UK weather: The exact date winter starts and the month we’re most likely to see snow
Watch the Met Office’s weekend video forecast, as a wet start to winter is expected.
The date of the first day of winter is different in the astronomical calendar compared to the meteorological calendar.
Astronomical winter
The Met Office writes that the astronomical calendar determines the seasons due to the 23.5 degrees of tilt of the Earth's rotational axis in relation to its orbit around the Sun.
Both Equinoxes and Solstices are related to the Earth's orbit around the Sun. However, the dates of the Equinox and Solstice aren't fixed due to the Earth's elliptical orbit of the Sun.
This year, astronomical winter begins on December 21 2025 and ends on March 20 2026.
Meteorological winter
The meteorological seasons are four periods of the year made up of three months each.
The seasons are split to coincide with the Gregorian calendar, making it easier for meteorological observing and forecasting to compare seasonal and monthly statistics.
In the meteorological calendar, the first day of winter is always December 1, with the season ending on February 28 (or 29 during a Leap Year).
What month are we most likely to see snow in the UK?
According to the Met Office, the UK is more likely to see snow in January and February than in December, with snow actually settling on the ground (snow lying) an average of 3 days in December, compared to 3.3 days in January, 3.4 days in February and 1.9 days in March (1991 - 2020 long-term averaging period).