Severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings issued for Twin Cities metro area

MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all. 

Turn Up Your Support

Many Minnesotans could use a little positive weather news in December. Here’s one small data point that brings a little brightness into the Weather Lab this time of year. 

The shortest total daylight arrives with the winter solstice on December 21. But our Minnesota sunsets actually start getting later again 

Our earliest sunset times of the year in Minnesota peak starting this week. The sun will set in the Twin Cities at 4:31 p.m. starting this Thursday, Dec. 5. Sunset time stays at 4:31 p.m through Dec. 14. 

Then, starting on Dec. 15 about a week before the winter solstice, sunset times in Minnesota start shifting ever so slightly later at 4:32 p.m.

The reason we observe later sunset times before the winter solstice is due to the earth’s elliptical orbit and axial tilt.

It’s complicated, but quirks in the timing of sunrise and sunset around the solstices mean the latest sunrise times occur after the winter solstice. The earliest sunset times occur before the winter solstice. 

December brings the shortest daylight of the year in Minnesota. One bright spot we can observe is that sunset times actually start moving later starting on Dec. 15. By Dec. 31, the sunset time in the Twin Cities occurs at 4:41 p.m. That’s a full 10 minutes later than our peak early sunset time of 4:31 p.m. starting later this week. 

So, there are some bright silver linings in our darkest month of Minnesota winter.

Weather and Climate News

Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Paul Huttner

Author

The shortest daylight arrives on Dec. 21. But our sunsets in Minnesota start getting later again before the winter solstice.

December bright spot: Sunsets start moving later on Dec. 15

Go Deeper.

Like this?