Monday, Dec. 21st will be the “shortest day of the year” as the annual Winter Solstice happens at precisely 9:47am PST, marking the beginning of Winter for us Earthly Northern Hemispherians.

At 9:47am, the Sun will be directly over the Tropic of Capricorn, which is about 23.5 degrees south of the equator. As the earth rotates around the Sun on its tilted axis, the Northern Hemisphere “leans away” from sunlight, making for “shorter days” and colder temperatures.

Winter Solstice is often referred to as “the shortest day of the year,” but that’s wrong – it still contains 24 hours, ya silly goose. It just has the least amount of sunlight. So stop calling it the “shortest,” will ya? You’re giving the Earth a “short day complex.” Next thing ya know, it’ll be driving a big truck.

Some fun Winter Solstice facts:

• While most Winter Solstices occur on Dec. 21st, there have been years when the solstices have occurred on Dec. 20th and/or Dec. 23rd, but this is fairly rare. The last Dec. 23rd solstice occurred in 1903 and will not occur again until the year 2303. A Dec. 20 solstice has occurred very rarely, with the next one occurring in the year 2080. So mark your Outlook Calendars now.
• Winter solstice’s varying dates are mainly due to the calendar system with 365 days in a year with 366 in a leap year.
• Solstice is a Latin word which means “sun stands still,” referring to the appearance that the Sun’s noontime elevation change stops its progress, either northerly or southerly.
• Solstices occur twice a year – Dec. 21st and June 21st, because our planet is tilted by an average of 23.5 degrees as it orbits the sun – the same phenomenon that drives the seasons.

So…Happy Winter Solstice to one and all! And remember, the days will all be getting longer from now until June 21st!

Lake Burien is partially frozen! Photo taken by Contributing Photographer
Gregory Rehmke at 8am, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2008.

Nice way to wake up to Winter Solstice huh?

Between 3-5 inches of powdery, icy new snow, on top of the previous 4-5 inches…perfect day to play outside and enjoy this rare event.

Some interesting tidbits about last night’s storm:

• The snow is very crunchy, due to its heavy ice content.
• Some roads have been plowed and sanded, but please don’t try to drive unless you really must.
• To see live road conditions via webcam feeds, go to our Webcams page and refresh the page to see the latest images.
• According to the National Weather Service, a record low was tied at Sea-Tac Airport: “A record low temperature of 14 degrees was set at Seattle-Tacoma Airport yesterday. This ties the old record of 14 set in 1990. A record snowfall of 3 inches was set at Seattle-Tacoma Airport yesterday. This breaks the old record of 1.7 set in 1951.”
• Metro and Sound Transit buses are operating on a very limited schedule Sunday – about half their usual service. However, there will still be runs to today’s Seahawks game (including the Sounder trains which are experiencing NO delays), which should be fun as long as they leave the snow on the field. Check Metro’s regular website, their Seahawks Shuttle one, or Sound Transit’s for full details.
• Sea-Tac Airport travelers had many problems due to the storm, ranging from delayed or cancelled flights to being stuck in the airport with no available hotel rooms. KOMO News says: “A miserable combination of cancelled flights, hazardous weather conditions and heavy passenger volumes added up to one giant migraine for many travelers at Sea-Tac International Airport on Sunday. Thousands of people arrived at the regional hub airport only to learn that their flight had been cancelled, then couldn’t find transportation back home.”

Also, here’s the latest Winter Weather Advisory (downgraded from a Winter Storm Watch):

… Winter Weather Advisory in effect until 4 PM PST this afternoon… Winter Storm Warning is cancelled…

The National Weather Service in Seattle has issued a Winter Weather Advisory… which is in effect until 4 PM PST this afternoon. The Winter Storm Warning has been cancelled.

Snow showers will continue today over the area. Intermittent freezing rain from Everett southward this morning will come to an end as a front moves through the region. An organized band of showers will move across western Washington late this morning into the afternoon hours. Up to two inches of new snow is possible by late this afternoon. In addition… this morning ice accumulation up to a quarter of an inch is also possible.

A Winter Weather Advisory means that periods of snow or freezing rain will cause travel difficulties. Be prepared for slippery roads and use caution while driving.

Have any cool snow/ice photos to share?

Please either email us or add ‘em to our Flickr Group so we can share them!