This is when and how fast SC will gain daylight again after the time change
For those who enjoy the nightlife, the past month in South Carolina has been a blast.
Sunlight lovers have likely struggled though.
South Carolinians gained an extra hour of sleep after daylight saving time ended in November, but the price was earlier sunsets. And the days are still shortening.
According to a chart from Time and Date, the sun will set at 5:15 p.m. on Thursday in Columbia, ending the day with a total of 9 hours and 55 minutes of sunlight. Columbia got more than 10 hours and 2 minutes of sunlight on Dec. 1.
So when will the state start gaining sunlight again and how fast?
When will SC gain more sunlight?
South Carolina still has more than a week before sunny days begin to lengthen.
Days will continue to shrink until the state reaches the shortest day of the year — the winter solstice — which happens on Dec. 21 at 4:21 a.m., according to Farmers’ Almanac. It marks the official beginning of astronomical winter for the northern hemisphere because it is tilted as far away from the sun as possible.
The sun will set in Columbia at 5:19 p.m. on the winter solstice, providing a total of 9 hours and 53 minutes of sunlight, Time and Date shows.
Following the winter solstice, days begin to lengthen.
Total daylight will increase by just a few seconds each day for the rest of December. However, starting in January, daylight gains will begin to accelerate, with the state eventually accumulating about a minute of sunlight a day starting Jan. 10.
Daily total sunlight will have jumped to 10 hours and 32 minutes by Jan. 31.
This story was originally published December 12, 2024 at 1:00 AM with the headline "This is when and how fast SC will gain daylight again after the time change."
