Winter Solstice

iPhone & iPad app:
Day and Night World Map
Watch the sun move across the sky.

• Northern Hemisphere: (North America, Central America, Europe, Asia, northern Africa)

  December solstice 2013:         December 21, at 17:11 UTC.
  

• Southern Hemisphere: (Australia, New Zealand, South America, Southern Africa)

  June solstice 2013:                  June 21, at 05:04 UTC.

Opposite seasons

When is the Winter Solstice in my city?

Solstices are opposite on either side of the equator, so the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere is the summer solstice in the southern hemisphere and vice versa.

Why is it called "Solstice"?

First day of winter?

In the USA and some other areas in the northern hemisphere, the winter solstice marks the first day of winter. However, the official date for the first day of winter varies depending on the country's climate.