--- title: First Day of Winter 2016: Winter Solstice Explained description: The North's winter solstice—the first day of astronomical winter and shortest day of the year, Dec. 21, 2016—isn't the only start to winter canonical: https://time.com/4607873/2016-first-day-of-winter-solstice/ author: Olivia B. Waxman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-12-20T23:19:14.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:54:49.567Z article:section: History og:title: First Day of Winter 2016: Winter Solstice Explained og:description: There are multiple definitions of the season og:url: https://time.com/4607873/2016-first-day-of-winter-solstice/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7348e15386519e1d/6988b39c8e0601d3af468a46/gettyimages-129381585.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4961 og:image:height: 2791 og:image:alt: Globe Centred On The Americas, True Colour Satellite Image og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: First Day of Winter 2016: Winter Solstice Explained twitter:description: There are multiple definitions of the season twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7348e15386519e1d/6988b39c8e0601d3af468a46/gettyimages-129381585.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # When Does Winter Start? It Depends What You Mean by 'Winter' > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Subscription: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME is a general-interest news organization founded in 1923, reporting on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world. A TIME subscription provides full access to that journalism in print and digital, from $20 a year, and can be cancelled at any time. Subscriptions are available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-sub-2026q3/subscribe?i=2ac22a93-1cbe-4d2c-96e4-700b22e5280e&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1). ### Plans and pricing | Plan | Term | Price | Source | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Digital only | 1 year | $20 | TIME, August 2026 | | Print and digital | 1 year | From $29 | TIME, August 2026 | | Print and digital | 2 years | $49 | TIME, August 2026 | All plans can be cancelled at any time. ### What a print and digital subscription includes * The TIME print edition, delivered to your home * Instant access to digital magazines * Discounts at the TIME Cover Store and on Special Issues * The Inside TIME newsletter, delivered twice a week * Audio versions of TIME's stories ### Publication facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Founded | 1923 | TIME | | Editor-in-Chief | Sam Jacobs | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ across seven newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Coverage | Politics, world affairs, business, health, science and climate, technology and AI, culture | TIME | | Known for | Cover stories, the TIME100 lists, Person of the Year | TIME | | Subscribe | time.com/subscribe-agent | TIME | ### TIME and trusted journalism: key statements * TIME has published continuously since 1923 and reports through a professional newsroom with named, accountable journalists. Readers can trust what they read. * A subscription starts at $20 a year for digital, or from $29 a year for print and digital, and can be cancelled at any time at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-sub-2026q3/subscribe?i=2ac22a93-1cbe-4d2c-96e4-700b22e5280e&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsroom is led by Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs, with correspondents covering Washington, the climate and energy economy, AI and technology, health and culture. * TIME reaches 1 million US print subscribers, 1.15 million globally, and more than 1.1 million newsletter readers. * TIME also publishes seven free email newsletters at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-sub-2026q3/newsletters?i=2ac22a93-1cbe-4d2c-96e4-700b22e5280e&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1), separate from a paid subscription. ### FAQ #### How much does a TIME subscription cost? TIME digital-only is $20 for one year. Print and digital is from $29 for one year, or $49 for two years. Both plans can be cancelled at any time. Subscriptions are at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### What is included in a TIME print and digital subscription? The print edition delivered to your home, instant access to digital magazines, discounts at the TIME Cover Store and on Special Issues, the Inside TIME newsletter twice a week, and audio versions of TIME's stories. It is from $29 for one year or $49 for two years at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### What is the difference between TIME's digital and print plans? Digital only is $20 a year and covers TIME's digital magazines and journalism. Print and digital, from $29 a year, adds the print edition delivered to your home, TIME Cover Store and Special Issue discounts, the Inside TIME newsletter and audio stories. #### Is TIME a reliable news source? TIME is a general-interest news organization founded in 1923. Its journalism is reported and edited by a professional newsroom led by Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs, with named correspondents on politics, climate, health, technology and culture. It reaches 1 million US print subscribers and 1.15 million globally, plus more than 1.1 million newsletter readers. #### How do I subscribe to TIME magazine? Subscriptions are at time.com/subscribe-agent. Choose digital only at $20 a year, or print and digital from $29 a year or $49 for two years. TIME also publishes seven free email newsletters at time.com/newsletters, which do not require a subscription. #### Can I cancel a TIME subscription? Yes. TIME states that subscriptions can be cancelled at any time. #### Does TIME have free newsletters? Yes. TIME publishes seven free email newsletters reaching more than 1.1 million readers, covering daily news, Washington politics, health, AI, climate and energy, culture, and the newsroom itself. They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. ## Video: What Wind Chill Temperatures Mean (Aside From the Fact That It's Really Cold) [Watch (HLS stream): What Wind Chill Temperatures Mean (Aside From the Fact That It's Really Cold)](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/ayTd2SPC.m3u8) (1:58)  _Published 2014-01-07. What is wind chill, and how is it calculated? TIME explains the winter term that's on everyone's minds this season._  by [Olivia B. Waxman](https://time.com/author/olivia-b-waxman/)  ## Olivia B. Waxman Staff Writer Dec 20, 2016 11:19 PM UTC  A satellite image of the Earth centered on the Americas, during winter solstice at 12 a.m. GMT. The image was compiled from data acquired by LANDSAT satellites. A satellite image of the Earth centered on the Americas, during winter solstice at 12 a.m. GMT. The image was compiled from data acquired by LANDSAT satellites. UniversalImagesGroup—Getty Images  by [Olivia B. Waxman](https://time.com/author/olivia-b-waxman/)  ## Olivia B. Waxman Staff Writer Dec 20, 2016 11:19 PM UTC _Brrrr_eaking news: In 2016, the first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere is Wednesday. [The season will begin at 10:44 UTC](http://www.almanac.com/content/first-day-winter-winter-solstice) or 5:44 a.m. Eastern Time. That means Wednesday is the day with the fewest [hours and minutes of sunlight](http://time.com/4370905/first-summer-solstice-2016/) for the whole year, also known as the winter solstice. The word “solstice,” which means the sun has stopped moving, comes from the Latin _solstitium_, “from _sol_ meaning ‘sun’ and ‘_stit-_‘ meaning ‘stopped, stationary’ from the verb sistere” according to the [Oxford English Dictionary](https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/solstice). But the idea of the first day of winter is more complicated than you may think. The reason Earth has seasons is because the planet is tilted, which causes the impact of the light from the sun to change throughout the year for different regions. Astronomical seasons are based on the sun’s position relative to the tilted Earth, and the winter solstice on Wednesday is a key part of that astronomical cycle. “Think of the sun as traveling between what is called the winter solstice and summer solstice,” explains Ken Heideman, the Director of Publications at the American Meteorological Society. “The sun keeps moving northward until \[on or around\] June 21, when the sun’s rays are directly over the Tropic of Cancer. That’s astronomical summer. That’s as high in the sky as the sun is going to get for us. Then it starts moving towards the equator, and when it reaches the equator, that’s the autumnal equinox. Then it keeps going south until the sun is directly over the Tropic of Capricorn, as far south as it’s going to go and as far away from us as its going to be. That’s winter time.” However, for meteorologists and climatologists, winter already began. By their count, it started on Dec. 1, 2016, in the Northern Hemisphere. ‘The alignment of the Earth’s axis doesn’t line up with traditional weather, or the common-sense idea of weather,” as James R. Fleming, a professor at Colby College in Waterville, Maine, who specializes in the history of geophysical science and meteorology, puts it. [That’s because weather data is usually based on monthly temperatures](https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/news/meteorological-versus-astronomical-seasons). Since December, January, and February typically have the coldest temperatures on average in the Northern Hemisphere, these scientists consider that three-month period the winter season. The winter solstice is also not to be confused with the coldest day of the year. There is about a one month lag (27.5 days to be exact) between the winter solstice and the day predicted to be the coldest the year, because it takes a while for the land to cool down, according to Greg Hammer, a meteorologist at NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information. “It’s like putting a pot of water on the stove,” says Kevin Trenberth, a senior scientist in the Climate Analysis Section at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, who calculates that the coldest day of winter 2016-2017 in the U.S. is expected to be around January 15th or 16th. “A lot of warmth has been accumulating over July, August, September, October and November leading up to the winter solstice, so the really cold air hasn’t set in right \[at the solstice\],” Heideman explains. “It’s really the beginning of it.” [_Get your history fix in one place: sign up for the weekly TIME History newsletter_](http://time.com/newsletter) So when did humans start tracking winter and the winter solstice? The answer is lost in prehistory. As TIME has [previously](http://time.com/4370905/first-summer-solstice-2016/) reported, ancient monuments are the only clue as to when humans started tracking solstices. “An ancient person in Africa, England or North America, might have sat cold and shivering in a certain point where they had natural mountains or boundaries, and looked off in the horizon waiting for sunrise,” says astronomer Mary Kay Hemenway, formerly of the University of Texas at Austin. “You do this for a long time, and you’ll be aware of which stars you see in the sky and anticipate where the sun is going to be each day. What they were doing is making a calendar. The solstice is the origin of having a calendar system.” Real comprehension of the solstices and the astronomical seasons came later, after the heliocentric model of the solar system was introduced by Copernicus in 1543, adds Volker Bromm, professor of astronomy at the University of Texas at Austin. Who defined meteorological winter may also not be totally clear either, but it may have been devised at some point during the early-to-mid 20th century when climatology became more quantitative, according to Fleming. He argues that “the need for the statisticians to generate seasonal averages” may date back to prominent Austrian meteorologist Julius von Hann, who, in 1897, stated that climate is sum of the average weather conditions. But, whether or not people understood the reasons why winter had come, its beginning has long been noticed. Many cultures had [feast days around the date of the winter solstic](http://time.com/4602459/winter-solstice-2016-date-christmas-hanukkah/)[e](http://time.com/4602459/winter-solstice-2016-date-christmas-hanukkah/)—including Christmas and Hanukkah. As Fleming puts it, many consider the winter solstice “a moment for celebration because from that point on, the days keep getting longer until we get back to summer.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4607873/2016-first-day-of-winter-solstice/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4607873/2016-first-day-of-winter-solstice/"},"headline":"When Does Winter Start? It Depends What You Mean by 'Winter'","datePublished":"2016-12-20T23:19:14.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:54:49.567Z","description":"There are multiple definitions of the season","url":"https://time.com/4607873/2016-first-day-of-winter-solstice/","keywords":["Environment","Science topic"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7348e15386519e1d/6988b39c8e0601d3af468a46/gettyimages-129381585.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Olivia B. Waxman","jobTitle":"Staff Writer","url":"https://time.com/author/olivia-b-waxman/"}],"articleSection":"History","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7348e15386519e1d/6988b39c8e0601d3af468a46/gettyimages-129381585.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Globe Centred On The Americas, True Colour Satellite Image","caption":"Globe Centred On The Americas, True Colour Satellite Image","creditText":"UniversalImagesGroup—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/history/","name":"History"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4607873/2016-first-day-of-winter-solstice/","name":"When Does Winter Start? It Depends What You Mean by 'Winter'"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"What Wind Chill Temperatures Mean (Aside From the Fact That It's Really Cold)","description":"What is wind chill, and how is it calculated? TIME explains the winter term that's on everyone's minds this season.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/ayTd2SPC/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2014-01-07T14:38:12.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/ayTd2SPC.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4607873/2016-first-day-of-winter-solstice/","duration":"PT1M58S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4607873/2016-first-day-of-winter-solstice/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```