BROOKHAVEN — Tonight is the longest night of the year. Daylight will start to increase each day following the Winter Solstice and rain is in the forecast going into Christmas.

Winter Solstice typically falls on December 21 or December 22 and this year it falls on December 21. This makes Thursday the shortest day of the year and at the same time the longest night of the year in terms of daylight.

Brookhaven has 11 hours and six minutes of daylight today counting the 3o minutes before sunrise and 30 minutes after sunset of legal shooting light for hunting purposes. The best new is each day after today will have a little more sunlight and the sun’s path will shift in the sky.

Winter solstice is thought to be the first day of winter as well although National Weather Service in Jackson counts December 1 as the first day of winter for weather records.

Temperatures tonight will cool to a low of 46 degrees with a cloudy sky keeping any of the warm air trapped. It would be a great night for a nice warm fire and hot chocolate. Share with us how you celebrated the longest night of the year by emailing a picture to hunter.cloud@dailyleader.com to be featured in the newspaper.

Friday is forecast to be partly sunny with a high of 66 degrees and Friday night will cool to a low of 49 degrees. Saturday will be partly sunny with a high of 68 degrees. Saturday night will cool off to a low of 54 and have a 30 percent chance of rain.

Showers are likely Sunday with a 70 percent chance of rain for Lincoln County. Temperatures will be at a high of 65 degrees and gusts of wind could hit 25 mph. Sunday night will cool to a low of 57 with a 90 percent chance of rain. Santa Clause might need a rain coat to deliver presents.

Christmas Day, Monday, will have a 50 percent chance of rain. The high will be 70 degrees before cooling off to a low of 48.