When and how fast will Illinois gain daylight again? The winter solstice is almost here
Southwest Illinois residents will be able to enjoy more daylight hours soon as it’s almost time for this year’s winter solstice.
The winter solstice marks the beginning of the season and will occur at 3:21 a.m. Central Standard Time Saturday, Dec. 21 in the Northern Hemisphere, according to the Farmers’ Almanac. As such, Saturday will have the shortest amount of daylight of any day this year.
Here’s what to know about the winter solstice and when metro-east and St. Louis residents can expect to see later sunsets and more hours of daylight.
What is the winter solstice?
The winter solstice is the day with the shortest amount of time between sunrise and sunset and the day the sun is lowest in the sky at solar noon, NASA reports. Solstices happen twice each year, once in late December and another in June.
“The term ‘solstice’ comes from the Latin words sol (Sun) and sistere (to stand still). At the solstice, the angle between the Sun’s rays and the plane of the Earth’s equator (called declination) appears to stand still,” the Farmers’ Almanac says.
The next summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere will be June 20, 2025, the Farmers’ Almanac reports, and like the winter solstice, it marks the first day of the season.
When will the sun set later in Belleville?
The sun will begin to set later after the winter solstice. Here’s how sunrise and sunset times will change from December to January, according to global online clock Time and Date:
Saturday, Dec. 21 (winter solstice): 7:14 a.m. sunrise, 4:42 p.m. sunset
Saturday, Dec. 28: 7:16 a.m. sunrise, 4:47 p.m. sunset
Saturday, Jan. 4: 7:17 a.m. sunrise, 4:52 p.m. sunset
Saturday, Jan. 11: 7:17 a.m. sunrise, 4:59 p.m. sunset
Saturday, Jan. 18: 7:14 a.m. sunrise, 5:06 p.m. sunset
Saturday, Jan. 25: 7:10 a.m. sunrise, 5:14 p.m. sunset
By Saturday, Feb. 8, the sun will set at 5:30 p.m. or later daily, and March will bring sunsets after 7 p.m. when Daylight Saving Time begins Sunday, March 9.
What will the weather be like this winter solstice?
After some warmer days early in the week, the beginning of winter is expected to bring colder temperatures to Belleville. Monday had a high temperature above 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and Tuesday’s forecast calls for a high hear 53 degrees.
The Belleville area’s average high temperature in December is 46.3 degrees, the National Weather Service reports, while the typical low is 28.3 degrees.
Saturday will be mostly sunny with a high around 36 degrees and a low near 20 degrees, the NWS St. Louis office reports as of Monday.
The metro-east isn’t very likely to see a white Christmas this year, with a historical probability around 20%.
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