Today at 4:48 pm, we will have the first day of winter and the shortest day of the year because December 21 is the Winter, or December, Solstice. In terms of daylight, this day is 4 hours, 32 minutes shorter than the June solstice. Therefore, starting December 22, sunrise will be earlier each day and sunset will be later each day.
According to timeanddate.com, on December 22 daylight will be 9 hours, 53 minutes long. By New Year’s Day, it will be 9 hours, 56 minutes long.
The increase of daylight is small, but it is going in the right direction. Soon we will be able to walk on the beach earlier or drive into Charleston in the light.
Happy Winter Solstice!
For more information about the Winter Solstice, click here.
–Tidelines Editors
(Image credit: almanac.com