Winter solstice is tonight. In Texas, here’s how it gets you out of driving in the dark
The winter solstice is tonight which will mark the shortest day and longest night of the year. It is also the first day of winter.
That’s the bad news.
The good news?
Dallas-Fort Worth will begin to see its days lengthen, giving us more sunlight as we head into spring. Good tidings indeed for those sick of having to drive in the dark.
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When daylight saving time ended in early November, Texans gained an hour of sleep. But it also meant the sun would begin setting earlier, and that meant shorter spans of daylight.
Here’s what we know about the winter solstice and when Texans will begin to see more daylight:
What is the winter solstice?
The winter solstice is an annual event that occurs when the path of the sun is furthest south in the Northern hemisphere, according to Britannica.
During the solstice, the North Pole is tilted about 23.4 degrees away from the sun. Because of this tilt and being so far from the sun, the solstice marks the shortest day and longest night of the year.
The winter solstice also marks the first day of winter.
How is daylight gained back after the winter solstice?
While the winter solstice marks the start of winter, it also signifies the return of additional sunlight, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.
The daylight gains will be small at first, if not just a few seconds each day. As the calendar continues into the first few months of 2024, the daylight gain will be in the minutes each day.
The daylight gain will slow by May as the summer solstice approaches in June. During the summer solstice, the amount of daylight will peek and give way to the longest day and shortest night of the year.
Essentially, after the winter solstice in December and before the summer solstice in June, the amount of daylight increases until it peaks, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.
The opposite is in effect from the summer to winter solstice, as the amount of daylight decreases until it peaks with the longest night of the year in December, which is tonight.
Is there a way to determine how much daylight there is in a day?
Yes, the Old Farmer’s Almanac has a sunrise/sunset calculator that tracks time for every corner of the country.
For example, the calculator states that for Fort Worth on Thursday, Dec. 21, there will be 10 hours and 2 minutes of daylight. Sunset will be at 5:28 p.m.
A month later on Jan. 21, 2024, the daylight meter is already at 10 hours and 23 minutes. Another month later on Feb. 21, 2024, the daylight count is up to 11 hours and 15 minutes.
