December 21, 2020 – Washington Co., WI – Temperatures are expected to plunge into the teens later this week, but today we celebrate the first day of winter.
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According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the “winter solstice is the day with the fewest hours of sunlight during the whole year.
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“The word solstice comes from the Latin words for “sun” and “to stand still.” In the Northern Hemisphere, as summer advances to winter, the points on the horizon where the Sun rises and sets advance southward each day; the high point in the Sun’s daily path across the sky, which occurs at local noon, also moves southward each day.
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At the winter solstice, the Sun’s path has reached its southernmost position. The next day, the path will advance northward. However, a few days before and after the winter solstice, the change is so slight that the Sun’s path seems to stay the same, or stand still. The Sun is directly overhead at “high-noon” on Winter Solstice at the latitude called the Tropic of Capricorn.”
Photo courtesy Mae Dricken
On a side note: If you’re looking to keep your home snug and warm during the winter give Travis and Jon a call at Albiero Plumbing & HVAC. I installed a new furnace in fall and Albiero threw in a free WIFI thermostat. My heating bills are a third of what they were with my own furnace and Albiero filled out the paperwork and I received a check for upgrading my system from Focus on Energy.
