The northernmost point in the United States will see the last bit of daylight for the next two months

You’ve noticed the loss of daylight here, but you know the saying “it could always be worse?”

This may be how you feel about Utqiagvik, Alaska (formerly Barrow). This is the northernmost point in the United States

North of the Arctic Circle, the city of less than 5,000 saw its last sunrise and sunset of 2024 on Monday.

This happens because of the earth’s (roughly) 23.5° tilt in relation to the sun.

At this time of year, the sun’s most direct rays are south of the equator. As the sun’s direct rays continue to drift further south, daylight decreases rapidly in the north and not so rapidly in the south.

At home, we currently have just over 10 hours of daylight. The winter solstice is about a month away and is when we see the least amount of daylight. There is nowhere else to go but from there!

We understand, though. It’s all relative, and Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a real thing.

A blog from UC-Davis has a list of things you can do to combat SAD, although that’s easier said than done for some of us.

Consider planning a daily walk or something you normally find fun/enjoyable. Increasing vitamin D in your diet can also be helpful, and reach out to any support network you may have.

This complete loss of daylight in northern Alaska is a sign that winter is coming.

You can see our newly released winter outlook here!