Brighter days are lying ahead as the "shortest day" of the year is here.
The winter solstice marks the point when the North Pole is at its furthest location away from the sun, creating the atmosphere for shorter hours of sunlight. According to Adler Planetarium, the Northern Hemisphere will receive less than nine hours of daylight.
The astronomical event also signals the official start of the winter season. According to the National Weather Service, this year's winter solstice will occur at 3:48 p.m. CST on Wednesday.
While the solstice and "shortest day" of the year will both occur on Wednesday, the following day is recognized as the first full day of winter.
As if bellowing out its presence, winter will kick off with a heavy storm. Forecast modules expect snow accumulation, fierce winds and bitter temperatures to hit the Chicago area.
A winter storm warning is currently in effect for the area for Thursday. According to the warning, "falling and blowing snow will result in white out conditions with zero visibility at times, making travel extremely difficult, if not impossible."
Power outages, wind gusts of up to 50 mph and wind chills as low as 35 degrees below zero are all possible.
Local
Early predictions so far indicate the Chicago area could see between three to six inches of snow, with higher totals possible, especially in northwest Indiana. Some locations could also see lower totals.
As the solstice marks the changing of seasons, the event also holds significance to many cultures. Several ancient structures were built as ways to track the seasons, including Stonehenge in England and Newgrange in Ireland.
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Additionally, the solstice can also be seen as the time in which the sun's path reaches its most southerly point of the sky, with the opposite effect being witnessed in the southern hemisphere.
According to the Farmer's Almanac, the word solstice originates from the Latin words sol and sistere, translating to "sun" and "to stand still" respectively, loosely translating to "sun stand still."
After the winter solstice concludes, the sun begins to advance northward all the way up until the summer solstice occurs in the northern hemisphere, marking the when the sun is most closely tilted to the hemisphere.
Despite starting near the end of the months they begin in, astronomical seasons and meteorological seasons both last for approximately three months.
Below is a list of the astronomical season changes we can expect to see following the upcoming winter solstice next month:
- Vernal Equinox (Spring): March 20, 2023, 4:24 p.m.
- Summer Solstice (Summer): June 21, 2023, 9:58 a.m.
- Autumnal Equinox (Fall): Sep. 23, 2023, 1:50 a.m.
