Why does it seem to be coldest before the sun rises ??

Question

Cos it's bloody freezing here!

Answer 1

i know what you mean ive been up since 3am and i have the heating on and im still shivering!!

Answer 2

Some of the people who answered touched on the correct answer most did not.

Surface temperature is a balance between the incoming energy (nearly all of which is from the sun in the form of visible light or short wave radiation) and outgoing energy mainly in the form of infrared or long wave radiation.

The temperature will continue to decrease as long as the earth surface receives less energy than it radiates into space. This crossover occurs not before sun rise but a little after sunrise.

With all other weather parameters being equal, surface temperatures will not start to increase until about 30 to 45 minutes after sunrise when the angle of the sun increases to the point that it's radiant energy exceeds the amount of outgoing infrared radiation.

Often there are winds or terrain effects that cancel this out. It is most easily observed in flat desert areas on clear nights with no wind.

Also, this answers the question why is the hottest temperature of the day in late afternoon. The temperature continues to rise through the day until the sun is low enough that the infrared radiation of the earth exceeds the incoming short wave radiation of the sun. This most often occurs very late in the afternoon, an hour or two before sunset. Of course this can be changed due to other influences such as clouds, rain or cold fronts.

Answer 3

After the sunlight is going down the earth starts off to lose it warmth. The sunlight is radiational heating, because of the fact of this it heats merchandise and the products warmth the air. The sunlight does little or no for heating the air rapidly. throughout the time of the night the products (homes, grounds etc...) radiate that warmth lower back into the ambience. On sparkling nights, the warmth escapes extra into the ambience and consequently it has a tendency to be cooler on sparkling nights. through morning, earlier the sunlight rises, extremely some the radational warmth has already escaped and consequently the best temperature has a tendency to be basically earlier dawn.

Answer 4

It usually is the coldest before the sun rises because it is the time that the sun has been gone from the area for the longest amount of time.
Lack of sun and lack of heat= cold
The difference might be if a cold wind starts blowing in the day that isnt blowing right before the sun rises.

Answer 5

because from the moment the sun goes down the surface of the earth is receiving less radiation*, and it cools right through the night until just after the sun comes up, this is generally the coldest time of the day because of this.

*The sun heats with its UV radiation being absorbed by the land, which then emits IR radiation which warms the air around us and keeps us warm.

Answer 6

The answer goes very simple. Actually the temperature in the Night falls rapidly due to the absense of sun rays and continues in till sun raise. Once the sun raises,the atmosphere starts heating up and the temperature goes high in the afternoon.

Answer 7

Because the photons emitted by the sun push the cold air towards you. It's a process of warming up the air.

Answer 8

Cos the environment around you has had all night to cool down.
Just after the sun sets, the ground/buildings etc still emit stored heat.

Answer 9

the temp does drop a couple degrees before sun rise.

Answer 10

The reason for this is because the earth send infrared energy as longwaves and with no sunlight the air becomes cooler.

Answer 11

I guess because that is the longest are part of the world has been with out sun or warmth.