Winter Solstice 2026
The winter solstice 2026 happens at 20:50 Universal Time on Monday 21 December 2026: 15:50 in New York, 12:50 in Los Angeles and 20:50 in London. East of about UTC+3:10 it is already Tuesday 22 December: 02:35 in Kathmandu and 09:50 in Auckland. That moment is the December solstice: the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere and the summer solstice in the southern hemisphere. The tool shows it in your own time zone and in any other zone you pick, counts down to the minute, and lists the four seasons of 2027, starting with the spring equinox on 20 March. Every time comes from the US Naval Observatory’s table of solstices and equinoxes; add all five to your calendar with one .ics file.
100% private — everything runs in your browser. The times, the countdown and the calendar file are made on your device; nothing is uploaded.
Countdown
Where you are
Everything runs in your browser: nothing is uploaded, and only your hemisphere and zone choice are remembered in this browser. Every time comes from the US Naval Observatory’s table of solstices and equinoxes (to the minute, in Universal Time); this page computes no astronomy. It shows each time in your device’s time zone and in the zone you choose, with the time-zone rules built into your browser. The countdown uses this device’s clock.
How to use the winter solstice 2026 times
- Read the countdown in the box at the top. It uses this device’s clock.
- Check the hemisphere: it is guessed from your device’s time zone. In the southern hemisphere the December solstice is the summer solstice, and the names of all four seasons swap.
- Pick another place under “Also show the time in” to see the solstice and the 2027 equinoxes and solstices there, next to your own time.
- Download the .ics file to add all five moments to your calendar app; it shows them in your own time zone.
What you can use it for
- Knowing the exact minute of the solstice where you live
- Planning a solstice walk, gathering or photo at the right time
- Telling friends in another country when it happens for them
- Teaching the seasons, with the southern hemisphere the other way round
- Putting the 2027 equinoxes and solstices into a calendar
The winter solstice 2026 around the world
| Place | Date | Local time | UTC offset |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kiritimati (Kiribati) | Tuesday 22 December 2026 | 10:50 | UTC+14 |
| Auckland | Tuesday 22 December 2026 | 09:50 | UTC+13 |
| Sydney | Tuesday 22 December 2026 | 07:50 | UTC+11 |
| Tokyo | Tuesday 22 December 2026 | 05:50 | UTC+9 |
| Kathmandu (Nepal) | Tuesday 22 December 2026 | 02:35 | UTC+5:45 |
| India | Tuesday 22 December 2026 | 02:20 | UTC+5:30 |
| London | Monday 21 December 2026 | 20:50 | UTC+0 |
| New York | Monday 21 December 2026 | 15:50 | UTC−5 |
| Chicago | Monday 21 December 2026 | 14:50 | UTC−6 |
| Los Angeles | Monday 21 December 2026 | 12:50 | UTC−8 |
| Honolulu | Monday 21 December 2026 | 10:50 | UTC−10 |
| Pago Pago (American Samoa) | Monday 21 December 2026 | 09:50 | UTC−11 |
One moment, 20:50 UT on 21 December 2026, in local time. East of about UTC+3:10 the date is 22 December.
Spring equinox 2027 and the 2027 seasons
| Moment | Universal Time | Northern hemisphere | Southern hemisphere | New York |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December solstice 2026 | Monday 21 December 2026, 20:50 UT | Winter solstice | Summer solstice | Monday 21 December 2026, 15:50 |
| March equinox 2027 | Saturday 20 March 2027, 20:25 UT | Spring (vernal) equinox | Autumn equinox | Saturday 20 March 2027, 16:25 |
| June solstice 2027 | Monday 21 June 2027, 14:11 UT | Summer solstice | Winter solstice | Monday 21 June 2027, 10:11 |
| September equinox 2027 | Thursday 23 September 2027, 06:02 UT | Autumn equinox | Spring equinox | Thursday 23 September 2027, 02:02 |
| December solstice 2027 | Wednesday 22 December 2027, 02:42 UT | Winter solstice | Summer solstice | Tuesday 21 December 2027, 21:42 |
Times from the US Naval Observatory, to the minute. North of the equator the March equinox is spring; south of it, autumn.
Northern and southern hemisphere
The solstices and equinoxes happen at the same moment everywhere, but their names depend on the hemisphere. The December solstice is the winter solstice in New York, London and Tokyo and the summer solstice in Sydney, Buenos Aires and Cape Town. The tool guesses your hemisphere from your device’s time zone; change it if the guess is wrong.
More for the darkest (or brightest) days
Sunrise, sunset and day length for any city, day by day: Sunrise Sunset Calendar. The month on one page: December 2026 Calendar. The full moons and new moons: Moon Phase Calendar. Any time in any zone: Time Zone Converter.
More free calendars and countdowns
Planning December?
Calendars, countdowns and printables that run in your browser: free, private, no sign-up.
See all free tools →Frequently asked questions
When is the winter solstice 2026?
At 20:50 UT on Monday 21 December 2026. In New York that is 15:50 and in Los Angeles 12:50, both on 21 December; in Sydney, Tokyo and Auckland it is already 22 December.
Why is the solstice on 22 December in some places?
The solstice is one moment for the whole Earth. At 20:50 UT it is already after midnight in zones ahead of about UTC+3:10, so in India, Nepal, Asia, Australia and New Zealand the date is 22 December. In Kiritimati, at UTC+14, it is 10:50 on 22 December; in Pago Pago, at UTC−11, it is 09:50 on 21 December.
Is it the winter solstice everywhere?
No. The December solstice is the winter solstice north of the equator and the summer solstice south of it. Around this date the days are at their shortest in the north and at their longest in the south.
When is the spring equinox 2027?
At 20:25 UT on Saturday 20 March 2027: 16:25 in New York and 20:25 in London on 20 March, and 07:25 on 21 March in Sydney. In the southern hemisphere the March equinox is the autumn equinox.
When is the summer solstice 2027?
The June solstice is at 14:11 UT on Monday 21 June 2027; the next December solstice is at 02:42 UT on Wednesday 22 December 2027.
How long is the day on the solstice?
It depends on where you are: the further from the equator, the bigger the difference. This page gives the moment of the solstice; for sunrise, sunset and day length in your city use our sunrise sunset calendar.
Where do the times come from?
From the US Naval Observatory’s table of equinoxes and solstices (fetched on 7 November 2026), given to the minute in Universal Time. The page converts them to local time with your browser’s time-zone rules; it does not compute any astronomy itself.
Is my information uploaded?
No. Everything is worked out in this browser, and the files you download are made on your device.