5 facts about the winter solstice

Today is the December solstice, and winter officially starts today in Kelowna at 2:23 p.m.!

Here are 5 tidbits about Friday, Dec. 21, 2018:

1. Today is the shortest day of the year

Kelowna’s sunrise today is at 7:53 a.m. and the sunset is at 3:58 p.m. We have 8 hours, 5 minutes and 29 seconds of daylight. In most locations in the Northern Hemisphere (north of the equator), the shortest day of the year is on this date.

2. We lost 3 seconds of daylight today compared to yesterday, but tomorrow we will gain back 2 seconds of daylight for the first full day of winter.

The losing and gaining of daylight time is not consistent throughout the year. The change of daylight time is always slowest near the winter and summer solstices. For example, by mid-January 2019, we will be gaining over 2 minutes of daylight per day, and by mid-February, we will be gaining over 3 and a half minutes of daylight per day.

3. The winter solstice occurs when the sun is directly overhead 23.5°S latitude, also known as the Tropic of Capricorn.

Because the earth spins on a tilted axis, the farther north from the equator you are, the less sunlight you’ll receive during the winter solstice and the shorter the day it will be. Kelowna is at 49.9°N, and as mentioned above we will see over 8 hours of daylight today. Whitehorse, Yukon at 60.7°N will only receive 5 hours, 37 minutes and 51 seconds of daylight today. Even farther north in Iqaliut, Nunavut at 63.7°N, and today’s daylight in that community will only be 4 hours, 20 minutes and 14 seconds long.

4. Just because we have the least amount of sunlight today doesn’t mean it will be the coolest day of the year.

There is a lag between the shortest day of the year and the coldest average temperatures because of the Earth’s oceans. It takes a significant amount of time for the ocean to release all of the sun’s energy that it collected during the warm months. That is why our average temperatures are cooler in January than they are in December. You will find the same delay between the longest day of the year and the warmest average temperatures in the summer as well. The time of the lag will also vary depending on location. Because Kelowna is in the BC Interior, the delay is not as great compared to areas on the coast like the Lower Mainland, as the ocean has a higher impact on moderating coastal temperatures.

5. A full moon will appear to be in the night sky

Although December’s full moon officially isn’t until December 22, 2018, look up in the night sky to see what is also known as the Cold Moon. With partial clearing in the forecast tonight, those in the Okanagan Valley will have a good chance of getting a stunning nighttime view!