Winter solstice means winter is officially here in northern hemisphere

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Winter has (officially) arrived.

As much of the U.S. deals with very frigid temperatures and powerful snowstorms, Wednesday marks the winter solstice – the astronomical beginning of winter in the Northern Hemisphere.

The astronomical beginning of winter means the Northern Hemisphere is tilted at its furthest point away from the sun at about 23.5 degrees. Being tilted away from the sun means it is the shortest day of the year, but there’s good news on the horizon for those that want longer days.

The date of the winter solstice varies from year to year and can fall anywhere from Dec. 20-23, but the 21st and 22nd are the most common dates.

Here is what to know about this year’s winter solstice:

What is a solstice?

A solstice is when Earth’s axis, north or south, tilt to the closest degree they get to the sun. This will signal the change in seasons, depending on if you’re in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere. The winter solstice means winter in the north, while in the south it means the summer time since it’s tilt is closest to the sun.

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