Anyone who drives into West Lethbridge after work in November knows the moment: you crest the hill on Whoop-Up Drive heading west, and the sun sits right at the end of the road.
From now until February the sun stays low all day. In the late afternoon it lines up with westbound roads, and in the morning with eastbound ones. Low sun flattens contrast, hides lane markings, and can make a red light or a pedestrian in a crosswalk almost disappear.
What helps
- Keep the windshield clean inside and out. A film on the inside glass turns glare into a white sheet.
- Keep a good pair of sunglasses in the vehicle, not in the house.
- Use the visor early, before you’re blinded.
- Leave extra room. If you can’t see the light, the driver behind you probably can’t either.
- If you can, shift your trip by 20 minutes. Glare on a given road only lasts a short while each day.
- Watch for pedestrians crossing toward the sun. They can’t see you well either.
Why it changes through the year
In June the sun sets in the northwest and is high in the sky most of the day. In late December it sets well south of west, around 5:30 pm now that Alberta stays on Alberta Time all year, and it never gets very high. That’s why the same commute can be fine in summer and blinding in late fall.
Our Planning Around the Weather page has more on daylight and driving, and the daylight tool shows sunset times for any date.