Winter Solstice and What It Brings to Oregon / Washington Coast Sunsets

Published 12/18/25 at 6:55 a.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Bandon, Oregon) – Only four more days: four more sunsets before things may start to feel different. Days will start getting just a bit longer. (Winter sun in Lincoln City)

The Winter Solstice arrives on Sunday, December 21 at 7:03 a.m. Pacific Standard Time, according to Jim Todd, astronomy expert with OMSI. On top of the fact the days start to inch longer by a few seconds afterwards, this season is better for coastal sunsets than you may realize.

December 21 marks the moment when the sun aligns directly over the Tropic of Capricorn at 23.5 degrees south latitude, Todd told Oregon Coast Beach Connection. This astronomical event occurs as the Earth’s northern pole tilts away from the sun, producing the shortest day and longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.

In Portland, the sun will reach its lowest point in the southern sky, just 21.5 degrees above the horizon. Between December 17 and 25, daylight will last about 8 hours and 42 minutes.

“On the day of the winter solstice, the sun will be directly over the Tropic of Capricorn at noon and at the same time, the region above the Arctic Circle will be in total darkness for 24 hours,” Todd said. “Incidentally, the Tropic of Capricorn is so named because a few thousand years ago the sun resided among the stars of the constellation Capricornus on the solstice date.”

For those weary of winter’s 88 days, 23 hours, and 42 minutes, the solstice offers a reminder that brighter times lie ahead. From December 21 onward, daylight will gradually increase as Earth continues its orbit around the sun.

Even so, way back in the dim and distant past, Todd said ancient cultures often viewed this pause with apprehension, fearing the sun might continue its descent and leave the world in perpetual night. To counter such fears, widespread solstice celebrations took root across Western traditions. The early Christian church later aligned Christmas with this seasonal turning point.

Photo Manuela Durson - Manuela Durson Fine Arts

A quirk of all this is that sunrise remains the same for a day or two as sunset starts to tick along by another minute or so. The two don't automatically shift on December 21

Visitors interested in exploring the solstice and the night sky can attend Starry Nights Live! at OMSI’s Kendall Planetarium, where daily shows highlight celestial events and seasonal changes.

A funky little fact: sunset on the Oregon coast or Washington beaches happens a few minutes to 10 minutes later than the I-5 Corridor, depending where you are along the shoreline. The difference is more pronounced between the beaches and valley on Oregon's northern half. That spread between sunset times gets less and less as you go further south or north of Portland and Warrenton – but not much farther. By the time you get down to Bandon, sunset is often only about four minutes later than the I-5 Corridor directly east. Seattle and Forks only differ by a few minutes as well.

Now for another tasty sunset tidbit: colors this time of year along the Oregon and Washington coast actually be better for dusk photos.

In fact, one scientist, NOAA's Stephen F. Corfidi, called winter “sunset peak season.”

Sunsets are actually more intense in winter, say experts like Todd and Corfidi. There's real data to support that.

“Because of the low angle of the sun's arc, it will produce the most spectacular sunrises and sunsets of the year,” Todd said.

However, the biggest factor is likely the cleaner air this time of year. The haze of spring's damp air or summer and fall's more particle-filled skies tend to subdue colors of the sunset. When it's cold out, there's less of that.

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