Winter Solstice 2024: What to Know

The Astronomical Definition of Winter

According to the astronomical definition, winter begins with the winter solstice. The winter solstice is the day with the shortest period of daylight and the longest night of the year. In the Northern Hemisphere, the winter solstice occurs on or around December 21 or 22. In the Southern Hemisphere, the winter solstice occurs on or around June 20 or 21.

Traditionally, the Middle of Winter

Traditionally, in many temperate regions, the winter solstice has been seen as the middle of winter. However, today in some countries and calendars, it is seen as the beginning of winter.

2024 Winter Solstice: December 21

The 2024 winter solstice will occur on December 21. The precise moment when the Sun appears farthest south in the sky is at 4:20 a.m. UTC. For those in the Northern Hemisphere, this will be the first day of winter.

Next Winter Solstice: December 21, 2024

The next winter solstice for the Northern Hemisphere will occur on December 21, 2024. In 2024, the December solstice falls at 9:21 UTC on December 21 (3:21 a.m. EST).