Light returns after Seattle’s darkest days
Dec 23, 2019, 8:07 AM | Updated: Dec 25, 2019, 9:52 pm
Sunset on Saturday night atop the Space Needle in Seattle. (National Weather Service Seattle viva Twitter)
(National Weather Service Seattle viva Twitter)
Sun breaks are a treat in late December anyway, but the (potential) reprieve might be even more special after record dark days on Friday and Saturday.
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After light rain south of Seattle, forecasters say it’ll dry out on Monday afternoon. Some areas may even see a quick break in the clouds.
If the sunset is anything like Sunday evening, it might even be worth your time to look west at 4:21 p.m. That’s a full minute later than Sunday, too.
The sun all but disappeared entirely on Friday and barely returned Saturday. According to University of Washington Atmospheric Scientist Cliff Mass, solar radiation measured only .37 megajoules on Friday. That breaks a previous record of .39.
It was officially the darkest day on record for Seattle. Mass said Saturday marked the third darkest day at .76 megajoules.
Mass chalks it all up to what he’s coined “a dark storm.” That’s a combination of heavy cloud cover and the northern hemisphere tilted as far from the sun as it gets.
For those craving sunshine, well, you live in the Pacific Northwest. There are 180 days until summer solstice. Either buy yourself a UV light or immediately head south. Mass said Oregon will “be quite luminous.”
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