There’s something about a sunny winter’s day. The air is cold, the sky is clear, and if you can find a spot where the sun reaches you, it feels like the best seat in town. The catch is that winter sun is low, short-lived and easily blocked, so those spots are harder to find.

The good news is that a few simple tricks make a big difference. Here’s how to keep enjoying a drink in the sun after the clocks go back.

Why is winter sun so hard to find?

In winter, the sun sits much lower in the sky, and that changes everything.

On 21 December, the sun only climbs about 15 degrees above the horizon at midday in London (and about 11 degrees in Edinburgh). At that angle, a 10-metre building casts a shadow roughly 37 metres long. In midsummer, the same building’s midday shadow is only about 5 metres.

The days are short, too. On the shortest day of the year, the sun rises in London just after 8am and sets before 4pm. So you’re working with fewer hours of sun, and most of the places that were sunny in summer are now sitting in shadow.

Sun angles and times are our own calculations, using the sun’s position at each city’s latitude.

Go in the middle of the day

In winter, the hours either side of midday are when the sun is highest and most likely to clear the buildings and trees around you. In the UK, the sun is at its highest point at around 12pm once the clocks have gone back.

That makes lunch the new after-work drink. A long weekend lunch in the sun beats racing out of the office to catch the last ten minutes of daylight.

Face the sun

In the northern hemisphere, the winter sun stays in the southern part of the sky all day, so south-facing beer gardens and terraces are your best bet. In the southern hemisphere, it’s the other way round, so look for spots facing north. Our guide on which beer gardens get the most sun explains why.

Look for open space

Low sun needs a clear path to reach you. The best winter spots have nothing tall between them and the sun:

  • Waterfront pubs on rivers, harbours and lakes, where the view across the water is open
  • Pubs on parks, squares and village greens, where the nearest buildings are a long way off
  • Rooftop terraces, which sit above most of the buildings that cast shadows at street level

A small courtyard surrounded by buildings might be lovely in July, but in December it may not see direct sun at all.

Find a suntrap

A suntrap is a sheltered spot with a wall behind you facing the sun. The wall blocks the wind, and it soaks up and reflects the sun’s warmth back towards you. On a still, clear day, a good suntrap can feel surprisingly warm even when the air temperature is in single digits.

Dress for it

Winter sun feels lovely on your face, but the air is still cold, and the moment the sun goes behind a building you’ll feel it. Bring layers, a hat and gloves, so you can stay out longer. Plenty of pubs also put out blankets and outdoor heaters over the cooler months.

Mind the glare

When the sun is low, it shines straight into your eyes. Sunglasses aren’t just for summer, and you might want to pick the seat that puts the sun on your back or side rather than full in your face.

What about vitamin D?

Sadly, winter sun won’t do much for your vitamin D in the UK. According to the NHS, from October to early March the sun isn’t strong enough for your body to make the vitamin D it needs, which is why the NHS suggests most people consider a daily supplement over autumn and winter. A sunny winter drink is more about how it makes you feel, and that’s reason enough.

Southern hemisphere readers

All of this applies to you too, just in different months. In Sydney, for example, a garden 15 metres from a four-storey building on its northern side would be in shade at midday from roughly early May to early August. Bookmark this one for winter.

Summing up

Winter sun is low, brief and easily blocked, but it’s still out there. Go around midday, face the sun, look for open space or a sheltered suntrap, and wrap up warm. And because sunny spots are so much rarer in winter, it’s even more useful to know where they are before you head out. Sunny shows you pubs and beer gardens in the sun right now, wherever you are.

Header photo by Riley Brockett on Unsplash.