Ready for more sunshine? Here’s when SC will start seeing more daylight this year
If you’re growing weary of the dark winter evenings, don’t fret — more sunshine is on the way.
South Carolinians gained an extra hour of sleep after daylight saving time ended in November, but the tradeoff has been noticeably earlier sunsets.
In Columbia, for instance, the sun has dipped below the horizon as early as 5:14 p.m. this month. With days still shortening, many are wondering: When will the Palmetto State start gaining daylight again?
So, when will SC start gaining sunlight again?
The state’s daylight will continue to shrink until the winter solstice — the shortest day of the year — which occurs at 10:03 a.m. Eastern Time on Sunday, Dec. 21. After that moment, South Carolina will begin its slow march toward longer days, with sunsets getting later through the rest of winter.
Here’s when the sun will start setting later for an area across the Palmetto State this winter, according to Time and Date’s Sunrise and Sunset Calculator:
- Dec. 25 & 26: 7:27 a.m. sunrise, 5:21 p.m. sunset
- Dec. 27: 7:28 a.m. sunrise, 5:22 p.m. sunset
- Dec. 28 & 29: 7:28 a.m. sunrise, 5:23 p.m. sunset
- Dec. 30: 7:29 a.m. sunrise, 5:24 p.m. sunset
- Dec. 31: 7:29 a.m. sunrise, 5:25 p.m. sunset
- Dec. 25: 7:18 a.m. sunrise, 5:14 p.m. sunset
- Dec. 28: 7:19 a.m. sunrise, 5:15 p.m. sunset
- Dec. 29 & 30: 7:19 a.m. sunrise, 5:16 p.m. sunset
- Dec. 31: 7:20 a.m. sunrise, 5:17 p.m. sunset
- Jan. 15: 7:20 a.m. sunrise, 5:30 p.m. sunset
- Dec. 25: 7:21 a.m. sunrise, 5:24 p.m. sunset
- Dec. 26: 7:22 a.m. sunrise, 5:24 p.m. sunset
- Dec. 27: 7:22 a.m. sunrise, 5:25 p.m. sunset
- Dec. 30: 7:23 a.m. sunrise, 5:27 p.m. sunset
- Dec. 31: 7:23 a.m. sunrise, 5:28 p.m. sunset
- Dec. 23 & 24: 7:34 a.m. sunrise, 5:23 p.m. sunset
- Dec. 25: 7:35 a.m. sunrise, 5:24 p.m. sunset
- Dec. 28: 7:36 a.m. sunrise, 5:26 p.m. sunset
- Dec. 29 & 30: 7:36 a.m. sunrise, 5:27 p.m. sunset
- Dec. 31: 7:37 a.m. sunrise, 5:28 p.m. sunset
Heading into 2026, the sun starts to settle by or after 5:30 p.m. in January.
In February, areas will begin seeing sunsets after 6 p.m. and by March 8, 2026, when the time springs forward, sunsets after 7 p.m. will return.
What is the winter solstice?
Meteorological winter began on Dec. 1, but the winter solstice marks the start of astronomical winter. It’s the day with the fewest hours of daylight and the moment the sun sits lowest in the sky at solar noon.
Solstices occur twice per year, once in late December and again in June. The June solstice marks the longest day of the year and the start of astronomical summer; the next one will fall on June 21, 2026.
According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the word solstice comes from the Latin sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still). The name reflects how the sun’s apparent path across the sky pauses.
What will winter weather look like for SC?
The National Weather Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s seasonal outlook from December to February suggests South Carolinians will likely have a warmer-than-average winter.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac is predicting a “colder-than-normal winter” for the Southeast region, but doesn’t rule out the possibility of “a snowy surprise.”
It also predicts that precipitation will be “below normal” and that the Palmetto State can expect a fairly dry and cold season, with the coldest periods falling between mid-to-late December, early and late January and again in early February.
Other weather platforms, like AccuWeather, predict that in the Southeast, temperatures will run “above historical averages and below on precipitation.”
Winter weather in South Carolina will also be shaped by La Niña, a Pacific Ocean climate pattern that typically brings warmer, drier conditions to the Southeast.
Forecasters say this year’s La Niña is weaker than usual, meaning its influence may be limited. NOAA issued a La Niña advisory Nov. 13 after detecting changes in Pacific surface temperatures and wind patterns, and the Climate Prediction Center expects the system to persist through December to February.
This story was originally published December 6, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
