Say hello to winter

Today (Tuesday) is the Winter Solstice, also known as the first day of winter and the shortest day of the year.

Everyone knows a day is 24 hours long, just like any day, but the sun will only be up for less than 10 of those hours and much less the farther north you live.

The solstice officially occurs at 9:59 a.m. central time when the sun appears at the most southerly position, directly over the Tropic of Capricorn. It is the opposite in the Southern Hemisphere where the December Solstice is the longest day of the year and the start of summer in places like Australia, Chile and South Africa.

It is a mild start to winter here in Central Illinois with sunshine and highs eventually reaching the mid-40s in time for Christmas.