The astronomical event will take place at the same time all around the world. For us in the United States, it'll happen while the majority are asleep - around 4:21 a.m. EST on Dec. 21.

Winter solstice doesn't just mark the shortest day of the year, though. It's also the astronomical start of winter, which may seem like a taunt toward areas of the country that have already seen a fair share of winter storms and freezing temperatures.

The astronomical start of winter doesn't actually reflect weather patterns, however. Meteorological winter began on Dec. 1.

What is the winter solstice?

Winter solstice is when the North Pole tilts the farthest point from the sun. Because of this, it coincides with a lot of the stuff we associate with winter, such as cold weather and shorter days. While the northern hemisphere experiences winter, the southern hemisphere experiences summer.

When does the winter solstice happen?

Winter solstice doesn't always happen on the same date, but it's pretty close. The solstice can happen any time between Dec. 20-23, but Dec. 21 tends to be when it most frequently happens.

What is the difference between an equinox and a solstice?

Throughout the year, Earth experiences two solar equinoxes and two solstices. The equinoxes occur in spring and fall, while the solstices fall in summer and winter.

An equinox is when the northern and southern hemispheres are in a "neutral" position related to the sun. That means the Earth's axis is neither tilted away nor toward the sun, and the Earth sees almost equal daylight and darkness, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

A solstice is when the Earth's tilt is either furthest toward or away from the sun, depending on whether it's summer or winter.

Will it be cold on Christmas this year?

Florida will see high temperatures ranging from the low-to-mid 70s throughout the state, so Christmas is going to be on the warmer side this year.