Jesse Strack, a provisional custodian at Sheafe Road Elementary School operates a snow blower on December 2, 2025.

The shortest day and longest night of the year is almost here.

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 clocks "fall back" each fall, we get more daylight in the winter mornings, but it also means nighttime arrives quicker. The sun sets earlier each day into December, culminating in the shortest day of the year – the winter solstice.

According to the National Weather Service, the winter solstice occurs when the sun is directly over the Tropic of Capricorn, which is located at 23.5 degrees south of the equator and runs through Australia, Chile, southern Brazil, and northern South Africa.

In 2025, the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere will be on Sunday, Dec. 21, at 10:03 a.m. EST

What happens during the winter solstice?

The winter solstice 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.

Contributing: Olivia Munson, USA TODAY

Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: When is winter solstice 2025? A guide to the shortest day of the year

Reporting by Gabe Hauari, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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