The “shortest” day of the year is just around the corner.

The winter solstice occurs on Saturday, December 21st in the Northern Hemisphere and marks the astronomical change of season from fall to winter. It is also the shortest day of the year with the fewest hours of daylight, according to the Smithsonian Science Education Center.

According to the US Naval Observatory, the winter solstice will occur at 1:21 a.m. PST.

Seasons are caused by the Earth’s tilt on its axis as it orbits the sun, and the winter solstice occurs when “Earth’s tilt from the sun is maximum,” according to the National Weather Service and NASA.

What are the winter months?

The meteorological start of winter began on December 1, which, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information, is a way to better align the seasons with our calendar and when we expect temperatures to get colder and warmer. So meteorological winter includes December, January and February and covers the entire month of December, even if the winter solstice, which marks the start of the season, does not occur until later in December. The astronomical winter for 2024-2025 lasts into March.

When is the Spring Equinox 2025?

The beginning of spring, marked by the vernal equinox, is March 20, 2025, according to the Naval Observatory. The first day of spring earlier this year was March 19.

When does winter start in California?

Winter begins on December 21st, but when does it feel like that in California? In recent decades, December has been the coldest day of the year in most parts of California, according to a NOAA map that uses data from 1991 to 2020 to show when the coldest time of the year occurs on average across the country. This corresponds to most days when the West experiences its coolest day, according to NOAA.

Paris Barraza is a featured reporter covering California news at The Desert Sun. Reach her at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @ParisBarraza.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Find out when winter is and when the winter solstice is in California