is generally linked to the body's response to less daylight in the winter.

I know that I sometimes get irritable when I get a week of gloomy weather and rain. Living in an area on the windward side of the Rockies such as Washington would drive me nuts. Perhaps this is the case?? I do not know - I am not a doctor.

matteson, has your family been formally diagnosed with SAD by the doctor? Most cases of SAD should be cleared up by now as we are in June with symptoms to reappear come Thanksgiving time.

J_9

Something that may help, I have heard it prescribed by a doctor, are daylight lights.

We have them in our kitchen. They are lights that literally mimick daylight and it does look like daylight in my kitchen at midnights. You really can tell a difference.

orange

Yes I agree! Tried to give you reputation but couldn't.. sigh.

Here in Canada, the province I live in, Saskatchewan, is the sunniest in the country, with an average of about 2500 hours of sunlight per year. It's also very sunny here in winter... so much so that you need to wear sunglasses to avoid the "snow glare". Alberta is close behind Saskatchewan for total sunlight.

It makes sense that the cities in the US that are the sunniest are also the driest. That is the same here.

valinors_sorrow

I always wondered how well those worked - thanks, that was helpful and I'm not the one even asking the question!

talaniman

May I submit the GREAT STATE of TEXAS as the sunniest state in the union! WE wear our sun glasses at night. You have to like 100 degrees to live here though.