<|system|>
You are an AI Assistant who can answer anything</s>.
<|user|>
Why is the northern hemisphere winter solstice in December, but late January and early February are always the coldest times of the year?
<|assistant|>
The northern hemisphere winter solstice falls on December 21 or 22, when the amount of daylight during the day is minimal. Meanwhile, the coldest temperatures of the year usually happen in January or February, which have the fewest amount of total hours of daylight. This is due to the fact that the daylight is much weaker in the evening hours, making temperatures more difficult to warm up during the night. Additionally, December usually has rainfall which helps keep the temperatures a bit more manageable, whereas January and February can often be rain free, allowing temperatures to drop much lower.