It’s called “Winter”.
“Winter” is a non-technical term for Bombogenesis, AKA, “Polar Vortex” (Caused by Global warming, AKA Climate Change), which, years ago in New England, was known as “The Montreal Express”.
My maternal grandfather Bill was not a scientist, but he did recognize the truism that the further NORTH you were, the colder the “Winters”.
Sometimes, the prevailing winds would cause the cold air from Montreal to track south-east and bring large amounts of frozen precipitation into the Boston Area, which was colloquially known as “Snow”. Though white and fluffy while falling, the “Snow” would rapidly take on the varying hues of soot, grime, and dog waste (colloquially known as “poop”), and by law, had to be removed from the public sidewalks by the next day. Snow plows that shoved the aforementioned goulash back onto your sidewalk were no excuse!
Anyway, Bill was a veteran of WW1, and I think he preferred the trenches of Europe to shoveling “Snow”. I used to hear him mutter “DAMN THOSE CANADIANS” as he shoveled!
As a matter of fact just a few days ago, it suddenly started getting darker much, much earlier -- it seemed like an hour earlier, at least.
I bet this physicist, Rebop Kwaku Baah's theory can explain it...