ROANOKE, Va. – I know what you’re thinking. “The winter I grew up with doesn’t start until later in the month.” You’re absolutely right, and you’re referring to astronomical winter when the sun’s rays are directly over the Tropic of Capricorn (23.5°S).
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Meteorological seasons are broken up so that they start on the first of a month.
Astronomical seasons start on different dates each year, making record-keeping more difficult. Plus, starting the season this way this shows a definitive trend in temperatures. December through February is our coldest time of the year, whereas late March tends to get a little warmer (no, not all the time).
As for how much daylight we receive, we’re on a downward trend for the first little bit of meteorological winter. After the winter solstice, however, we slowly start to see daylight increasing!
For our thoughts on this upcoming winter, be sure to check out this year’s winter outlook from Your Local Weather Authority.