Posted December 20th, 2024 | By Andrew Pritchard, Senior Meteorologist, Nutrien Ag Solutions

Andrew Pritchard, a senior meteorologist for Nutrien Ag Solutions shares his thoughts on this year’s winter solstice and what it means for growers. 

The winter solstice marks the date on which North America sees the shortest amount of daylight with the sun at its lowest point on the horizon. Though the days begin getting incrementally longer after the solstice, there is a delayed response in the atmosphere and the coldest days of the year often follow in January and early February. This is the time of year when the temperature contrast between the cold polar regions and the warmer middle latitudes is at its biggest, and this temperature contrast is what leads to the very active, fast flowing jet stream that drives winter and springtime storm systems over North America.

This year, the weather pattern has been very volatile in the weeks leading up to the solstice, and this theme is expected to continue into early January. We’ve seen several intrusions of cold, arctic air making it all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. This bitterly cold air does not hold much moisture, so precipitation has been hard to come by in areas that badly need it following a dry fall. Temperature swings are expected to continue into the end of December and early January with a potentially mild holiday season on tap. La Niña continues in the background which may lead to an increasingly active storm track across Ohio Valley in the late winter, but the late-winter precipitation outlook remains highly speculative at this range.

The winter solstice also holds significance for farmers as a time of reflection, planning, and rest before the coming growing season. Winter marks the official beginning of the winter season, but it also signals the incremental march toward longer days and shorter nights as we round the corner toward the next growing season. Even though farmers are less active in the field around the solstice, it’s a busy time for meetings and conferences as farmers and ag industry professionals gather to reflect on the recent growing season and make plans for the year ahead.