Greensboro, NC -- In every newscast the WFMY News 2 Meteorologists give the forecast for what the high and low temperatures are going to be for the next seven days. Many people often assume that the high temperature occurs around noon, but this assumption is incorrect.
As the sun climbs higher and higher in the sky it is directing more and more of it's rays to the earth. When the sun reaches it's highest point the earth receives the sun maximum solar radiation, which is the main factor in rising daily temperatures. However, this radiation that is heating the atmosphere is also heating the ground.
Through the rest of the afternoon the ground re-radiates that heat/energy into the atmosphere which continues to raise the temperature. This continued heating beyond the sun's maximum radiation is why we typically see the high temperature occur between 2 pm and 4pm. The high temperature will occur later in the day during the summer due to the greater amount of daylight.
