The days are slowly getting longer, and there’s finally light at the end of this long, dark, and frosty tunnel. Here’s what winter’s midpoint means for Indiana.

The Longest January Ever

I'm not sure about you but did this January seem like the longest month ever? I don't know if it was the massive ice storm, the constant barrage of bad news, or all of the viruses going around, but winter blues have recently hit an all-time high for me.  But here is some good news, more daylight hours are ahead, and we are officially halfway through this long winter!

Photo by Siavash Ghanbari on Unsplash
Photo by Siavash Ghanbari on Unsplash
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Winter Blues

When the daylight hours are shorter and the weather is cold and dreary, there's no denying that these factors can cause a shift in your mood.   According to the National Institute of Mental Health, the winter blues are a real thing, and it is not uncommon to have feelings of sadness in the wintertime.  Many people notice their mood changes a little by the weather, a lot of people report "feeling down" or just feeling blue when the days are shorter and colder, but notice they feel better in the springtime. So if you have been feeling a little bit glum lately, you may be experiencing the winter blues.

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
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It is very important to note that the winter blues are not the same thing as Seasonal Affective Disorder (or SAD) as SAD is a type of depression, and is more than the winter blues.  If you or someone you know is in immediate distress or is thinking about hurting themselves, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline  at 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. And if you want to learn more about the differences between SAD and the winter blues, you can check out the National Institute of Mental Health's article about the differences and when to seek help, here. There is no shame in needing help, please remember that.

Good News Winter's Midpoint is Here and Longer Days are Ahead!

Many folks believe that the halfway point between winter and spring is February 2nd (Groundhog Day) however, the date can actually vary from year to year.  This year the actual midpoint of winter is February 3rd.

Photo by Anne Morris on Unsplash
Photo by Anne Morris on Unsplash
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According to the Farmer's Almanac, Monday, February 3, 2025, is the exact halfway point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. So how much more daylight will Indiana begin to experience? While there has been a slow increase to the amount of daylight we experience each day since the Winter Solstice, we will start seeing a more noticeable increase in the amount of time we see the sun each day.

According to Almanac, when they look at the daylight tool for the midwest, by mid-January our area started experiencing about 2 more minutes of sunlight each day, and by February 20th that will increase to about 3 more minutes of daylight per day.  You can read more about these increases, here. 

Photo by Wes Hicks on Unsplash
Photo by Wes Hicks on Unsplash
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Winter is the Shortest of the Four Seasons

Did you know that winter is the shortest of the four seasons?  This has to do with the distance of the Earth from the Sun. Farmer's Almanac explains:

Winter is the shortest of the four seasons, lasting 88.99 days. It is shortest because at this time of year, Earth is at its closest point in its orbit to the Sun (known as perihelion). So when an object is closest to the Sun, it moves fastest in its orbit; gravity insists upon that. That is fundamental natural law.

Conversely, we are farthest from the Sun in early July, so we are moving slowest in our orbit. Which is why summer is the longest season, lasting just over 93 days.

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