Did you know?

  • The first day of astronomical winter 2023 in the Northern Hemisphere will be on Friday 22 December, and the last day will be on Wednesday 20 March 2024.

  • The word ‘winter’ comes from the Germanic word ‘wintar’ which comes from the root ‘wed’ meaning ‘wet’ or ‘water’.

  • Many birds, including swifts and swallows, migrate to warmer climates for the winter. They find their way by using the landscape, and have a substance called magnetite in their beaks which allows them to navigate using the Earth's magnetic field.

  • All snowflakes have 6 sides. This is because water molecules naturally form a hexagon when they join together.