Not only is Thursday, the longest day of the year as it marks the first day of the summer solstice, but it will certainly be a hot one.

Temperatures are predicted to be in the 90s but with the heat index, it will feel like well more than 100. Talk about a warm kick off to summer.

Good thing Kroger has us covered with free ice cream, but more on that later.

When does summer 2024 begin?

The first official day of summer is Thursday, June 20, 2024. It is also known as the summer solstice and it officially arrives at exactly 4:51 p.m. That said, many people tend to recognize Memorial Day of the “unofficial” first day of summer, especially given its proximity to the final day of the school year for many schools.

When is the summer solstice?

The summer solstice marks the longest day of the year. During the summer solstice, the Sun is at its highest point in the sky and the Earth’s tilt toward the star is at its maximum, according to the National Weather Service.

In the U.S., at latitudes of approximately 40 degrees North, daylight during the summer solstice will last for about 15 hours, Space.com reports.

As the days go by, the amount of sunlight will decrease. This culminates with the winter solstice, or the shortest day of the year (Dec. 21). On the winter solstice, the Earth’s tilt is its farthest from the Sun.

Best place to watch summer solstice sunrise

Mixbook conducted a survey to find the best spots in the country to witness the sunrise on the summer solstice. And based on personal experiences, 3,000 respondents said three locations in Michigan made the top 150 list. The top location, Mackinac Island, was No. 62 overall.

“This car-free island in Lake Huron offers beautiful sunrise views from its eastern shore,: Mixbook says. “The Arch Rock and Fort Holmes provide excellent vantage points to catch the morning light.”

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore came in at No. 75 and No. 89, respectively.

Free ice cream at Kroger

Kroger wants to offer a free cool, sweet treat to help celebrate summer by giving away 45,000 pints of free ice cream Thursday, according to a news release from the company.

The offer is valid for any pint of Kroger brand ice cream including Kroger Brand Deluxe Tie Dye Burst, which features swirls of vanilla, cherry and blue moon, and classic flavors like Mint Chocolate Chip, Vivid Vanilla and Chocolate Chip.

Go to FreeKrogerIceCream.com to get a limited-time, single-use digital coupon, available for use Thursday only, while supplies last.

When does summer end?

Summer officially ends on Sunday, Sep. 22, 2024, when the fall officially begins. Some consider Labor Day the unofficial end of summer, which this year falls on Monday, Sep. 2, 2024.

USA TODAY contributed to this story.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Summer solstice 2024: When first day of season begins