If you’ve not already stocked up on your firewood, prepare to brace yourself as the odds are, the weather is only going to get worse as we head towards the end of the year. But forewarned is forearmed, and if you only knew when the coldest and darkest day of the year was likely to be, then you could be fully prepared with whatever it takes: extra sweaters, thick woolly socks, fleece-lined reindeer-patterned onesie, and a full day spent in bed watching Netflix… you name it.
Thankfully, mattress review and comparison site, sleepopolis, have painstakingly researched the last 30 years of weather data to find out exactly on which date we can expect the lowest temperatures and least amount of solar energy* – that is – the most miserable day of the year; so you can stay in bed and hibernate (or go out and build a snowman, whatever floats your boat.)
It turns out that statistically, The Golden State can expect its coldest day on New Year’s Eve (46°F); the darkest day on Christmas Day (2.1kWh); and therefore the most miserable day of the year on December 28th (based on an average of the coldest and darkest day).
But different states will experience their most miserable days on separate dates. The oceanic climate of the West Coast, for example, means Washington is going to be the first state to experience their most miserable day on December 22nd.
East Coast states however will have to hold on that little bit longer for the inevitable day to arrive, as it’s not due until the new year (January 11th). At least they can live in hope that the day of cold temperatures and dark skies will wait till after the holiday season!
If you are planning on travelling this holiday season or into the new year, this handy interactive infographic pinpoints what weather you can expect in different states across the nation.
