Today is meteorological winter, but what does that mean?

Today marks the start of meteorological winter, but what is meteorological winter, and why is it not the same as astronomical winter?

Meteorological winter is the three-month period of the year defined by temperatures and climate patterns rather than the position of the Earth around the sun. It starts today and ends on February 28 (or 29 in a leap year).

We use it because it makes it easier to compare climate averages from year to year. It also aligns better with the coldest part of the year, which generally occurs during these months.

Astronomical winter starts on the winter solstice (around Dec 21–22) and ends on the spring equinox (around March 20–21).