It starts to be light again at 5 pm a few weeks after the winter solstice for your location, typically between late January and late February in mid‑latitudes, and earlier if you live farther south.

Why it gets dark so early

  • Around the December solstice, the Sun sets earliest in the year, so 5 pm is fully dark in many places.
  • After that, sunset time creeps later by roughly 1–3 minutes every few days, so late afternoon gradually brightens again.

When 5 pm is light again (rough guide)

Because you did not give a location, here is a rough range:

  • Northern UK / similar latitude (~51–55°N): 5 pm starts to feel light again from about mid to late February, when sunset nears or passes 5 pm.
  • Northern US / Central Europe (~45–50°N): 5 pm is light again roughly from early to mid February as sunset moves past 5 pm.
  • Southern US / Mediterranean (~30–35°N): many of these places already have sunset near or after 5 pm by late December or early January.

How to get an exact date

  • Search for “sunrise sunset” plus your nearest city and open a 12‑month or monthly sun‑times page.
  • Look down the table until the “Sunset” time (or “Daylight” end) is at or later than 5:00 pm; that calendar date is when it will be light at 5 pm again.

Rule of thumb: the later your sunset on the longest day in June, the longer you will wait after December before 5 pm feels bright again.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.