Winter is a powerful season that’s filled with everything from light and beauty to darkness and mystery. One thing that remains consistent through all of this is our innate desire to catch a glimpse of the often-elusive winter sun. Here are 31 winter sun quotes to offer some understanding of the full winter experience.
These winter sunshine quotes are a great complement to the rest of my seasonal and motivational quote collection. Be sure to check them out!
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We’ve had an unusually sunny February this year (in between snowstorms of course), and I’ve been thinking about how amazing it is to see the sun even when the days are cold and windy.
From the mysterious blue tint of early morning to the bright sparkling glare of daytime sunlight on snow-covered landscapes, I’m constantly reminded of just how powerfully the seasonal light of the sun affects us.
I’ve brought together this collection of quotes on winter sun to capture every winter mood and help you realize that no matter the weather, you’re not alone in any of your feelings that come with the winter season.
Quotes About Winter Sunshine
The winter sun can bring us joy, but it can also cast a light on the gloominess and highlight the brutal cold of the season. Here are quotes about winter sunshine that capture both sides of this season — the lighter, brighter moments of a cozy winter as well as those darker days.
“Now her smile was like the bleakness of the sun in a cold winter sky. It gave light but no warmth, perhaps because there was no matching warmth in her eyes.”
— Margaret Weis
“The days are short,
The sun a spark
Hung thin between
The dark and dark.”
— John Updike
“The counsels of old age give light without heat, like the sun in winter.”
— Luc De Clapiers
“The light of winter is the poetry of patience.”
“Just as a dancer, turning and turning, may fill the dusty light with the soft swirl of her flying skirts, our weeping willow — now old and broken, creaking in the breeze — turns slowly, slowly in the winter sun, sweeping the rusty roof of the barn with the pale blue lacework of her shadow.”
— Ted Kooser
“Dandelion wine. The words were summer on the tongue. The wine was summer caught and stoppered… sealed away for opening on a January day with snow falling fast and the sun unseen for weeks…”
— Ray Bradbury
“In November, at winter’s gate, the stars are brittle. The sun is a sometime friend. And the world has tucked her children in, with a kiss on their heads, till spring.”
— Cynthia Rylant
“Are the days of winter sunshine just as sad for you, too? When it is misty, in the evenings, and I am out walking by myself, it seems to me that the rain is falling through my heart and causing it to crumble into ruins.”
— Gustave Flaubert
“The Sun in winter is addictive.”
— Gwen Calvo
“But when the sun drops closer to the earth, the cold of the earth runs to it from the water and causes all green things to dry up.”
— Hildegard Of Bingen
“It was one of those winter days that suddenly dream of spring, when the sky is blue and soft and clear, and the wind has dropped its voice and whispers instead of screaming, and the sun is out and the trees look surprised, and over everything there is the faintest, palest tint of green.”
— Shirley Jackson
“The pale, cold light of the winter sunset did not beautify – it was like the light of truth itself. When the smoky clouds hung low in the west and the red sun went down behind them, leaving a pink flush on the snowy roofs and the blue drifts, then the wind sprang up afresh, with a kind of bitter song, as if it said, ‘This is reality, whether you like it or not. All those frivolities of summer, the light and shadow, the living mask of green that trembled over everything, they were lies, and this is what was underneath. This is the truth.’”
— Willa Cather
Winter Sunrise Quotes
The winter sunrise paints a different picture than any other season. It’s a time for reflection and contemplation, when the sky is still dark but starts to slowly fill with the light of a new day.
Here are some sunrise quotes that capture the unique feeling of this special time of day…
“The early mist had vanished and the fields lay like a silver shield under the sun. It was one of the days when the glitter of winter shines through a pale haze of spring.”
— Edith Wharton
“Waking in the morning, I had to remember grief all over again. It was sunny, a white winter sun, and that made me sad.”
— Olivia Sudjic
“The white face of the winter day came sluggishly on, veiled in a frosty mist; and the shadowy ships in the river slowly changed to black substances; and the sun, blood-red on the eastern marshes behind dark masts and yards, seemed filled with the ruins of a forest it had set on fire.”
— Charles Dickens
“Morning. Strawberry sky dusted with white winter powder sugar sun. And nobody to munch on it with.”
— Francesca Lia Block
“The glowing winter sunrise slowly illuminates the coming day.”
— Nadine Locke
Warm Winter Sun Quotes
When the sun shines in winter, it can feel like a ray of hope and warmth that dispel the cold temperatures. But sometimes even the bright sunlight seems as chilly as the air around us. These quotes discuss all of those feelings…
“Her gaze traveled across the western sky that was dotted with clouds and was held by the wintry looking sun, so pure, so lovely, and so impossible to touch. Sheila felt that that was how her love was – Out of reach, unquestionably warm, and as certain as the celestial ball.”
— Shampa Sharma
“Apricity: The warmth of the sun in winter.”
“Even in the winter, in the midst of the storm, the sun is still there. Somewhere above the clouds, it still shines and warms and pulls at the life buried deep inside the brown branches and frozen earth.”
— Gloria Gaither
“Happiness is… the feeling of warm sunlight hitting you on a cold winter’s day.”
“What, I sometimes wonder, would it be like if I lived in a country where winter is a matter of a few chilly days and a few weeks’ rain; where the sun is never far away, and the flowers bloom all year long?”
— Anna Neagle
“Winter sunlight is a warm old soul, spreading love in the bitter cold.”
— Angie Weiland-Crosby
“Now is the winter of our discontent
Made glorious summer by this sun of York;
And all the clouds that lour’d upon our house
In the deep bosom of the ocean buried.”
— William Shakespeare
“She went back down to the garden, feeling like a queen, hearing the birds sing – this was in winter – seeing the sky all golden, the sun in the trees, flowers among the shrubs, bewildered, wild, giddy with inexpressible rapture.”
— Victor Hugo
Snow And Sun Quotes
Winter can be breathtakingly gorgeous with its snow-covered landscape and bright sunshine, even when it’s harsh and unforgiving. These winter quotes about sun and snow epitomize the brightness and beauty of the winter aesthetic.
“It is the life of the crystal, the architect of the flake, the fire of the frost, the soul of the sunbeam. This crisp winter air is full of it.”
— John Burroughs
“So with the stretch of the white road before me, Shining snow crystals rainbowed by the sun, Fields that are white, stained with long, cool, blue shadows, Strong with the strength of my horse as we run. Joy in the touch of the wind and the sunlight! Joy! With the vigorous earth I am one.”
— Amy Lowell
“The snow is sparkling like a million little suns.”
— Lama Willa
“It is growing cold. Winter is putting footsteps in the meadow. What whiteness boasts that sun that comes into this wood! One would say milk-colored maidens are dancing on the petals of orchids. How coldly burns our sun! One would say its rays of light are shards of snow, one imagines the sun lives upon a snow crested peak on this day. One would say she is a woman who wears a gown of winter frost that blinds the eyes. Helplessness has weakened me. Wandering has wearied my legs.”
— Roman Payne
“In the woods where snow is thick, bars of sunlight lay like pale fire.”
— Katherine Mansfield
“One joy of life in the north comes after a winter storm, when the sky, freed of its burden, has paled, and the glow of the unseen sun is everywhere reflected by the snow, so that all things stand out sharp and clear.”
— Karl Ove Knausgård
How To Use Winter Sun Quotes For Inspiring Positive Winter Vibes
Here are three simple ways you can use these winter sun quotes to add some positivity to your life and make the most of every day.
1. After reading your favorite snow and sun quotes, get outside and soak up some vitamin D! You can still enjoy the outdoors even on a sunny but cold day.
Bundle up in a cozy coat and hat and get out there. Stand in your backyard for a few minutes each day or maybe even go for a hike in the woods. The fresh air will do you good — and you’ll get a small dose of much-needed vitamin D from the sun.
2. Use these winter quotes as journal prompts. This can be especially powerful when your moods are fluctuating along with the sunlight level. Grab a notebook and curl up with a cozy blanket, then jot down a relevant quote and your thoughts.
Writing can be an incredibly healing experience, so make sure to take some time to explore your winter feelings in writing.
3. Get creative and capture the winter sun in art or photography. Spend some time taking pictures on all different kinds of days. Don’t overthink it — use your phone to keep things easy.
You might even create art pieces inspired by each of these quotes about winter sun. Wouldn’t that be a fun way to pass the season?
More Inspiration For A Beautiful Winter
23 Winter And Coffee Quotes To Warm Your Soul
33 Deep Winter Journal Prompts For Adults {Free Printable}
My Amazon picks for a cozy winter
18 December Quotes That Will Inspire You to Enjoy the Month
19 Simple And Cozy Living Room Ideas {Perfect For Winter!}
29 Winter Quotes: Wise and Cozy Words for an Inspired Season
Concluding Thoughts…
I hope these winter sun quotes have inspired you to embrace all of your feelings about the winter season. Take this time to really appreciate the winter season for all its ups and downs — as well as some moments of pure sunshine and sparkling snow!
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These are some lovely quotes and the photos you’ve used are just so pretty too.