With plenty of snowfall and cloudy skies so far in December, it may seem like Iowa is already in the thick of winter.
However, the season doesn’t officially begin until the end of this weekend with the winter solstice, which marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year. Here’s what to know.
What is the shortest day of the year in 2025?
The winter solstice is at 9:03 a.m. on Dec. 21. At this moment, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted furthest from the sun, and the sun’s rays will be directly over the Tropic of Capricorn, a line of latitude that circles the Earth in the Southern Hemisphere.
With reduced direct sunlight, it marks the shortest day and longest night of the year, according to NASA.
The date of the solstice varies from year to year and can fall between Dec. 20 and 23, but it most often falls on the 21st.
How short will the day be on the solstice?
For residents in Des Moines, sunrise is at 7:37 a.m., and sunset is at 4:47 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 21, according to timeanddate.com. Since Dec. 1, the sunset has been between 4:44 p.m. and 4:46 p.m. in Des Moines.
When does winter end?
Winter ends on Friday, March 20, 2026, the day of the vernal equinox (spring equinox).
USA TODAY network reporters Sara Moore and Janet Loehrke contributed to this report
Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at cworth@gannett.com or follow him on X @CooperAWorth.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: What day is the winter solstice? Here’s how short Iowans’ day will be.
Reporting by Cooper Worth, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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