Saudi Arabia officially welcomes the winter season this evening with the winter solstice, marking the beginning of the coldest period of the year, according to former Qassim University climatology professor, Dr. Abdullah Al-Masnad.
Al-Masnad confirmed on X that the sun will be directly overhead the Tropic of Capricorn at 6:03 PM, signaling the start of a winter season lasting approximately 89 days. On this day, the distance between the Earth and the sun reaches about 147.17 million kilometers.
He highlighted that the Kingdom will experience the longest night and the shortest day of the year, with Riyadh’s daylight being around 3 hours and 4 minutes shorter than on June 21, the summer solstice. Significant temperature drops are expected, recalling that the maximum temperature recorded on this day in 1993 was only 8°C in Riyadh.
Meteorology expert Dr. Khalid Al-Za’aq noted that the “Al-Murabba’ania” period has returned this season in its traditional form after nearly 40 years, with cold and rainy conditions fully present—phenomena that were less evident in previous decades. He also anticipates the gradual onset of spring in about two weeks, with improved and milder weather conditions.
The National Center for Meteorology also predicts that strong, dust-raising winds will affect parts of Mecca, Medina, and Tabuk, particularly in coastal areas, while fog may form over parts of the Northern Borders, Al-Jouf, Hail, Qassim, Riyadh, and the Eastern Province.
