December 18, 1998

     Winter Solstice

Astronomical winter begins on December 21 or 22 each year, and astronomers can tell us the exact time when the earth is inclined 23-1/2 degrees away from the sun at the North Pole.  This year it's December 21 at 7:56 p.m. (CST).  We call this point in time the winter solstice when we, in the Northern Hemisphere, have our longest night and shortest day.

On the first day of winter, the sun is 22-1/2 degrees above the horizon at noon in Mankato, 21-1/2 degrees in Minneapolis and St. Paul, and only 18 degrees at International Falls.

On this shortest day of the year, Winona receives about eight hours and 54 minutes of sunlight, the Twin Cities area eight hours and 46 minutes, and the people in International Falls must get by with only eight hours and 15 minutes.

Even though the Sun is at its lowest point in the sky on the winter solstice, and from that day on our daylight increases, it will take about five weeks until we get our coldest days.  Usually there is a lag time of 30 to 40 days after the period of minimum solar radiation, which allows the ground air to cool down as much as possible.  Statistically, January 25 is our coldest day of the year.