Northern Winter Solstice

Winter in the Northern Hemisphere will officially commence in the Americas on Saturday, December 21 at 4:21 a.m. EST and 1:21 a.m. PST, or 09:21 GMT. At the solstice, the sun will attain its southernmost declination for the year, resulting in the lowest elevation in the sky of the noonday sun, the least amount of solar insolation, and the shortest amount of daylight of the year. Conversely, the Southern Hemisphere will see its highest sun and maximum daylight hours for the year. After the December solstice, the amount of daylight time will begin to increase for the Northern Hemisphere.