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The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Different cultures define different dates as the start of winter, and some use a definition based on weather. When it is winter in the Northern Hemisphere, it is summer in the Southern Hemisphere, and vice versa.
The winter solstice occurs during the hemisphere's winter. In the Northern Hemisphere, this is the December solstice (December 21 or 22) and in the Southern Hemisphere, this is the June solstice (June 20 or 21). Although the winter solstice itself lasts only a moment, the term also refers to the day on which it occurs.
Winter extends from the winter solstice – the shortest day of the year – to the vernal equinox, the start of spring. In the Northern Hemisphere, that’s December, January, February and March ...
At 4:20 a.m. ET, the solstice will take place, marking "the beginning of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern Hemisphere," according to NASA.
In the Northern Hemisphere, the winter solstice will occur on Saturday, Dec. 21 at 4:21 a.m. EST. Where did the name winter come from? How the season got its name. Winter solstice, explained.
The result is that the South Pole is consistently colder during the southern winter than the North Pole during the northern winter. The seasonal cycle in the polar and temperate zones of one hemisphere is opposite to that of the other. When it is summer in the Northern Hemisphere, it is winter in the Southern, and vice versa.
The Northern Hemisphere’s spring — or vernal — equinox can land between March 19 and 21, depending on the year. Its fall – or autumnal — equinox can land between Sept. 21 and 24. What’s the difference between meteorological and astronomical seasons? These are just two different ways to carve up the year.
The 2024 winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, happens on Saturday, Dec. 21, in the Northern Hemisphere. The celestial event signifies the first day of winter, astronomically.