Washington witnessed the winter’s final sunset before 5 p.m. Wednesday, and it was a sight to see, full of color and texture. As the sky lit up, so did our social media feeds.

Or maybe not. But one thing seems less uncertain: Sunday will see Washington’s earliest sunset. It’s true that the shortest day of the year, the winter solstice, falls Dec. 21.

As Western Washington transitions from winter’s grasp, Wednesday marks a significant milestone: our first 6:00 p.m. sunset of the year, signaling the gradual return of longer daylight hours.

The first 8 p.m. sunset in Washington will vary slightly by location and region. It will be on April 14 in Bellingham, April 15 in Olympia and April 16 in Tacoma and Seattle, according to TimeAndDate.