When is the winter solstice? How much daylight will Kentucky get?

At the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, Louisville will have less than 10 hours of daylight. And while not everyone welcomes long nights coupled with less sunshine, it’s not all bad news.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association’s 2024-25 winter forecast, despite a snowy start to December, Kentuckians can expect milder temperatures overall thanks to La Niña.

Here’s when winter officially begins and what you should know about the December solstice.

When is the first day of winter?

The first day of winter is Saturday, December 21st, ushering in the longest night of the year.

How long will the day be on December 21st in Kentucky?

According to timeanddate.com, sunrise in Louisville on December 21st is at 7:56 a.m. and sunset is at 5:26 p.m. That’s nine hours, 30 minutes and seven seconds to be exact. Compare that to six months ago, when Louisville saw nearly 15 hours of daylight on June 20 during the summer solstice.

Which US state has the shortest days?

Alaska has the shortest daylight hours in the country. In Fairbanks, sunrise on December 21 is 10:58 a.m. and sunset is 2:40 p.m. — less than four hours of daylight on the winter solstice.

What happens on the winter solstice?

The reason we have seasonal weather is because the Earth is tilted 23.5 degrees on its axis. As our planet orbits the sun, the direction of the axis does not change. December 21-22 is when the Northern Hemisphere moves furthest away from the sun’s warming rays, which is what we call the winter solstice.

The sun has now reached its highest point in the midday sky in the southern hemisphere at the Tropic of Capricorn. This means that while the United States has three months of winter, it is summer in countries like Australia and Brazil.

Photo credit NASA Space/Place.

What does solstice mean?

Solstice is a combination of Latin words Solwhat “sun” means, and Sister means “to stop,” according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac. It is derived from the Latin word Solstitium. Or to put it another way: Solstice means “the sun stands still”.

What is the difference between solstices and equinoxes?

If you’re wondering, equinox means “equal night” in Latin, when night and day are the same length everywhere on the planet. Just like the solstice, there are two equinoxes – the vernal day (first day of spring) and the fall day (first day of fall).

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When does winter end?

Winter in the Northern Hemisphere lasts from Saturday, December 21, 2024, to Thursday, March 20, 2025, when the vernal equinox marks the beginning of spring.

What are the dates for the four seasons in 2025?

Spring: March 20, 2025 (Spring Equinox)
SummerDate: June 20, 2025 (summer solstice).
FallingDate: September 22, 2025 (Autumn Equinox).
winterDate: December 21, 2025 (Winter Solstice).

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John Tufts covers trending news for IndyStar and Midwest Connect. Send him a news tip at JTufts@Gannett.com. Find him on BlueSky at JohnWritesStuff.

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