Here’s when and how fast SC will start gaining daylight again following the time change
The last few weeks have been a great time for any vampires in South Carolina.
For everyone else who loves sunlight — not so much.
South Carolinians gained an extra hour of sleep after daylight saving time ended in November, but it came at the cost of earlier sunsets. And the days are still getting shorter.
According to a chart from Time and Date, the sun will set in Columbia at 5:14 p.m. on Wednesday, ending the day with a total of 9 hours and 59 minutes of sunlight. Columbia got 10 hours and 3 minutes of total 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 a few weeks to go before sunny days begin to lengthen.
Days will continue to shorten until the state reaches the shortest day of the year, known as the winter solstice, which occurs on Dec. 21 at 10:27 p.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 5:18 p.m. on the winter solstice, providing a total of 9 hours and 53 minutes of sunlight, Time and Date shows.
It is after the winter solstice when days begin to lengthen once more.
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 a minute of sunlight a day starting Jan. 12. Total sunlight will have jumped to 10 hours and 31 minutes by Jan. 31.
