Posted December 18th, 2025 | By Andrew Pritchard, Senior Meteorologist, Nutrien Ag Solutions

The winter solstice marks the shortest day and longest night of the year across North America, with the sun tracing its lowest path across the southern sky. From this point forward, daylight slowly begins to increase, a subtle but meaningful shift for anyone whose work depends on the seasons. While the calendar says winter has officially arrived, the solstice also represents a turning point, signaling that the march toward longer days and the next growing season has quietly begun.

From a weather perspective, the solstice coincides with a time of maximum contrast between Arctic cold and warmer mid-latitude air masses. That sharp temperature difference fuels a strong and often fast-moving jet stream, which plays a central role in shaping winter and early spring storm systems across the United States. Importantly, even though daylight increases after the solstice, the atmosphere responds slowly. The coldest temperatures of the year often arrive weeks later, in January or early February, reminding us that winter still has plenty of influence left.

This winter has already made its presence known across much of the Cornbelt. Repeated surges of bitterly cold Arctic air and frequent snowfall have led some areas to their snowiest start to winter in several decades. Looking ahead, the near-term outlook suggests a milder pattern developing during the second half of December, offering a temporary break from the cold. Farther out, there are signs that an active storm track could set up across the Ohio Valley later in the winter. What remains uncertain is the character of those storms, rain, snow, ice, or wind, and history shows it often takes just one major system to define an entire winter season.

For growers, the winter solstice is more than an astronomical milestone. It’s a natural pause, a time for reflection on the past growing season, rest after a demanding year, and preparation for the one ahead. While fieldwork is limited, winter is busy in other ways, filled with planning, equipment maintenance, meetings, and conferences. As daylight slowly returns, the solstice serves as a quiet reminder that even in the heart of winter, the next growing season is already on the horizon.