Why Isn’t Daytime Maximum Temperature At Noon?

Why you might ask does the daily maximum temperature not occur at noon when the sun is highest and hottest and the most energy is reaching the Earth?  Well, to simplify let us assuming first that there are no cold fronts, clouds, or big weather changes that might cause temperatures to change…its a nice clear fair weather day.  The answer is simple, Earth’s surface temperature is controlled by the NET energy input from the sun, not the daily maximum value.  So on a typical day when the sun comes up, sunshine adds energy to the surface and warms it.  The rate of warming is based on the energy surplus so the maximum warming RATE will typically occur near noon.  But the suns energy SURPLUS to earth will continue to warm the Earth’s surface until there is no energy  surplus.  If there is an energy deficit then Earth will cool.  So on a typical day the Earth’s energy surplus continues long after the peak surplus (near noon) so the Earth continues to warm well after high-noon until there is no longer an energy surplus.   This is typically late afternoon in most areas…hence the daytime high temperature is usually observed between about 2 pm and 6 pm at the time the energy surplus drops back to zero, once it turns negative then the Earth surface begins to cool…until a surplus is once again occurring!