Days Until Winter
Astronomical winter in the Northern Hemisphere begins at the December solstice, on December 21 or 22 in most years.
About the date
The December solstice is the moment the Sun reaches its southernmost point in the sky. It is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere; from the next day, daylight starts to lengthen again. This countdown runs to that instant, shown in your time zone.
Meteorological winter is December, January and February, starting December 1. In the Southern Hemisphere the December solstice starts summer.
The time is calculated on this page from a standard astronomical formula and is accurate to about a minute.
Upcoming dates
| Year | Date | Day | Time (UTC) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | December 21 | Monday | 20:50 |
| 2027 | December 22 | Wednesday | 02:42 |
| 2028 | December 21 | Thursday | 08:20 |
| 2029 | December 21 | Friday | 14:14 |
| 2030 | December 21 | Saturday | 20:09 |
| 2031 | December 22 | Monday | 01:55 |
Questions people ask
Is the first day of winter the shortest day?
Yes. In the Northern Hemisphere the December solstice is the day with the least daylight.
When does meteorological winter start?
December 1 in the Northern Hemisphere.