Winter solstice 2023: Sunrise and sunset times for NYC as days start to get longer
NEW YORK -- With the winter solstice upon us at 10:27 p.m., Thursday and Friday will be our shortest days of the year.
Sunrise occurred at 7:16 a.m. Thursday and will be at the same time Friday.
The sun will set at 4:31 p.m. Thursday and then at 4:32 p.m. Friday, meaning we only get to enjoy a daylength of 9 hours, 15 minutes and 17 seconds.
Then, things can only go up from there. Sunsets will start to creep later and later.
- January 1, 2024: Sunset will occur at 4:39 p.m.
- February 1: 5:13 p.m.
- March 1: 5:47 p.m.
- March 10 (Daylight Saving Time): 6:57 p.m.
- March 19 (Spring Equinox): 7:07 p.m.
So as we welcome the official start of winter and get through two short days, we can look forward to more hours of daylight moving forward.
Will NYC see a White Christmas?
Despite what you may see in movies, the actual chance of seeing snow on Christmas Day is quite low.
Historically speaking, the odds are only at 11%. And that paltry number does not take into account the effects of climate change.
A "White Christmas" is defined as having an inch or more of snow on the ground on Christmas morning. That snow can either be freshly fallen, or from a storm in the preceding days.
While December in New York can be very cold at times, it is not typically when the coldest airmasses of the season invade the region. Those are usually reserved for the months of January and February.
