New Castle, PA: shortest day and earliest sunset
The shortest day in New Castle
On Dec 21 the sun rises at 7:43 am and sets at 4:56 pm: 9h 13m of daylight, a moderate winter. The longest day of summer has 15h 08m, so the swing is 5h 54m.
When it gets better in New Castle
- Earliest sunset: 4:53 pm on Dec 8, before the shortest day (here is why).
- Latest sunrise (standard time): 7:46 am on Jan 4.
- Back above 10 hours of daylight: Jan 30.
- By Feb 21 the days grow by 2.6 minutes a day.
Waking and coming home in the dark
With a 7:00 am alarm, the sun is not yet up on 130 weekdays a year. Heading home at 5:30 pm, it has already set on 61. 56 weekdays start and end in the dark. The alarm and lamp guide shows how that compares across the country.
At 41.0°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 New Castle
- A sunrise alarm clock is worth getting here: on 83 weekdays the sun is still at least 20 minutes from rising at 7:00 am. Dark mornings run from Sep 14 to Apr 2, so set it up before Sep 14.
- There is some case for a light therapy lamp: 56 weekdays start and end in the dark. If you notice winter low mood, ask a doctor whether one fits you.
- If you head home at 5:30 pm, the sun has already set from Nov 2 to Jan 25: worth checking your bike lights and porch light before Nov 2.
Daylight in New Castle, month by month
Sunrise, sunset and day length on the 21st of each month, local clock time. December is the darkest, at 9h 13m.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 2026 | 6:07 am | 8:48 pm | 14h 41m |
| August 2026 | 6:37 am | 8:11 pm | 13h 34m |
| September 2026 | 7:08 am | 7:20 pm | 12h 12m |
| October 2026 | 7:40 am | 6:32 pm | 10h 52m |
| November 2026 | 7:16 am | 4:58 pm | 9h 42m |
| December 2026 | 7:43 am | 4:56 pm | 9h 13m |
| January 2027 | 7:41 am | 5:25 pm | 9h 44m |
| February 2027 | 7:08 am | 6:03 pm | 10h 55m |
| March 2027 | 7:23 am | 7:34 pm | 12h 11m |
| April 2027 | 6:33 am | 8:07 pm | 13h 34m |
| May 2027 | 5:58 am | 8:38 pm | 14h 40m |
| June 2027 | 5:49 am | 8:57 pm | 15h 08m |
New Castle against the places around it
On the shortest day, compared with New Castle (9h 13m, sunset 4:56 pm):
- Hermitage, PA, 17 mi away: 9h 12m of daylight (-1 min), sunset 4:56 pm (0 min).
- Youngstown, OH, 17 mi away: 9h 13m of daylight (0 min), sunset 4:57 pm (+1 min).
- Sharon, PA, 18 mi away: 9h 12m of daylight (-1 min), sunset 4:56 pm (0 min).
- Niles, OH, 25 mi away: 9h 12m of daylight (-1 min), sunset 4:57 pm (+1 min).
- Butler, PA, 25 mi away: 9h 14m of daylight (+1 min), sunset 4:55 pm (-1 min).