A Sunny Winter Begins in Latvia: How Long Will the Darkest Period of the Year Last

In Latvia, a sunny winter begins on November 6 — the darkest three-month period of the year. Despite the name, it is not about the weather, snowfall, or frost, but about the duration of daylight. According to the LETA agency, citing data from the timeanddate.com portal, the sunny winter will last until February 4. During this time, the duration of daylight in Riga will be less than nine hours. ### When Will the Shortest Day of the Year Occur? The shortest day will be December 21 — the day of the winter solstice. In Riga, the sun will rise at approximately 9:00 AM and set at 3:43 PM. Thus, the daylight will last only about 6 hours and 43 minutes. After the winter solstice, the days will gradually begin to lengthen. However, it will still be 45 days until the end of the sunny winter. The darkest three-month period will end on February 4. ### When Will Sunny Spring Begin? Sunny spring will begin on February 5 and will last until May 6. During these three months, the duration of daylight in Latvia will increase from less than nine hours to nearly 16 hours. Thus, although the calendar winter will still continue in February, the amount of daylight will begin to noticeably increase. ### Why Does Winter Start on Different Dates? There are several ways to divide the year into seasons, so the start of winter depends on the definition used. Sunny winter is related to the duration of daylight. This year, it starts on November 6 and ends on February 4. Astronomical winter begins on the day of the winter solstice — December 21 — and will last until the spring equinox on March 20. Meteorological winter is defined by air temperature. In Latvia, it begins when the average daily temperature drops below zero for at least five consecutive days. The first day of such a period is considered the start of winter. Therefore, meteorological winter can start significantly earlier or later than astronomical winter. ### When Did Meteorological Winter Start in Latvia in Previous Years? In recent years, the dates for the start of meteorological winter have varied significantly. | Year | Start of Meteorological Winter | | ---- | ------------------------------ | | 2025 | November 23 | | 2024 | December 4 | | 2023 | November 17 | | 2022 | November 17 | Thus, the onset of sunny winter does not necessarily mean that frosty weather will set in the coming days. However, starting from November 6, Latvia enters the period of the shortest days of the year, and a noticeable increase in daylight will have to wait until the second half of winter.