The Winter Solstice occurs at 12:47 p.m. EST on Monday, December 21, 2009. This marks the beginning of Winter for the Northern Hemisphere and is the shortest day of the year with respect to daylight.
Winter officially begins just after noon on Monday as the Sun reaches it's lowest point in the southern sky. On Monday, December 21, 2009 at 12:47 p.m. EST the Sun will be directly over the Tropic of Capricorn which is about 23.5 degrees south of the equator. This is known as the winter solstice. As the earth rotates around the sun on it's tilted axis, the Northern Hemisphere appears to lean away from the Sun this time of year. That lean results in less direct sunlight thus shorter days and cooler temperatures. This day also marks the Summer Solstice for the Southern Hemisphere, the day Summer begins for them.
The Winter Solstice can be called the shortest day of the year, but it is more precisely called the day with the least amount of daylight hours. For Tampa, sunrise occurs at 7:17 a.m. with sunset at 5:39 p.m. That means there will be only 10 hours 22 minutes and 9 seconds of daylight on the Winter Solstice. Compare that to the Summer Solstice on June 21, 2010 when we see 13 hours 55 minutes and 2 seconds of daylight.
This year we continue to forecast an active winter season across Florida. With El Nino going strong, the southern jet stream has become more active. This has resulted in several storm systems tracking across the Gulf of Mexico and bringing much needed rainfall to our region during our dry season. This active pattern appears as if it will continue through the season. The long range forecast which includes this winter, continues to call for cooler than average temperatures with higher than average rainfall amounts.
Winter officially begins just after noon on Monday as the Sun reaches it's lowest point in the southern sky. On Monday, December 21, 2009 at 12:47 p.m. EST the Sun will be directly over the Tropic of Capricorn which is about 23.5 degrees south of the equator. This is known as the winter solstice. As the earth rotates around the sun on it's tilted axis, the Northern Hemisphere appears to lean away from the Sun this time of year. That lean results in less direct sunlight thus shorter days and cooler temperatures. This day also marks the Summer Solstice for the Southern Hemisphere, the day Summer begins for them.
The Winter Solstice can be called the shortest day of the year, but it is more precisely called the day with the least amount of daylight hours. For Tampa, sunrise occurs at 7:17 a.m. with sunset at 5:39 p.m. That means there will be only 10 hours 22 minutes and 9 seconds of daylight on the Winter Solstice. Compare that to the Summer Solstice on June 21, 2010 when we see 13 hours 55 minutes and 2 seconds of daylight.
This year we continue to forecast an active winter season across Florida. With El Nino going strong, the southern jet stream has become more active. This has resulted in several storm systems tracking across the Gulf of Mexico and bringing much needed rainfall to our region during our dry season. This active pattern appears as if it will continue through the season. The long range forecast which includes this winter, continues to call for cooler than average temperatures with higher than average rainfall amounts.
No comments:
Post a Comment