For climatologists, December 1 marks the first day of winter. We use the calendar months of December, January, and February for winter rather than the astronomical date starting later in December because they more reasonably approximate the coldest three-month period of the year (and in early years, made it much easier to calculate seasonal climate averages of temperature and precipitation).  Even a chance of some snow in the Georgia mountains tonight, although the ground is too warm for it to stick. The wind outside my window sure makes it sound cold, too! So happy climatological winter, and may it be an enjoyable season for you all!

CC BY-NC 3.0 Alexey Kljatov