Weather may be affecting how you feel

Dreary weather is no stranger to the area in winter.

Northeast Wisconsin typically has its cloudiest days during the winter. On average, from November through April, more than 50% of the days are cloudy."

Its conditions like these that may be affecting your mood.

"It's definitely not as cherry as a sunny day would be," says Manitowoc Resident Jeff Pionek.

Cory Desmet, a Northeast Wisconsin resident adds, “I have to admit at this time of the of the year I get a little stir crazy itching for warmer weather to come."

A feeling shared by many in the area who are looking forward to sunnier days.

"What I do to get away from that is to plan a trip to Florida to get some sun," explains Sheldon Bender.

"All of our bodies need exposure to sunlight and vitamin D in order to regulate our moods appropriately," says Dr. Susan Jaquez-Dean, a Psychologist at Aurora Health Center in De Pere.

Jaquez-Dean also says 25 to 50 percent of her patients suffer from mood problems in winter.

"Seasonal Affective Disorder is something that happens fairly commonly in locations where there isn't a lot of sunlight," explains Jaquez-Dean.

The disorder is known to cause a drop in energy level, decreased concentration and poor sleep.

Meteorologist Jeff Last of the National Weather Service says, “It's not only the clouds, but the low sun angle and the fact that days are shorter."

There was less than 9 hours of daylight on December 21st. The good news is days are getting longer, and the sun is now up for almost 11 hours.

"It is February and we are going to have some decent days ahead," says Pionek.

And for many struggling with seasonal affective disorder, decent days may start with daylight saving time in mid march... when the sun won't set till around 7 o'clock.