Winter 2020: When does winter start? When is the winter solstice?
Winter conditions seem to have descended on much of the UK, with thick mist now obscuring the mornings, and evenings beginning at 4pm. The days will continue to darken for the foreseeable future, and the darkest will mark the winter solstice, when they start to brighten once more. But the winter solstice doesn’t mark the beginning of winter for everyone.
When does winter start?
The UK both has and hasn’t entered winter this year.
Scientists have more than one way of measuring the seasons, depending on the discipline.
Understanding when winter begins depends on which science people follow, either astronomy or meteorology.
READ MORE: Alan Titchmarsh shares how to create a winter border
Meteorology is the most straightforward way to map the seasons, as forecasters divide them in line with the Gregorian calendar.
They split them unto four distinct periods of three months, showing a clear seasonal transition.
The method allows scientists to streamline meteorological “observing and forecasting” according to the Met Office.
By this calendar, winter officially starts on December 1 and ends on February 28 (or 29 in a leap year).
Earth also has a 23.5-degree tilt which means this distance has varying effects on different regions.
Whenever the Earth comes close to the sun, and its southern hemisphere tilts towards it, this part of the world will have summer.
At the same time, the northern hemisphere experiences winter, and the reverse happens when the north tilts towards the sun.
The winter solstice takes place on the shortest day when the sun is tilted furthest away from the northern or southern hemispheres, which in the UK is December 21 this year.
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