Glimmer Of Hope: Earliest Sunset Comes Before The Winter Solstice

The earliest sunsets of the year and the latest sunrises
of the year by latitude. Source: EarthSky.org

 Every day since December 3, the sunset has been at 4:13 p.m. at least as measured in Burlington, Vermont.

That's the earliest sunset of the year. 

Today, December 16, the sun sets at 4:14 p.m. one minute later than it's been for the past couple of weeks or so. 

How can that be? Especially since the winter solstice - definitely considered to have the shortest daylight of the year -doesn't come until Thursday, December 21. (10:27 EST local time to be exact).

As you'd expect, the answer is sort of complicated. 

I'll let EarthSky.org explain it:

"Basically, it's because of the discrepancy between the clock and the sun. A clock ticks off exactly 24 hours from one noon to the next. But an actual day - as measured by the spin of the Earth, from what is called solar noon to the next - rarely equals 24 hours exactly. 

Also, solar noon is simply called midday, because it refers to that instant when the sun reaches its highest point for the day. Thus, in the month of December, the time period from one solar noon to the next is actually half a minute longer than 24 hours, For example, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on December 7, the sun reaches its noontime position at 11:52 a.m. local standard time, Then, two weeks later - on the winter solstice - the sun will reach its noontime position around 11:58 a.m.. So that's six minutes later than on December 7."

In other words, the one minute later sunset tonight here in Vermont is something of an illusion. But one I will gladly embrace. 

Interestingly, the further south you go, the earlier the earliest sunset happens, if that makes any sense. 

For instance, around here, the earliest sunset of the season is around December. 10.  Head down to Key West, Florida, and the earliest sunset of the year hits around November 29.

Of course, there's a price to pay for the ever so slightly later sunsets starting today.  It also means later sunrises into early January. The sun in Burlington rose at 7:23 a.m. this morning.  The sunrise will continue to get later and later until December 30 - after the winter solstice - when the sun comes up at 7:29 a.m. 

The sun will keep coming up at 7:29 through January 5. After that, it will start going the other way. 

Of course, winter cold lags behind the lengthening days by about a month. "As the days lengthen, the cold strengthens," goes the saying.

On average, the coldest time of year is somewhere around January 21, but that varies greatly year to year. 

Even though the days are getting longer through the first three weeks of January, the sun angle is so low, and the sun is so weak, that the Northern Hemisphere continues to cool.

It's not until February that the increasing angle of the sun just begins to erode the winter chill.  

If you want something to look forward to, the latest sunset of the year in Burlington hits age 8:41 p.m. eastern daylight time. That latest of the year sunset goes from June 21 through July 2.