How many days until winter starts?
The big number at the top of the page is the answer: the whole days left until 21 December, today excluded. Under it runs the line with hours, minutes and seconds, ending at the midnight that starts the day of the solstice.
When does winter start: 21 or 22 December?
Astronomical winter begins with the solstice, the moment the Sun reaches its lowest point in the northern sky. Most years it falls on 21 December (in 2026 at 20:50 UTC), occasionally on the 22nd: the calculator uses the 21st. Meteorological winter, the one used for climate statistics, runs from 1 December to 28 February; astronomical spring begins with the equinox on 20 March.
The shortest day of the year
At the solstice daylight is shorter than on any other day: about 7 h 50 min in London, about 8 h 45 min in Milan. From the next day on, days get longer again, by a few seconds at first. The coldest weather usually comes in January, because land and sea cool down with a delay.
Nearby dates
Three days after the solstice comes Christmas Eve, then Christmas and New Year; on the other side of the year there is the countdown to summer. For any date use the free countdown.
Other countdowns
⏳ How many days until a date 🎄 How many days until Christmas 🎆 How many days until New Year 🧹 How many days until Epiphany 💘 How many days until Valentine's Day 🎭 How many days until Carnival (Mardi Gras) 🐣 How many days until Easter ☀️ How many days until summer 🏖️ How many days until Ferragosto (15 August) 🎃 How many days until Halloween 🛍️ How many days until Black Friday 🕯️ How many days until 1 December 🎄 How many days until 8 December (Immaculate Conception) 🌟 How many days until Christmas Eve 🎒 How many days until school starts 🏁 How many days until school ends 🎂 How many days until my birthday
Frequently asked questions
When does winter start?
With the solstice, on 21 December most years (sometimes the 22nd). Meteorological winter starts on 1 December instead.
How many days until winter?
The whole days left until 21 December: you'll find them in the big number at the top of the page, updated every day.
What is the shortest day of the year?
The day of the winter solstice, 21 December: from then on daylight gets longer again.
When does winter end?
With the spring equinox, on 20 March (sometimes the 21st). Meteorological winter ends on 28 February.