Although we’ve already had a few arctic blasts and some snow over the past few weeks, the official start of winter is coming this weekend. The season known for snowstorms, icy windshields and icy days begins Saturday, December 21, 2024.

The precise start of winter — at 4:20 a.m. Eastern Standard Time — is technically called the winter solstice, making Saturday the shortest day of the year in terms of the amount of daylight we get.

According to time experts at TimeAndDate.com, there will only be 9 hours, 15 minutes and 16 seconds of daylight in New York City.

The good news for those of us who hate being stuck inside on dark, cold days is that there will be a little more sun each day after Saturday. In late June, as the summer solstice approaches, our region will receive more than 15 hours and 5 minutes of sunlight each day.

But first things first. As the cold season approaches, here are some facts about the start of winter.

What is the winter solstice?

The winter solstice – also known as the December solstice – is an astronomical event based on the tilt of the Earth from the sun. It occurs when the tilt of the North Pole is furthest from the Sun, causing less light to reach the northern half of our planet.

While it may be a little gloomy to have so much darkness, after December 21st each day will gradually get longer and the nights will get shorter as we get closer to spring and summer.

Why is it called the solstice?

The word “solstice” comes from the Latin word “solstitium”. It is a combination of Sol, meaning sun, and Stitium or Sisto, meaning stopping or standing still.

The latter word refers to the fact that the sun appears to briefly stop moving at the moment of winter and also at the moment of summer – which is why the beginning of summer is called the summer solstice.

It’s not for every winter

Science Class Review: It’s not winter everywhere in the world. For people in the southern hemisphere, December 21st marks the start of the summer season.

In this part of the world, Saturday will be the longest day and shortest night of the year – the opposite of what happens here in the Northern Hemisphere.

Did winter start on December 1st?

As weather forecasters often remind us, there are actually two different start dates for the winter season.

In the weather world, meteorologists and climatologists always consider December 1st to be the first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere – with the cold season lasting throughout December, January and February.

This is called a “meteorological winter” and is based on the annual temperature cycle rather than the Earth’s journey around the sun.

December, January and February are typically the coldest months of the year, so the people who run our weather agencies and compile statistics base their winter climate records and seasonal forecasts on these three months.

The other winter season – the one most people are familiar with – begins on December 21st (sometimes December 22nd) every year and lasts until March 20th or 21st. This is called “astronomical winter.”

Will there be a lot of snow this winter?

After three straight winters of below-average snow totals in New Jersey — including one that was the second lowest on record — it won’t take much frozen precipitation to delight snow lovers and anger snow haters.

If you’re wondering whether we’re in for a severe or average winter, here’s a look at the early winter forecasts from the National Weather Service, AccuWeather and other private forecast companies in the Garden State.

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Len Melisurgo available at [email protected] or to X @LensReality.