Welcome Wednesday: When does winter start for you?

[#1]

Happy Wednesday Everyone!

We are two days away from the beginning of December. For all my friends in the Southern Hemisphere, I know you are about to enter summer but I think you are still able to comment on this, it will just be able half a year early.

The “Start of Winter“ is different for everyone. Scientifically speaking, in North America it’s around the 21st of December.

• For some people I know it’s the moment Christmas decorations go up.

• For others it’s the first visible snow fall.

• For those that I know who have a cottage or seasonal trailer, it can be the moment you have officially closed up for the season.

So my question for you this week: When do you officially submit t the fact that it’s winter? Is it when it’s cold enough out that you need a hot beverage after having been outside? or one of the other items I mentioned above?

Personally, I never concede to it “officially“ being winter until there is enough snow on the ground that I’m required to shovel my driveway.

How about the rest of you? Let me know in the comments below.

Have a great rest of the week!

[Randy O_Neal]

I'd say for a bunch of us big game hunters here south of the Mason-Dixon line, winter usually begins with the opening of deer season.  While it's true that bow season begins much, much earlier, gun season is usually either mid-November or the early portions of December, depending on your location.

Hint: you know you live in the boondocks if they close school for "Buck Day" and "Doe Day".  Remarkably, they don't do that here in Kentucky, but they did in central Pennsylvania when we lived there!

If you're not a hunter - or you're unable to participate in the annual hunt - Black Friday and the barrage of 24/7 Hallmark Christmas Rom-Com movies is another good indicator winter is here.

[Jimmy Seddon]

Thank you @Randy O_Neal!  Today I learned something!

[Sue Wilson]

Perfect day to ask this question @Jimmy Seddon ...

I took the dog out at 7:30 this morning.  It was 19 degrees, with a feels like temp of 12! Brrrr!!!  While Winter doesn't "officially" start until December 21st, I'd say the temps are a clear indication it is here...at least for today.  Tomorrow is supposed to climb to the 50's, so back to Fall for a day here & there from this point until Spring.  

Generally speaking, I consider it Winter when all the leaves have fallen from the trees, the grass crunches under my feet in the morning & I have to wear a Winter coat to go anywhere outside the house!  ;-)  But, then again, I'm cold once it goes below 70!! LOL

[Peter Van de Voorde]

When the fields I pass on my way to drop the kids off at school look like this.



That's when winter starts for me, with bright blue skies, and frozen dew drops on every surface.

Another great question @Jimmy Seddon !

[Andy Gladstone]

Today. The first day that I get off my bike from my final leg of the commute from the train station to work and have to check whether all 10 toes are still connected to my foot is the official start of winter. That was today. 

[Gerald]

@Randy O_Neal  NICE ARTICLE

[Summer Hogan]

Another wonderful question @Jimmy Seddon! I am lucky as I live in Arizona where the weather consists of two seasons: hot and less hot. I would say with a high of 71 degrees today we have just barely hit the less hot point, but I would not say winter has started yet. Maybe by the end of December or early January it will come and then it will be over before we know it! 

[Ernst Fortunits]

Wien, Ende November, 2023 - Die perfekte Frage zum Tag, wie ichvorhin gelesen habe - passt wirklich perfekt, dass darum da ich heute zum ersten Mal den Winter physisch wahrgenommen habe.

Ich gehöre zurKategorie Büromensch. Bei dieser Spezies geht es immer darum die jeweilige Jahreszeit auszuschalten, mit Hilfe der Technik. Sprich Klimaanalagen, also die Hitze wird ausgegelichen und daselbe gilt für die Kälte. Die Jahreszeiten finden am PC in atemberaubenden Bildern als Bildschirmschoner statt. 

Heute nahm ich an einer Demonstration teil, welche am Nachmittag vonstatten ging, nach ca. 2 Stunden fand die Vearanstaltung ihr Ende, meine Nase ward gefühllos gleiches galt für meine Lippen. Meine Flecce-Jacke hielten den den Temperaturen so um die 0° Celsius nicht stand. Ebenso kroch die Kälte in meine Beine. Die Halbschuhe sind nicht gedacht für einen Aufenthatl im Freien um diese Jahreszeit, sehr wohl aber fürs Büro.  

Somit wahr heute der Tag an dem ich mich an so etwas wie Natur erinnert und das bewusst. Diese Bewusstsein wurden durch den Artikel und die Antwort samt meiner Stellungnahme bestärkt.

Ich wünsche uns einen tollen Spätherbst, einen Winter mit weißen Weihnachten (gibt es eigentlich nur bei Bing Crosby) und dann die Freude und Erwartung wenn die Tage länger werden und das Grün des Frühlings zurückkehrt und die legendeären Bäume im Prater wieder blühen. 

ganz liebe Grüße aus einem kalten Wien sendet allen Ernst !!! 

[Cal Hoff]

I'm in London, UK.

I have a fun thing called Raynaud's Phenomenon where the blood vessels in my hands and feet (among others) constrict, making me feel really cold when the temperature fluctuates or goes down.

The flat I live in is super warm, and in a super warm building, so generally - even in cold weather - the temperature indoors is stable or on the rise and so even when it's cold indoors I don't feel cold as a result of RP.

This week though it's cold enough outside that the indoor temp is up and down constantly and even though it's 21 degrees (70F) indoors, because it's fluctuating up and down around that point, I feel absolutely freezing! So this post is quite timely as this definitely feels like the first week of winter for me!

[Halina Cudakiewicz_Deviniti_]

First snow is always the indicator that winter is here :)

[Munnir Abdulhamid]

Thanks for sharing @Jimmy Seddon 

[Dominika Kuraś-Moskwa _Deviniti_]

It's the first snow for me ❄❄ Unfortunately, sometimes in Poland, we have to wait till January to see it. In such cases, when there is no snow, in my mind goes such an equation: winter=December. Thankfully not this year, now we have a winter of a century!  

[Carike Blignaut-Staden]

When it's too cold too swim!

[Freddie Bendzius-Drennan]

For me I know it's winter when I have to literally put gloves on! 

[Francisco Solari]

I know IS winter when my cats decide that sharing the bed is more important than self space...

[Randy O_Neal]

@Carike Blignaut-Staden based on that assessment, winter arrived in mid-October here... lol.

[Markus L]

Hi, for us in Finland I'd say that the 1st of December in winter. (November is still late Autumn.)

[Hari Shankar S]

Winter is Late here - Was expecting this winter to be more colder . unfortunately its hot :)