How Many Days Left Until Winter?

How Many Days Until Winter?

Winter 2026 starts on Monday, December 21, 2026. The live countdown clock at the top of this page calculates the exact days, hours, minutes, and seconds remaining in your local timezone.

The winter solstice marks the shortest day and longest night of the year, marking the beginning of astronomical winter in the Northern Hemisphere.

What Is the Winter Solstice?

The Winter Solstice occurs when the Earth’s pole is tilted furthest away from the sun. This results in the sun rising to its lowest peak in the sky, producing the minimum amount of daylight hours.

Although the winter solstice marks the minimum of solar energy, the coldest temperatures of the season occur in January and February. This lag is due to oceans and land releasing heat absorbed during summer.

Winter Solstice Dates (2026–2030)

Here is when the Winter Solstice falls over the next few years:

Astronomical vs. Meteorological Winter

Astronomical winter starts on the winter solstice (December 21 or 22) and ends on the spring equinox (March 20 or 21).

Meteorological winter represents the three coldest calendar months. It begins on December 1 and ends on February 28 (or 29 in leap years), consisting of December, January, and February.

Holiday and Seasonal Interlinking

Winter contains some of the year's biggest holidays. Track them with our Christmas Countdown and the upcoming New Year’s Countdown. As the cold months progress, look forward to the renewal of spring on our Spring Countdown.