January quietly brings a big change to daylight across the US
Even as winter holds on, the amount of sunlight increases rapidly through January, with some parts of the United States gaining more than an hour by month’s end.
Ice rain, frozen fog and snow sit on trees in the Taunus region near Frankfurt, Germany, as the sun sets Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)
January is typically one of the coldest stretches of the year across much of North America, but for those already dreaming of warmer days, a subtle but meaningful change is underway.
Dec. 21 marked the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Since then, daylight has been slowly increasing while nights have been shrinking. In the days immediately following the solstice, the daily change was just a few seconds from day to day, but as January progresses, the shift becomes easier to notice.
By Jan. 31, much of the southern United States will see 20 to 30 minutes more daylight compared to the first day of the month.
The change is even more dramatic farther north. Across large parts of the northern U.S., the final day of January will feature more than an hour of additional daylight compared to the first day of the month.
Daylight change between Jan. 1 and Jan. 31
•Orlando: 28 minutes
•Los Angeles: 36 minutes
•Denver: 44 minutes
•New York City: 46 minutes
•Minneapolis: 55 minutes
•Seattle: 61 minutes
While the days are growing longer, winter’s grip isn’t loosening just yet. The sun remains low in the sky, and its angle is still too weak to deliver much warmth. But as daylight continues to increase in the months ahead, the sun will climb higher overhead — gradually boosting temperatures and signaling the slow march toward spring.
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