The first day of winter is the shortest day of the year, but it also marks a turning point: from here on, the days start getting longer. This live countdown shows exactly how many days are left until the winter solstice.
Winter at a glance
- Next date
- Monday, December 21, 2026
- Day of the week
- Monday
- How the date is set
- The first day of winter is the December solstice, which usually falls on December 21 or 22 (dates shown in U.S. Eastern Time)
- Category
- Seasons
Winter dates for the next 5 years
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Monday | |
| 2027 | Tuesday | |
| 2028 | Thursday | |
| 2029 | Friday | |
| 2030 | Saturday |
What is the winter solstice?
The December solstice is the moment the North Pole is tilted farthest away from the Sun. In the Northern Hemisphere, it is the day with the fewest hours of daylight and the longest night of the year.
For thousands of years, cultures around the world have marked the solstice with festivals of light and fire, celebrating the return of longer days. Ancient monuments such as Newgrange in Ireland are aligned with the solstice sunrise.
Astronomical vs. meteorological winter
Astronomical winter begins at the solstice, but meteorological winter covers the three coldest months, December, January, and February, so it always starts on December 1.
Frequently asked questions
When is Winter 2026?
Winter 2026 is on Monday, December 21, 2026. The first day of winter is the December solstice, which usually falls on December 21 or 22 (dates shown in U.S. Eastern Time).
How many days until Winter?
The live countdown at the top of this page shows exactly how many days, hours, minutes, and seconds are left until Winter, calculated for your local time zone.
Is the first day of winter the shortest day of the year?
Yes. In the Northern Hemisphere, the winter solstice has the least daylight of the year. After it, each day gets a little longer until the summer solstice in June.
Why is it coldest after the first day of winter?
Even though days start getting longer, land and oceans keep losing heat for several weeks, so the coldest stretch of the year in most of the U.S. usually comes in January.