A thin glazing, then sunshine
There was a thin glaze of ice this morning out on the WeatherDeck in Cockeysville. The stair railing was icy, too, but the walks and the streets appeared to have been mostly spared - either because they were still too warm, or treated overnight with salt. Traffic on the way to work was sparse, but moved without difficulty. Here's this morning's ice tally from Sterling. Looks like there was even a dusting of snow to our north and west.
I guess we were spared, especially in light of the nasty weather underway in much of the northern tier of states. Best of all, forecasters out at Sterling are saying these clouds should begin to break up later today, admitting some welcome sunshine after all these days of gloom and rain. Temperatures here at The Sun have already begun to climb above freezing, although the barometer has not yet reversed its dive.
Sunshine would also allow the Winter Solstice program scheduled for the Maryland Science Center this afternoon to include planned eye-safe observations of the sun with the historic Alvin Clark telescope (left). The solstice programs begin at noon. The observatory opens at 1 p.m. (Call 410 545-5940 for more information).
Today is, after all, the date of the winter solstice. At 7:04 this morning the sun ended its long drift toward the south and paused before beginning its return toward Earth's Northern Hemisphere. From here, days begin to grow longer, and the nights shorter. We have already passed the date (Dec. 7) of the earliest sunset. The latest sunrise occurs on Jan. 4.
For some cultures, today was not the beginning of winter, but its mid-point. From here, the days grow longer with a promise of spring and renewed life. It was a time for celebration, and merry-making. There was noisemaking to scare away the evils of winter and deprivation, and bonfires to chase away the dark and bring back light and warmth. That strategy seems to have failed in Seattle this weekend.
I prefer the notion of solstice as mid-winter. The "beginning of winter" suggests we have a long, hard slog ahead. Mid-winter suggests progress and hope. How about you?
Comments
Particularly inane are the astonished reactions by TV meteorologists and / or reporters of all ilk (present company excepted) to 'winter storms' occurring 'before winter has even arrived.'
Same nonsense happens in June before the summer solstice.
Posted by: TQ | December 21, 2008 2:32 PM
Hi Frank, How can there be almost a month difference between the earliest sunset (Dec. 7) and the latest sunrise (Jan. 4)? I had always assumed that the earliest sunset and the latest sunrise coincided on Dec. 22 (this year) because that was the longest night of the year, and after that date the sunsets became later and the sunrises earlier. Why are the sunsets and sunrises seemingly out of sync with each other?
Jim D.
FR: This is the most frequently asked question I get at this time of year (and around the summer solstice). It's also the hardest thing I've tried to explain. The short answer: It's a result of the differences between clock time and sun time. If we marked noon when the sun was highest, and adjusted everything else accordingly, the latest sunrise and earliest sunset would occur on the solstice. Another factor is the nature of the Earth's spin and its elliptical (not circular) orbit around the sun. If you want to read more (and make your head explode) go here: www.larry.denenberg.com/earliest-sunset.html Good luck
Posted by: James Dawson | December 22, 2008 12:16 PM
I guess that marking the solstice as mid-winter explains why the carol, In the Bleak Mid-Winter, is sung at Christmas time.
FR: Right. And why Midsummer's Night is celebrated on the summer solstice.
Posted by: Fairfax | December 23, 2008 12:23 PM