You might be wondering when winter really starts… but there are actually two dates (Picture: Getty)
Winter is on its way – and it’s set to bring with it the shortest day of the year.
Once the clocks have fallen back, October soon becomes a distant memory and November whizzes past, bringing along noticeably longer, darker nights and frostier days.
Brrr! We’re freezing just thinking about it. But when does the coldest season of the year officially begin here in the UK?
And when does the shortest day of the year mark the darkest day in winter?
Here’s what you need to know.
When is the first day of winter in 2022?
Just when does winter truly begin? (Picture: Getty)
The weather experts at the Met Office explain that there are two different ways of determining when winter begins.
One way is to look at the meteorological calendar, which splits all four seasons evenly into three-month chunks.
From a meteorological standpoint, we’re about midway through autumn now, with winter in the UK starting on Thursday, December 1 2022.
By that logic, winter then lasts for all of December and January, through to the end of February.
More: UK weather
Spring takes place in March, April and May, while our (hopefully warm) summer happens in June, July and August.
Finally, autumn then lasts throughout September, October and November.
When is the shortest day of the year in 2022?
Another way of nailing down the start date of winter is by working it out astronomically.
Essentially, this just means that the dates of the seasons are determined by the tilt of the Earth’s axis.
Using this method, you mark the start of winter with the winter solstice, which is the day on which we’ll see the least amount of sunlight, aka the shortest day of the year.
For 2022, the winter solstice takes place on Wednesday, December 21.
There is also a spring equinox, summer solstice and autumn equinox, which are the astronomical way of marking the remaining three seasons.
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A brrr-illiant season.