When will Kansas City get sunlight back? See winter solstice date and sunset times
If you’re tired of dark evenings in Kansas City, there’s light at the end of the tunnel.
Throughout the fall, Kansas City area residents have spent more of their waking hours in the dark.
But during the gray Midwestern winter, the days will slowly become longer. And then daylight saving time will start.
Here is what you should know about the winter solstice and winter daylight in Kansas City.
When is the darkest day of the year?
The shortest day of the year is Dec. 21, the 2024 winter solstice. Kansas City will only get 9 hours and 25 minutes of daylight that day.
How quickly will we lose sunlight?
After the winter solstice, the days get progressively longer in Kansas City until June 20, the summer solstice and longest day of the year.
Here is a selection of sunrise and sunset times this winter in Kansas City, Missouri, according to the website Time and Date.
Dec. 21, winter solstice: 7:34 a.m. sunrise, 4:59 p.m. sunset
Dec. 25, Christmas Day: 7:35 a.m. sunrise, 5:01 p.m. sunset
Jan. 1, New Year’s Day: 7:37 a.m. sunrise, 5:06 p.m. sunset
Jan. 15: 7:35 a.m. sunrise, 5:20 p.m. sunset
Feb. 1: 7:24 a.m. sunrise, 5:39 p.m. sunset
Feb. 15: 7:09 a.m. sunrise, 5:55 p.m. sunset
March 1: 6:50 a.m. sunrise, 6:11 p.m. sunset
March 9, daylight saving time starts: 7:38 a.m. sunrise, 7:19 p.m. sunset
March 20, spring equinox: 7:21 a.m. sunrise, 7:30 p.m. sunset
When does daylight saving time start in 2025?
During the dark days of winter, you can look forward to March 9, when clocks “spring forward” and daylight saving time starts.
If you hate the annual “fall back” of standard time, you’re not alone. Nineteen states have passed bills opting to adopt daylight saving time as the permanent standard time. However, the laws can’t go into effect until the federal government enacts similar legislation, and the 2023 version of the bill fizzled out in a congressional committee.
Why is there less daylight in the winter?
As the Earth orbits around the sun, our planet is tilted at a 23.5 degree angle. When North America is tilted away from the sun during the winter, we experience both cooler weather and more time in the dark.
Have more questions about fall in the Kansas City area? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com.
This story was originally published December 16, 2024 at 6:00 AM.
