Weathercatch: After the winter solstice, less darkness and more warmth?

We made it! Wednesday marked the 2022 winter solstice, the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Daylight in our region will be two seconds longer today and almost a minute longer by Jan. 1.

We made it past the darkest time of year. But how about the coldest?

While many parts of the country typically see the chilliest weather in another month or so, in our pocket of the Pacific Northwest, it’s right about now. That may come as no surprise, considering the arctic air mass that’s encased our region in a deep freeze this week. Chances are today will be the most frigid day of the season. An expected high of near zero – wow.

The cold air mass should loosen its grip this weekend. Afterward, there’s a good chance we’ll be turning the corner toward milder days. As you can see by the NOAA map, the eastern half of the country and parts of the Rocky Mountain West typically get their coldest weather in mid-to-late January while we experience ours close to the winter solstice.

Why the climatic discrepancy? A big factor is the increased level of snow cover that occurs in the Rockies and eastern states in January, which helps lower the temperatures. Additionally, very cold air dipping southward from Canada is relatively unimpeded by the non-mountainous topography of those states.

Interestingly, the coldest month in Spokane used to be January, but it has shifted to December in recent decades. The average monthly temperature for December now runs 1 to 2 degrees colder than January. Also, cold outbreaks like the one we’re seeing this week rarely happen in January these days.

So hang in there, Eastern Washington. Not only did Wednesday’s solstice signal brighter days ahead, but if all goes according to the latest 30-year average, it means the coldest temperatures will soon be behind us.

Nic Loyd is a meteorologist in Washington state. Linda Weiford is a writer in Moscow, Idaho, who’s also a weather geek. Contact: ldweiford@gmail.com.