Skip to content
Time To Celebrate

Browse all tools

When Does Winter Start in 2026?

Winter 2026 starts on Monday, December 21, 2026 in the Northern Hemisphere, at 20:50 UTC (3:50 PM EST). In 2027 it starts on Wednesday, December 22.

Sources: US Naval Observatory, Wikipedia Updated

65 days to go: open the live countdown

First day of winter dates, 2026 to 2035

the first day of winter dates for ten years
YearDateDayStarts (UTC)US Eastern time
2026 MondayDecember 21, 2026, 20:50 UTCMonday, December 21, 2026 at 3:50 PM EST
2027 WednesdayDecember 22, 2027, 02:42 UTCTuesday, December 21, 2027 at 9:42 PM EST
2028 ThursdayDecember 21, 2028, 08:20 UTCThursday, December 21, 2028 at 3:20 AM EST
2029 FridayDecember 21, 2029, 14:14 UTCFriday, December 21, 2029 at 9:14 AM EST
2030 SaturdayDecember 21, 2030, 20:09 UTCSaturday, December 21, 2030 at 3:09 PM EST
2031 MondayDecember 22, 2031, 01:56 UTCSunday, December 21, 2031 at 8:56 PM EST
2032 TuesdayDecember 21, 2032, 07:56 UTCTuesday, December 21, 2032 at 2:56 AM EST
2033 WednesdayDecember 21, 2033, 13:45 UTCWednesday, December 21, 2033 at 8:45 AM EST
2034 ThursdayDecember 21, 2034, 19:34 UTCThursday, December 21, 2034 at 2:34 PM EST
2035 SaturdayDecember 22, 2035, 01:31 UTCFriday, December 21, 2035 at 8:31 PM EST

Dates are for the Northern Hemisphere and are given in UTC and US Eastern time. In time zones far from these the calendar date can be a day earlier or later.

Calendar for December 2026 with the December solstice on Monday, December 21, at 20:50 UTC marked.
Winter 2026 starts at 20:50 UTC on December 21.

How the date of the first day of winter is set

Astronomical winter in the Northern Hemisphere begins at the December solstice, which falls on December 21 or 22 in most years.

At the December solstice the Sun reaches its southernmost point in the sky, giving the Northern Hemisphere its shortest day of the year.

The US Naval Observatory publishes the equinox and solstice times. The times on this page are calculated with Jean Meeus's method and agree with them to within a minute or two.

Also coming up: the first day of spring on Saturday, March 20, 2027, Christmas on Friday, December 25, 2026, and New Year's Day on Friday, January 1, 2027.

What time does winter start?

The December solstice comes about six hours later each year and about 18 hours earlier after a leap day: 20:50 UTC in 2026, 02:42 UTC in 2027 and 08:20 UTC in 2028.

In UTC, from 2026 to 2035 it falls on December 21 in seven years and on December 22 in three. In US Eastern time it is still the evening before in three of those years.

Chart of the December solstice time in UTC from 2026 to 2035: December 21 at 20:50 in 2026, December 22 at 02:42 in 2027, December 21 at 08:20 in 2028, December 21 at 14:14 in 2029, December 21 at 20:09 in 2030, December 22 at 01:56 in 2031, December 21 at 07:56 in 2032, December 21 at 13:45 in 2033, December 21 at 19:34 in 2034, December 22 at 01:31 in 2035.
The December solstice comes about six hours later each year until a leap day pulls it back.

December solstice facts

At the December solstice the Sun stands directly over the Tropic of Capricorn. It usually falls on December 21 but can come a day earlier or later.

  • Meteorologists count winter from December 1 instead.
  • In the Southern Hemisphere the December solstice is the start of summer.

Questions about the first day of winter

What day does winter start in 2026?

Monday. Winter 2026 starts on December 21, 2026.

How many days until the first day of winter?

65 days, counted from October 17, 2026. The winter countdown shows the number for today in your time zone. To count to any other date, use the days between dates calculator.

Is the first day of winter on the same date every year?

No. Astronomical winter in the Northern Hemisphere begins at the December solstice, which falls on December 21 or 22 in most years.

When does winter start in 2027?

Wednesday, December 22, 2027.

Sources

More in When is…?