Storm Lake, IA: shortest day and earliest sunset
The shortest day in Storm Lake
On Dec 21 the sun rises at 7:48 am and sets at 4:50 pm: 9h 03m of daylight, a moderate winter. The longest day of summer has 15h 19m, so the swing is 6h 17m.
When it gets better in Storm Lake
- Earliest sunset: 4:47 pm on Dec 8, before the shortest day (here is why).
- Latest sunrise (standard time): 7:51 am on Jan 3.
- Back above 10 hours of daylight: Feb 2.
- By Feb 21 the days grow by 2.8 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 64. 60 weekdays start and end in the dark. The alarm and lamp guide shows how that compares across the country.
At 42.6°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 Storm Lake
- A sunrise alarm clock is worth getting here: on 86 weekdays the sun is still at least 20 minutes from rising at 7:00 am. Dark mornings run from Sep 15 to Apr 2, so set it up before Sep 15.
- On daylight grounds there is a strong case for a light therapy lamp: 60 weekdays start and end in the dark. Use it in the morning, and if winter low mood is the reason, ask a doctor before you rely on one.
- If you head home at 5:30 pm, the sun has already set from Nov 2 to Jan 28: worth checking your bike lights and porch light before Nov 2.
Daylight in Storm Lake, month by month
Sunrise, sunset and day length on the 21st of each month, local clock time. December is the darkest, at 9h 03m.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 2026 | 6:02 am | 8:52 pm | 14h 50m |
| August 2026 | 6:34 am | 8:13 pm | 13h 39m |
| September 2026 | 7:07 am | 7:20 pm | 12h 12m |
| October 2026 | 7:41 am | 6:29 pm | 10h 48m |
| November 2026 | 7:20 am | 4:53 pm | 9h 33m |
| December 2026 | 7:48 am | 4:50 pm | 9h 03m |
| January 2027 | 7:45 am | 5:20 pm | 9h 35m |
| February 2027 | 7:09 am | 6:00 pm | 10h 51m |
| March 2027 | 7:22 am | 7:34 pm | 12h 12m |
| April 2027 | 6:30 am | 8:10 pm | 13h 39m |
| May 2027 | 5:53 am | 8:42 pm | 14h 49m |
| June 2027 | 5:43 am | 9:02 pm | 15h 19m |
Storm Lake against the places around it
On the shortest day, compared with Storm Lake (9h 03m, sunset 4:50 pm):
- Spencer, IA, 35 mi away: 8h 59m of daylight (-4 min), sunset 4:48 pm (-2 min).
- Carroll, IA, 43 mi away: 9h 06m of daylight (+3 min), sunset 4:51 pm (+1 min).
- Le Mars, IA, 51 mi away: 9h 02m of daylight (-1 min), sunset 4:54 pm (+4 min).
- Fort Dodge, IA, 53 mi away: 9h 04m of daylight (+1 min), sunset 4:47 pm (-3 min).
- Sioux City, IA, 62 mi away: 9h 04m of daylight (+1 min), sunset 4:56 pm (+6 min).