Storms start to move out of Minnesota, continue for western Wisconsin

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Have you noticed it’s getting brighter out there Minnesota? 

Yes, it’s still bitterly cold outside. And we’re moving through the coldest two weeks of the year climatologically.

But I prefer to think of it this way. The darkest two months of the year in Minnesota are now behind us. Earth’s orbit is taking us away from the darkest days of December, and toward the vernal equinox in March.

Seasons occur because the Earth is tilted on its axis by 23.5 degrees. The tilt's orientation does not change during the year. So the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the sun in June and away from the sun in December.

Since the winter solstice on Dec. 21, we’ve already gained 32 minutes of daylight. And we’re now gaining more than two minutes of daylight each day. 

Our daily daylight gain grows to 2 minutes and 32 seconds by Jan. 31. And we’ll gain three minutes a day starting on Feb. 20.

If we’re getting more daylight, why is our coldest time of year about a month after the winter solstice in late December? It’s called “seasonal lag.”

Think of it as turning on your stove with a pot of cold water. The burner is getting hotter, but it takes time for the colder water to absorb that increased thermal energy. In winter, the solar burner we call the sun is warming very slowly. 

The shortest day is around Dec. 21. The coldest day on average in Minnesota occurs this week. 

The average high and low temperatures for the Twin Cities this week are 23 degrees and 8 degrees. But in a month, those temperatures averages rise to 30 degrees and 14 degrees. The higher sun angle and longer days are having an impact by then. 

So as we move through the coldest week of winter, know this: That higher sun angle and longer daylight will begin to have a bigger impact warming our frigid temperatures soon.

Paul Huttner

Author

Daylight is rapidly increasing now in Minnesota. Soon it will be light until 6 p.m. on clear evenings. 

Bright blue winter sky at the Weather Lab

Bright side: Minnesota rapidly gaining daylight now

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