Prepare for the glare: fall equinox means Edmonton’s drivers are susceptible to sun in eyes during commutes

(Evan Klippenstein/CTV News Edmonton)

The fall equinox is almost upon us, which means Edmontonians should be preparing for a faceful of sunlight on the roads depending on the times they’re out and about.

It’s no secret that Edmonton’s roads are laid out in an east-west, north-south grid.

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During an equinox, the sun rises directly in the east and sets directly in the west – so drivers are often right in the path of low-angle sun on the way to and from work.

This year, the fall equinox is Sept. 22, meaning the days leading up to and right after Monday will be bad for potential glare.

Telus World of Science Edmonton’s lead science presenter Joel Weatherly said Edmonton has this issue every spring and fall equinox.

He added that it is possible to figure out where the sun may land at any given moment in the city, although avoiding the mind-sizzling glare entirely is not always possible.

“Unfortunately, it’s really hard to control the sun, so there’s no way to completely dodge that. But keeping your windshield nice and clean is good, or having a good pair of polarizing sunglasses as well,” Weatherly said.

Shifting commute times to avoid 10 to 15 minutes after sunrise and before sunset if possible can also reduce the amount of time you’re exposed to the sun’s worst glare.

Plus, Weatherly added, once Monday comes and goes, the sun will move southwards as the city sees shortening amounts of daylight, with later sunrises and earlier sunsets.

“It doesn’t last forever … so you might be able to avoid sunrise and sunset on your commute,” he said.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Amanda Anderson, Galen McDougall