According to the National Weather Service, the 2008 winter solstice arrives today at 1204 UTC, or 0704 Eastern Standard Time. In other words, it’s astronomical midwinter. It’s a day I look forward to every year, because on this day the season of long shadows and lengthy dark nights begins to reverse itself.

 

 
I shot this photo yesterday evening as the sun sank over the nearly frozen river. I don’t know when I’ll see the sun again. Today it’s snowing here in the northern foothills of the Adirondacks. Up to a foot of snow is expected before this storm heads out tomorrow morning, but then squalls will continue for another day. It’s been a dreary wet season, so it’s good to know that the sun is heading back north, even if it’s so often masked by clouds.