Winter 2025
When is Winter 2025?
Winter 2025 starts on Sunday, December 21, 2025 (in 161 days) and ends on Friday, March 20th 2026 (in 250 days). Calendar for 2025
Please note: The dates given on this page are based on Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), which for practical purposes is equivalent to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). While Winter starts and ends at the same moment in time all over the Northern Hemisphere, the date and local time differ from location to location depending on a location's time zone. For more details see the explanations below.
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What is Winter?

Astronomical winter vs. meteorological winter
There are various ways to define the start and end dates of winter. The two most commonly used ones are based on the astronomical calendar and the meteorological calendar. Astronomical and meteorological winter start and end on different dates.Astronomical winter
In the astronomical calendar the start and end dates of winter are based on the changing position of Earth in relation to the sun and the resulting solar events of equinoxes and solstices. In the Northern Hemisphere autumn ends and winter starts at the moment of the December solstice, which occurs every year between December 20 and December 23. Winter ends and spring starts at the moment of the March equinox, which occurs every year between March 19 and March 21. In the Southern Hemisphere winter lasts from the June solstice (June 20 to 22) to the September equinox (September 21 to 24).The start and end dates for winter given on this page are the dates of astronomical winter in the Northern Hemisphere and are based on Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), which for practical purposes is equivalent to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT - the time zone of the United Kingdom). While winter starts and ends at the same moment in time all over the Northern Hemisphere, the date and local time differ from place to place depending on the year and a location's time zone. For locations that are ahead of UTC (further east) it may fall on the day after, and for locations that are behind UTC (further west) it may fall on the day before. To find out the exact date and time of winter 2025 in your area use this seasons calculator.
Meteorological winter
Meteorologists, on the other hand, define seasons based on climatic conditions and the annual temperature cycle. It is important for them to be able to compare the same period of time in different years. The length of the astronomical seasons varies between 89 and 93 days, while the length of the meteorological seasons is less variable and is fixed at 90 days for winter in a non-leap year (91 days in a leap year), 92 days for spring and summer, and 91 days for autumn. While the exact definition of a season's timing and length can differ in different areas based on local conditions, in most of the Northern Hemisphere meteorological winter is generally defined as the three months of December, January and February, with the season starting on December 1 and ending on February 28 (29 in a leap year).There is no "official rule" which definition of winter to use, and different countries adhere to different conventions. Most of North America and Europe use astronomical winter, while Australia and New Zealand use meteorological winter (however, as these countries are in the Southern Hemisphere, the seasons are opposed and winter there lasts from June to August). In other cultures, eg. in the traditional Chinese calendar and in Celtic traditions, the December solstice is considered to be roughly the middle of winter.
Further reading:
Comparison table: meteorological spring vs. astronomical spring
Dates shown apply to the Northern Hemisphere and are based on UTC (GMT)Season | Start | End | ||
Meteorological | Astronomical | Meteorological | Astronomical | |
Spring | March 1 | March 19 to 21 Spring equinox (vernal equinox, March equinox) |
May 31 | June 20 to 22 Summer solstice (June solstice) |
Summer | June 1 | June 20 to 22 Summer solstice (June solstice) |
August 31 | September 21 to 24 Autumn equinox (Fall equinox, September equinox) |
Autumn (Fall) |
September 1 | September 21 to 24 Autumn equinox (Fall equinox, September equinox) |
November 30 | December 20 to 23 Winter solstice (December solstice) |
Winter | December 1 | December 20 to 23 Winter solstice (December solstice) |
February 28 (29) | March 19 to 21 Spring equinox (vernal equinox, March equinox) |
When is Winter 2026?
Winter 2026 starts on Monday, December 21, 2026 (in 526 days) and ends on Saturday, March 20th 2027 (in 615 days). Calendar for 2026
Dates for Winter in other years
The next occurrence of Winter is marked in red.Year | Winter starts on | Winter ends on |
Winter 2020 | Monday, December 21, 2020 | Saturday, March 20, 2021 |
Winter 2021 | Tuesday, December 21, 2021 | Sunday, March 20, 2022 |
Winter 2022 | Wednesday, December 21, 2022 | Monday, March 20, 2023 |
Winter 2023 | Friday, December 22, 2023 | Wednesday, March 20, 2024 |
Winter 2024 | Saturday, December 21, 2024 | Thursday, March 20, 2025 |
Winter 2025 | Sunday, December 21, 2025 | Friday, March 20, 2026 |
Winter 2026 | Monday, December 21, 2026 | Saturday, March 20, 2027 |
Winter 2027 | Wednesday, December 22, 2027 | Monday, March 20, 2028 |
Winter 2028 | Thursday, December 21, 2028 | Tuesday, March 20, 2029 |
Winter 2029 | Friday, December 21, 2029 | Wednesday, March 20, 2030 |
Winter 2030 | Saturday, December 21, 2030 | Thursday, March 20, 2031 |
Data provided 'as is' without warranty |
Dates of Winter 2025 and surrounding years as downloadable image file
Printable 2025 Calendars for PDF, Excel and Word
Free printable 2025 calendar templates
A selection of downloadable, printable calendar templates for 2025 with US federal holidays, suitable for a variety of applications. Available for PDF, Excel and Word.Excel |
Word |