Winter Begins Tonight

At 11:30 tonight -- local time -- astronomical winter begins in the northern hemisphere. This is the time of year where the northern hemisphere receives its least-direct sunlight as the sun's direct rays line-up over the tropic of Capricorn. From this point forward, the sun will appear higher in the sky until the summer solstice on June 20th, 2012.

The days will also begin to get longer as the sun's most direct rays continue to migrate northward. However, our average high and low temperatures will continue to decline for a few more weeks. Today, our average high and low are 31 and 16. By the time we get to January 8th, our average high and low are 29 and 13. Our daily averages will stay here through January 22nd, then begin to rise slowly as the sun's more intense rays begin to have an impact on the cold air-masses that typically reach maturity in mid-January.