Burlington, VT – Winter officially arrived in Vermont today as the Winter Solstice occurred Sunday morning, marking the start of astronomical winter and bringing the shortest day and longest night of the year.
According to the National Weather Service in Burlington, the solstice took place at 10:03 a.m. EST on Sunday, December 21, when the North Pole is tilted farthest away from the sun. As a result, Vermont experiences its fewest daylight hours of the year.
In the Burlington area, sunrise occurred around 7:26 a.m., with sunset near 4:15 p.m., totaling just 8 hours and 49 minutes of daylight. That’s a significant drop compared to the autumnal equinox in September, when daylight lasted just over 12 hours.
While today marks the darkest point of the year, meteorologists say there is good news ahead. Beginning Monday, daylight will increase slightly each day, continuing through the summer solstice in June. The daily gains are small at first but become more noticeable as winter progresses.
Despite the return of longer daylight, forecasters caution that the coldest part of winter often comes later, typically in January and February. Residents should still prepare for winter weather hazards, including snow, ice, and cold temperatures in the weeks ahead.
Communities across Chittenden County, the Champlain Valley, the Northeast Kingdom, and surrounding parts of northern Vermont are encouraged to remain weather-aware as winter officially settles in.
