When will PA gain daylight again? When is the next time change? A look at the winter ahead
Central Pennsylvania 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 4:21 a.m. Eastern 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 Centre County area 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 State College?
The sun will begin to set later after the winter solstice. Here’s how sunrise and sunset times will change in State College from December to January, according to global online clock Time and Date:
Saturday, Dec. 21 (winter solstice): 7:32 a.m. sunrise, 4:47 p.m. sunset
Saturday, Dec. 28: 7:35 a.m. sunrise, 4:51 p.m. sunset
Saturday, Jan. 4: 7:35 a.m. sunrise, 4:56 p.m. sunset
Saturday, Jan. 11: 7:35 a.m. sunrise, 5:03 p.m. sunset
Saturday, Jan. 18: 7:32 a.m. sunrise, 5:11 p.m. sunset
Saturday, Jan. 25: 7:27 a.m. sunrise, 5:19 p.m. sunset
By Monday, Feb. 3, the sun will set at 5:30 p.m. or later daily, and Monday, March 10, will bring sunsets later than 7 p.m. after Daylight Saving Time begins Sunday, March 9.
What will the weather be like this winter solstice?
Temperatures are expected to drop in State College throughout the week, with forecast highs of 33 degrees Fahrenheit Friday, 26 degrees Saturday and 23 degrees Sunday, the National Weather Service reports as of Thursday afternoon.
State College may start the winter season with a bit of snow on the ground, as Friday’s forecast says snow is likely and could accumulate with up to 1 or 2 inches of fresh snowfall. Saturday is expected to be partly sunny, with a low around 11 degrees that night.
The State College area’s average high temperature in December is 38.4 degrees, the NWS reports, while the typical low is 26 degrees.
Central Pennsylvania has roughly a 26% to 40% historical probability of a white Christmas, according to NWS data from 1981 to 2010.
This story was originally published December 20, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
