21 December 2018

What To Do On The Shortest Day

The Winter Solistice comes at 5:22 pm (1722 h) today.

That means we in the Northern Hemisphere have less daylight than on any other day of the year.  It's also supposed to rain all day, so we won't get much light.  Forecasters expect that rain to continue into the night, so we won't see the Ursid meteor shower, which is nearing its peak.  We also won't see the full moon, which won't coincide with the solistice again until 2094.



But unseasonably warm temperatures are forecast for the day.  Maybe I'll take a ride if the rain isn't torrential--or if it isn't accompanied by strong winds.

So, for a Winter Solistice ride, do you try to cram as many miles (or kilometers) into what little daylight you have--or take a night ride.

(I'm thinking now of one dear reader, Leo, who lives near the 64th parallel and will have about half as much daylight as we'll have here in NYC!)




2 comments:

  1. The report from up here: -7C (19F), steady light wind, steady light snowfall adding the 1.5 feet on the ground already, heavily overcast and about five hours of dim twilight that is supposed to pass as "day". All streetlights are on 24 hours a day this time of the year. I will be going out today on my faithful frankenbike of a winter beater with it's 45mm tires I keep at low pressure for better traction of the ice covered streets. It also has a full compliment of lights, two "see and be seen" front lights, and double red lights in back. (No flashing reds here: they are allowed only on emergency vehicles.) Might sound grim, but this is a completely normal winter this year and one gets used to it, even looks forward to it.

    Thanks for the thought Justine, and Merry Christmas, or in Finnish, Hyvaa Joulua.

    Leo

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  2. Leo--How could I not think of you? Actually, I thought it would be colder where you are. Here, believe it or not, the temperature reached 17C (64F), but we had heavy rain and strong winds.

    Happy Solstice/Christmas/whatever you celebrate! Thanks!

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