# Days until winter

Counts the days from today, or any date you choose, to the next first day of winter, with its date and day of the week.

- Page: https://www.acalculator.org/days/days-until-winter
- JSON spec: https://www.acalculator.org/days/days-until-winter.json
- Version: d1f56a7955fe

## Default answer

Example with the default inputs (Count from September 29, 2026) on the example date Tuesday, September 29, 2026: From September 29, 2026, there are 83 days until the first day of winter on Monday, December 21, 2026.

## Inputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| from | Count from | The date to count from. Today, unless you change it. |

## Outputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| days | Days until Winter | Whole days from the start date to the next first day of winter; 0 on the day itself. |
| date | Date | The next date of the first day of winter on or after the start date. |
| weekday | Day of the week | The weekday of that date. |
| weeks | In weeks | The same number of days in weeks and days. |

## Method

Find the first date of the first day of winter on or after the start date, then count the days from the start date to it.

## Assumptions

- Winter starts at the December solstice (December 20, 21, or 22 in US Eastern Time), when the Sun is farthest south.
- Start dates from January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2060 work, because the dates are checked against the US Naval Observatory for these years, and US daylight time has started in March since 2007.
- The start date itself is not counted: from the day before, the count is 1; on the day itself, it is 0.
- Dates are calendar days with no time of day, so a time zone or a daylight-saving change never adds or loses a day.

## Worked examples

1. from = 2026-01-01 gives date = 2026-12-21, days = 354. Source: US Naval Observatory seasons API (https://aa.usno.navy.mil/api/seasons), converted to US Eastern Time; Meeus, Astronomical Algorithms, ch. 27.
2. from = 2026-12-22 gives date = 2027-12-21, days = 364. Source: US Naval Observatory seasons API (https://aa.usno.navy.mil/api/seasons), converted to US Eastern Time; Meeus, Astronomical Algorithms, ch. 27.

## FAQ

### When is the first day of winter 2026?

The first day of winter 2026 is on Monday, December 21, 2026.

### When is the first day of winter 2027?

The first day of winter 2027 is on Tuesday, December 21, 2027.

### How is the date of the first day of winter set?

Winter starts at the December solstice (December 20, 21, or 22 in US Eastern Time), when the Sun is farthest south. Source: US Naval Observatory seasons API (https://aa.usno.navy.mil/api/seasons), converted to US Eastern Time.

### How are the days until the first day of winter counted?

From the start date (today, unless you change it) to the date, without counting the start date. The day before, the count is 1; on the day itself, it is 0; the day after, the count moves on to the next first day of winter.

## Sources

- US Naval Observatory seasons API (https://aa.usno.navy.mil/api/seasons), converted to US Eastern Time; Meeus, Astronomical Algorithms, ch. 27