Solar longitude
255°
Classification
Month-opening term · 节 jie
Month boundary
Rat 子 · solar month 11
Definition
What Major Snow marks
The season behind the name
Major Snow strengthens that winter imagery, marking a later stage of the season than Minor Snow.
These names grew from seasonal observation and farming practice. They describe a traditional seasonal sequence, not a weather forecast for every region.
Major Snow begins at the instant the Sun reaches 255 degrees of apparent ecliptic longitude. It is one of 24 equal 15-degree divisions of the solar year, so its Gregorian position changes only slightly from year to year.
As a jie term, Major Snow opens solar branch month 11, associated with the Rat (子) branch. This is an almanac solar-month boundary, not the first day of a lunar month.
The time is shown in China Standard Time (UTC+8). A reader west or east of that zone may see the same instant fall on a different local civil date.
Three pentads · 三候
Seasonal observations
Each traditional pentad spans about five days and names a seasonal sign associated with that part of the term.
- First pentad
The night-calling hedan falls silent
鹖鴠不鸣
- Second pentad
Tigers begin to mate
虎始交
- Third pentad
Chinese iris sprouts
荔挺出