When Does Winter Start In Usa __top__ -

While the two official definitions provide dates, actual winter weather varies dramatically across the large and geographically diverse USA:

Beyond the science and the geography, there is the cultural dimension of winter. In the modern American psyche, the start of winter is often inextricably linked to the holiday season. For millions, the season begins not with a solstice or a thermometer reading, but with the lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree or the first snowfall that coats a shopping mall parking lot. This cultural winter is a construct of commerce and nostalgia. It arrives with the first strains of holiday music in retail stores the day after Thanksgiving and ends abruptly on January 1st, when the decorations are stored away, even though the coldest months of January and February still lie ahead. This psychological compartmentalization allows Americans to enjoy the "cozy" aspects of the season—the twinkling lights, the hot cocoa, the gatherings—while mentally separating them from the harsh reality of the deep winter that follows. when does winter start in usa