Milwaukee will have less than 10 hours of daylight on the winter solstice, often called the shortest day of the year and the first day of winter. This year, it falls on Saturday, Dec. 21.
Though the days are getting shorter, there are plenty of celestial events to light up the night sky in December, including a meteor shower and the last full moon of the year.
Here’s what to know about the solstice and how much daylight Wisconsinites can expect:
When is the first official day of winter?
There are two technically two potential answers, depending on whether you follow the meteorological or astronomical definition of the seasons.
The first day of winter, according to the meteorological definition, was Sunday, Dec. 1. According to the astronomical definition, the first day will be Saturday, Dec. 21, since its marked by the impending winter solstice, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.
What is the winter solstice?
The winter solstice is called the shortest day of the year because it is has the fewest hours of daylight, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac. It always occurs on either Dec. 21 or Dec. 22.
Although some think it lasts the entire day, the winter solstice actually occurs at the “exact moment when a hemisphere is tilted as far away from the Sun as possible,” the Old Farmer’s Almanac says.
This year, it is at 4:21 a.m. EST.
Daylight gradually begins to lengthen after the winter solstice until the summer solstice, also known as the longest day of the year.
Not only is the winter solstice the shortest day of the year, but winter is also typically the shortest season in the Northern Hemisphere, the Old Farmer’s Almanac says.
How many hours of daylight will Wisconsin get on the winter solstice?
Milwaukee’s sunrise on Dec. 21 is 7:20 a.m. with sunset at 4:20 p.m., according to timeanddate.com. That’s nine hours of sunlight, compared to the more than 15 hours of daylight the city experienced on June 20, which was this year’s summer solstice.
Meanwhile, timeanddate.com says Madison will see a sunrise at 7:26 a.m. and sunset at 4:25 p.m. on Dec. 21.
What state has the shortest days?
Alaska experiences the shortest daylight hours in the country. Sunrise on Dec. 21 in Fairbanks is 10:58 a.m. and sunset is 2:40 p.m., according to timeanddate.com. In Juneau, winter solstice sunrise is 8:44 a.m. and sunset is 3:07 p.m.
When will winter end?
Like the official start of the season, there are two potential answers for its end.
Winter’s meteorological end is Friday, February 28, 2025 while the astronomical end is on Thursday, March 20, 2025, at the start of the spring equinox, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.
What are the astronomical dates for 2025’s four seasons?
Here are when the seasons begin in 2025, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac:
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Spring: March 20, 2025 (vernal equinox)
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Summer: June 20, 2025 (summer solstice)
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Fall: Sept. 22, 2025 (autumnal equinox)
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Winter: Dec. 21, 2025 (winter solstice)
More: When is the next full moon? How you can see December’s Cold Moon in Wisconsin
More: One of the best annual meteor showers peaks next week, NASA says. You can view it in Wisconsin
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Winter solstice 2024: What to know about the shortest day of the year