Today is an important day, for our advent calendars and our countdown to Christmas! But it is also the beginning of winter.

You may be thinking that winter doesn't start until later in December and you wouldn't be wrong thinking this. There are two separate dates that can be used to define the start of the season.

Astronomically, the start of winter begins on the winter solstice. It is defined by the Earth's axis and orbit around the Sun.

This year the winter solstice falls on December 21st and astronomical winter runs until March 20th 2023. After December 21st, our days will start getting longer too!

As for meteorological winter, the "calendar" winter, that begins today on December 1st. It is a fixed date because it is easier for Meteorologists and Climatologists alike to process seasonal data that way.

Meteorological winter is made up of December, January and February. However, while the days are really getting colder and shorter for us, the opposite is true for those in the southern hemisphere.

Learn more about our seasons in our Weather Explained video below.