December 21 - Winter Solstice

Winter Solstice - On December 21, at 23:38 UTC, the Sun passes directly over the Tropic of Capricorn. This is when Winter officially begins in the Northern hemisphere.

Lunar Eclipse - A total lunar eclipse will peak on December 21, with the total phase starting at 07:40 UTC. It may be seen from parts of the Americas, Asia, Europe and western Africa.

December 8 - Winter Storms

Winter Storms - When masses of air with different temperatures, pressures and moisture levels converge at a front, winter storms occur. The air in the low-pressure areas move upward into cooler atmospheric regions, where water vapor condenses and falls as snow or sleet.

Severe winter storms can cover entire regions with ice and snow, like this NASA image of the North Eastern United States.

250,000 - THANK YOU!

(photo courtesy of National Geographic)

I was surprised to see that I have received 250,000 visits to my ECO Time blog. Thank you to everyone who has stopped by over the last few years!