When is the winter solstice? A guide to the shortest day of the year

When daylight saving time ends and the clocks "fall back" each fall, it feels like the amount of daylight is getting shorter and shorter. This is true.

While adjusting our clocks back an hour in November accounts for more daylight in the winter mornings, it also means the nighttime arrives quicker. The sun will set earlier each day into December, culminating in the shortest day of the year, or the winter solstice.

The winter solstice marks the first day of winter, ushering in the colder weather and holiday season. But daylight saving isn't to blame; the Earth's tilt is.

When is the winter solstice 2024?

In the Northern Hemisphere, the winter solstice will occur on Saturday, Dec. 21 at 4:21 a.m. EST.

Where did the name winter come from? How the season got its name.

Winter solstice, explained

The winter solstice marks the shortest day and longest night of the year, according to the National Weather Service.

This occurs due to the Earth's tilt from the sun. The Earth is tilted approximately 23.5 degrees on its axis, and each solstice is dictated by the amount of solar declination, or "the latitude of Earth where the sun is directly overhead at noon," National Geographic reports. We experience two solstices yearly: the winter solstice and the summer solstice.

On the winter solstice, the tilt brings the Northern Hemisphere to its farthest point away from the sun, according to the Smithsonian Science Education Center. This brings more darkness. The sun will also appear at its lowest in the sky, giving off less warmth and sunlight.

But don't worry, as the days go by after the winter solstice, the amount of daylight will increase. This leads up to the summer solstice, which is the longest day and shortest night of the year.

Frost protection for plants: Tips from gardening experts for the winter.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Winter solstice 2024: Here's when winter starts this year