People around the world ring in the winter solstice with ancient traditions
01:01
Advertisement
(CBS DETROIT) — The Winter Solstice arrives this weekend and, with that, so too does the season of winter. The Winter Solstice is our second solstice of the year, marking the shortest day, while the Summer Solstice marks the longest.
This is different from an equinox, of which we have two (vernal in the spring and autumnal in the fall) where the day is split evenly between daylight and night.
The solstice is at 4:20 a.m. on Saturday, giving us an almost full day of winter to kick things off. Sunrise is at 7:58 a.m., with solar noon not long after at 12:30 p.m.
Sunset arrives at 5:02 p.m., leaving us with a very short Saturday this weekend.
Dec. 20 and 21 both have daylight lengths of 9 hours, 4 minutes, and 46 seconds. However, on the 21st there is actually a daylight difference of less than 1 second compared to the 20th.
Advertisement
Despite these numbers, our latest sunrise and earliest sunset do not arrive on the winter solstice. Our latest sunrise is 8:01 a.m., which occurs every day from Dec. 30 through Jan. 7.
Our earliest sunset is 4:59 p.m., which occurs from Dec. 4 through Dec. 13.
In contrast, our earliest sunrise is 5:54 a.m. That occurs from June 13-16, while the latest sunset is 9:13 p.m., from June 25-28.
No matter what, winter is here, and we’ve already had a fewtastes of snow. As we enter our winter months, it will be a good idea to have those shovels handy.
Advertisement
Ahmad Bajjey
Ahmad Bajjey is a CBS Detroit meteorologist. Coming to CBS Detroit is a return home after growing up in Dearborn where his family still lives. He has spent the past 9 1/2 years in Flint as a meteorologist and most recently as chief meteorologist for WEYI and WSMH.
Detroit Public Schools Community District hosting 5th annual alumni event
DETROIT – Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) will host their fifth annual alumni event.
On May 16, the foundation will host their Tyrone E. Winfrey Hall of Fame Alumni Gala.
The Gala honors distinguished DPSCD alumni who have made a major impact in our community and beyond.
Advertisement
The night is a celebration of Detroit’s success stories and a fundraiser to create new opportunities for the next generation of students.
Organizers say there will be a major live announcement aimed at helping Detroit High School students build brighter futures.
Kerrie Mitchell, the president and CEO of the DPSCD Foundation, joined Local 4 Live to talk more about the gala, the foundation’s mission and what the announcement could mean for students across the city.
You can watch the full interview in the video at the beginning of this article.
Copyright 2026 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit – All rights reserved.
The Detroit Zoo welcomed a new giraffe, Nguvu, to the herd, officials announced on Wednesday.
Officials say 1-year-old Nguvu came from Utah’s Hogle Zoo as part of the zoo’s “long-term plan for the giraffe herd.”
“This move was recommended by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Giraffe Species Survival Plan, which promotes the health, genetic diversity and overall sustainability of giraffe populations in zoos – and we’re eager to support Nguvu as he adjusts to his new home,” the Detroit Zoo says.
Advertisement
Detroit Zoo
Officials say Nguvu has been working with the animal care teams for several days and will be introduced to the herd soon.
According to Utah’s Hogle Zoo, Nguvu was born in February 2025. His name means “strength” in Swahili.
The Detroit Lions are taking part in the NFL’s International series for the first time since 2015 by hosting the AFC Champion New England Patriots Week 10 in Munich at Allianz Arena on Sunday, Nov. 15 at 9:30 a.m. ET (3:30 p.m. local time in Germany) on FOX.
The Patriots represented the AFC in the Super Bowl this past February after a 14-3 season and their 22nd AFC East title. They beat the Los Angeles Chargers (16-3), Houston Texans (28-16) and Denver Broncos (10-7) in the playoffs to earn their 12th Super Bowl appearance, which they lost to Seattle (29-13).
Patriots QB Drake Maye is one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL entering his third season and New England’s defense is coming off a 2025 season in which they ranked fourth in points allowed (18.8) and eighth in total defense (295.2).
This is the second of Detroit’s 2026 matchups to be announced early (Week 2 TNF in Buffalo). The rest of the Lions schedule will be revealed Thursday evening.
