How many days until winter?
Days until winter
The winter solstice happens once worldwide. The clock above converts that moment to your local date and time.
This time is an astronomical estimate; the date may be refined when official data is published.
Count down to the winter solstice and the beginning of astronomical winter in your hemisphere.
The shortest daylight marks a turn
Astronomical winter starts at the winter solstice. In the north it is the December solstice; in the south it is the June solstice. After this point, daylight begins its gradual return in the winter hemisphere.
Why winter does not start on the coldest day
The solstice identifies the shortest daylight, not the lowest temperature. The ground and air take time to cool, and weather varies from place to place. A region’s coldest stretch may arrive well after the astronomical start.
What the countdown is measuring
The timer ends at a single solstice instant shared worldwide. Your device turns that instant into a local date and clock time. Someone across a time-zone boundary may read a different calendar date while waiting for the very same event.
What if your winter begins in June?
Choose South above. The December solstice brings summer to the Southern Hemisphere, while the June solstice begins its winter. The page changes the target without changing the meaning of the countdown.