How Long Until Our Days Get NOITICEABLY LONGER?????

Unless you're a pagan and you plan to do some dancing and drinking at the famous Stonehenge monument in England, you probably won't even notice when the 2017 winter solstice arrives.

In any case, the solstice occurs in the northern hemisphere on Thursday, Dec. 21, marking the official start of the winter season and also the shortest day of the year — the day with the least amount of sunlight. After that, each day will gradually grow longer and the nights will grow shorter. (See, there is a reason to celebrate, after all.)

In case you're not up on your winter solstice facts, here are a few bits of information that can get you prepared for astronomical conversations at the family dinner table or holiday cocktail parties.

When does the winter solstice occur?

This year, the winter solstice arrives at 8:28 a.m. (Pacific time) Today (12/21) For people in the northern hemisphere, Dec. 21 will be the shortest day and longest night of 2017, with exactly 8 hours, 35 minutes, 20 second of daylight for those of us in the Lewiston/Clarkston Valley.  Check out the chart below for other locations around the Inland Northwest.
Today 12/21  Sunrise 7:29 am Sunset 4:04 pm

Friday  12/22 Sunrise 7:29 am Sunset 4:05 pm

 

 AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE CHART ABOVE we're only gaining a few seconds of daylight on Friday - the first full day of winter.  The rate will increase and the length of day will increase noticeabley...but not for a couple of months. 

What happens on the winter solstice?

The winter solstice is an astronomical event, when the Earth tilts to a position where the northern hemisphere is farthest away from the sun, causing less light to reach that part of the planet.