How Many Days Until Winter?
When is Winter?
Astronomical winter in the Northern Hemisphere begins at the December solstice, on December 21 or 22.
The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. After it, days start getting longer again. Dates are in UTC; in the Americas the exact moment can fall on the evening before.
Winter dates by year
| Year | Date | Day of the week |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | December 21, 2026 | Monday |
| 2027 | December 22, 2027 | Wednesday |
| 2028 | December 21, 2028 | Thursday |
| 2029 | December 21, 2029 | Friday |
| 2030 | December 21, 2030 | Saturday |
| 2031 | December 22, 2031 | Monday |
| 2032 | December 21, 2032 | Tuesday |
Winter solstice facts
At the December solstice, the Sun is directly over the Tropic of Capricorn. North of the Arctic Circle it doesn't rise at all, while in the Southern Hemisphere it's the longest day of the year.
Many cultures hold festivals around the solstice, including Yalda Night in Iran, when families stay up through the longest night, and Dongzhi in China.
Counting down to something else?
Use the days until any date calculator, or set a live countdown timer for a birthday, exam, wedding, or trip.