First comes the earliest sunset, in early December.Then there’s the winter solstice half a month later—on December 21 in the Northern Hemisphere—the day with the fewest minutes of daylight.Finally, another 2 weeks later, in early January, we get our murkiest morning—the latest sunrise.In early December, North America slams bang at the low point of afternoon sunshine. And since far more people are awake and aware of things at 4:30 PM than they are at 6 in the morning, in a very real sense, you can forget about the solstice and the official “shortest day of the year” in terms of daylight. The Darkest Time of YearSo far as what most folks actually experience, early December is the darkest time of the year. For example, in Boston, the Sun started setting at 4:13 p.m. on December 3 and won’t start setting later, at 4:14 p.m., until December 15. Of course, the degree of darkness varies, depending on how far north you live. The time the clock reads at sunset also depends on how far east or west your home sits relative to your standard time zone.For northern latitudes, the earliest sunsets of the year happen around December 7. Think about 40 degrees latitude, so New York City, Philadelphia, Kansas City, Denver, and Reno. If you live in the southernmost U.S., or a comparable latitude (about 25 or 26 degrees N. latitude), your earliest sunsets are actually in late November.Drive just an hour east from where you are right now, and the Sun sets 10 minutes earlier. That’s because going east around the Earth’s curve makes your western horizon rise up to block the Sun sooner.Go a mere 35 miles east, and the sun sets 5 minutes earlier.In my region, which is the rural Northeastern US, the very earliest sunsets happen for those who indeed live both north AND east—namely, along the upper coast of Maine., The Darkest Time of Year So far as what most folks actually experience, early December is the darkest time of the year. For example, in Boston, the Sun started setting at 4:13 p.m. on December 3 and won’t start setting later, at 4:14 p.m., until December 15. Of course, the degree of darkness varies, depending on how far north you live., The winter solstice is Saturday, bringing the shortest day and longest night of the year to the Northern Hemisphere — ideal conditions for holiday lights and warm blankets..