Winter in the UK ends differently depending on whether you're using meteorological or astronomical definitions. Both are widely discussed, especially as we hit late February 2026.

Meteorological Winter

This is the standard used by the Met Office, BBC Weather, and most UK climatologists for consistent data tracking.

  • Winter runs December 1 to February 28 (or 29 in leap years).
  • Right now, on February 21, 2026, meteorological winter ends in one week, on February 28.

Spring then begins March 1, aligning with fixed calendar blocks for reliable year-over-year comparisons.

Astronomical Winter

This follows Earth's tilt and orbit, tied to solstices and equinoxes—popular for cultural or nature-based views.

  • Winter starts at the December solstice (December 21, 2025, for this season) and ends at the March equinox.
  • It ends March 20, 2026 , around 9:01 AM local time, when day and night balance.

Days start lengthening noticeably after the solstice, but cold snaps can linger past this date.

Public Views from Forums

Brits on Reddit's r/AskUK debate this passionately, blending official dates with personal feels:

"On the equinox for me." – User bbricktop

"When spring starts, so, Thu, 20 Mar 2025, 9:01 am" – User TheDettiEskimo (noting 2026 is similar)

  • Many tie winter's "end" to warmer weather or no-frost nights, not calendars—often mid-March in London.
  • Trending chats question if recent mild spells (like Met Office's Feb 20 forecast) signal "the end," but meteorologists say no until March 1.

TL;DR: Meteorological winter ends February 28, 2026 (8 days away); astronomical on March 20. Most official UK weather uses the earlier date.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.