Winter arrives today in SD&G; will we have a white Christmas?

In this map from The Weather Network, the forecaster is calling for a long, cold winter across Eastern Ontario. Winter officially arrives today, Friday, Dec. 21, 2018, at 5:23 p.m. (The Weather Network via Newswatch Group)

SD&G – With freezing rain Thursday night and then a lot of rain overnight, it probably feels like anything but winter.

But the winter solstice officially arrives this afternoon (Friday) at 5:23 p.m.

This is also the day with the least amount of daylight at 8 hours and 43 minutes, also setting us up for the longest night of the year.

The amount of daylight will get progressively longer as we head to spring, which arrives on March 20, 2019.

The Weather Network is calling for a long, cold winter across Eastern Ontario – especially in the second half of the season – with a “bitter conclusion” temperature-wise.

As for a white Christmas, the forecaster says there’s a “slight chance” in SD&G.

The definition of a white Christmas is at least two centimeters of snow on the ground by 7 a.m. Christmas morning.