Auburndale, FL: shortest day and earliest sunset

The shortest day in Auburndale

On Dec 21 the sun rises at 7:15 am and sets at 5:36 pm: 10h 22m of daylight, a bright winter. The longest day of summer has 13h 56m, so the swing is 3h 34m.

When it gets better in Auburndale

• Earliest sunset: 5:31 pm on Dec 1, before the shortest day (here is why).
• Latest sunrise (standard time): 7:20 am on Jan 11.
• Daylight never drops below 10 hours here.
• By Feb 21 the days grow by 1.6 minutes a day.

Waking and coming home in the dark

With a 7:00 am alarm, the sun is not yet up on 136 weekdays a year. Heading home at 5:30 pm, it has already set on 0. 0 weekdays start and end in the dark. The alarm and lamp guide shows how that compares across the country.

At 28.1°N this sits between Sarasota FL (27°N, 1.4%) and Nashua NH (43°N, 9.7%) in a 1990 survey of winter depression by latitude.

What to do about it in Auburndale

• A sunrise alarm clock is worth considering if you get up at 7:00 am or earlier: 38 weekday mornings here are still properly dark at that hour, mostly between Aug 21 and Apr 16.
• Daylight alone gives little reason for a light therapy lamp here. Getting outside in the 7:15 am to 5:36 pm window on the shortest day does more than most people expect.
• Heading home at 5:30 pm, you get at least some daylight all year here.

Daylight in Auburndale, month by month

Sunrise, sunset and day length on the 21st of each month, local clock time. December is the darkest, at 10h 22m.

Auburndale against the places around it

On the shortest day, compared with Auburndale (10h 22m, sunset 5:36 pm):

• Winter Haven, FL, 6 mi away: 10h 22m of daylight (0 min), sunset 5:36 pm (0 min).
• Lakeland, FL, 10 mi away: 10h 22m of daylight (0 min), sunset 5:37 pm (+1 min).
• Haines City, FL, 11 mi away: 10h 22m of daylight (0 min), sunset 5:35 pm (-1 min).
• Davenport, FL, 12 mi away: 10h 21m of daylight (-1 min), sunset 5:35 pm (-1 min).
• Bartow, FL, 15 mi away: 10h 23m of daylight (+1 min), sunset 5:37 pm (+1 min).