Longer Days, Later Sunsets As January Draws To A Close In Seattle

SEATTLE — Though sunshine has been a rare commodity in recent weeks, the days have quietly grown longer under the blanket of clouds. In fact, Wednesday brings Puget Sound its first sunset after 5 p.m. since daylight saving time ended in early November.

While we're not quite through with the darkest months of the year, and spring is still a couple of months away, the Seattle area has already seen its days extend by nearly 50 minutes since New Year's Day. As the sun rises earlier and sets later, Jan. 19 marked the first nine-hour daylight period since Nov. 22, and Seattle is currently adding more than two-and-a-half minutes of daylight every day.

Some especially good news for those that struggle with seasonal affective disorder: the sun won't set before 5 p.m. again until Nov. 6. By this time next month, Seattle's daytime period will measure just under 11 hours, while sunsets draw near to 6 p.m.

Here are a few more milestones ahead:

• Feb. 28, 2022
  • Day length: 11 hours, 1 minute, 29 seconds.
  • Sunset time: 5:52 p.m.
• March 5, 2022
  • Day length: 11 hours, 18 minutes, 34 seconds.
  • Sunset time: 6 p.m.
• March 13, 2022 (Daylight saving time begins)
  • Day length: 11 hours, 46 minutes, 10 seconds.
  • Sunset time: 7:12 p.m.
• March 20, 2022 (Spring equinox)
  • Day length: 12 hours, 10 minutes, 24 seconds.
  • Sunset time: 7:22 p.m.
• April 16, 2022
  • Day length: 13 hours, 42 minutes, 20 seconds.
  • Sunset time: 8 p.m.

In the near term, the National Weather Service sees sunshine making a triumphant return Thursday, after the morning fog clears, and Friday looks to stay partly sunny. Rain showers return to the forecast by late in the weekend.