The Winter Solstice Is Coming, But What Exactly Is It?

Winter officially kicks off Saturday at 11:19 EST and of course, at the same time in the Southern Hemisphere, summer will also be initiated. For us here in the Northern Hemisphere, the sun will be on its most southerly track in the sky giving us the shortest day of the year. From the Winter Solstice on Saturday until the summer solstice on Saturday, June 2, 2020, the nights will progressively grow shorter while the daylight hours will increase. https://twitter.com/i/status/1208054453951062016 One might think that the shorter duration of sunlight on the Winter Solstice should bring about the coldest temperatures as well but the coldest and warmest temperatures typically occur weeks after the winter and summer solstices, respectively. On the Winter Solstice, the earth’s axis is angled away from the sun with the Northern Hemisphere receiving the shortest duration of sunlight while the southern hemisphere enjoys the longest duration of sunlight of the year.