It's December, there's a chill in the air, and more places are seeing snow. With the days getting shorter and the nights longer, the transition to winter is apparent. 

The winter solstice marks the official start of winter, which will take place on Saturday this year.

What You Need To Know

  • The winter solstice is a time and not a day

  • This year, the solstice will occur at 4:21 a.m. ET on Dec. 21

  • The solstice is when the Northern Hemisphere's tilt away from the sun is at its maximum

The tilt of the Earth

The tilt of the Earth to the sun is the reason we have our seasons. Believe it or not, the Earth is closer to the sun during our winter.

It's Earth's tilt that gives us our season.

During the winter solstice, the Northern Hemisphere is at its maximum tilt away from the sun, putting the sun at a lower elevation.

We also get the shortest day and longest night of the year on the winter solstice.

This year, our winter solstice occurs at 4:21 a.m. ET on Dec. 21.

If you're not a fan of the shorter days, don't worry. After Dec. 21, the days gradually get longer until the summer solstice on June 20, 2025.

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