SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- We are just under a week away from the winter solstice here in the Northern Hemisphere. And that means a few things for us.

December 21st will not only mark the official start to astronomical winter, but it will be the shortest day of 2019 in terms of total daylight. 

We will only see a grand total of 9 hours and 9 minutes of daylight, meaning we'll will spend 14 hours and 51 minutes in either total or partial darkness or twilight. 

But this has a big positive associated with it.

Our days will be getting longer and longer starting on Sunday the 22nd! By New Year's Day we will add roughly four minutes of daylight.

And by February 1st, South Bend will surpass 10 hours of daylight and see its first post-6 p.m. sunset of 2020!