It's fall. But Christmas decorations and bags of rock salt popping up in stores serve as a reminder that winter isn't too far away.

The winter solstice comes about three months after the autumnal equinox, which took place on Sept. 22 this year, according to The Old Farmer's Almanac .

We're inching toward the shortest day of the year , so you might be getting off of work and eating dinner in the dark pretty soon.

Here's what to know about the winter solstice and when to start preparing for some chillier weather.

When is the 2025 winter solstice?

This year, winter begins on Sunday, Dec. 21, at 10:03 a.m. ET, according to The Old Farmer's Almanac. At this time, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted as far away from the sun as possible.

The winter solstice is known as the shortest day

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