Quick Answer: When Is Xiaoxue, Minor Snow?
Xiaoxue (小雪, Xiǎoxuě), or Minor Snow, is the twentieth of the 24 solar terms. It begins at 240 degrees of apparent solar longitude. In the Hong Kong Observatory’s tables for 2026 and 2027 it falls on November 22. [1][2][3]
- Calendar: It follows Start of Winter and precedes Major Snow. [1]
- Weather: The date is set by the Sun. Early snow can arrive at different times in different places. [1][4]
- Local foods: Accounts describe preserving vegetables in Jiangsu and curing meats or drying fish around Fuzhou. [5][6][7]
The Hong Kong Observatory uses Light Snow for the same solar term. In a forecast, light snow describes precipitation. [1][4][5]
In a Qing-period description from what is now Yizheng, Jiangsu, households stored preserved greens for winter around Xiaoxue. A Fuzhou account describes people preparing dried fish and cured meats in the same season. Both accounts describe putting food aside for winter meals. [5][6][7]
How the Solar Calendar Sets Minor Snow
In the cycle of the 24 solar terms, Start of Winter begins at 225 degrees of apparent solar longitude, Minor Snow at 240 and Major Snow at 255. The Hong Kong Observatory’s 2026 almanac lists the Xiaoxue crossing at 3:23 p.m. on November 22 in Hong Kong time. [1][2][3]
The crossing happens at a single instant. Its printed date depends on the time zone and can vary from year to year. A forecast that uses the words light snow is describing the intensity of a weather event at a place. [1][2][4][5]
When Snow Actually Arrives
China Weather Network’s account of first-snow timing places many locations in North China and the Yellow–Huai region near the Xiaoxue period in a typical year. It names Beijing, Tianjin and Jinan among the examples. That describes a seasonal pattern. Actual first snow depends on local conditions. [4]
A report from Fuzhou on November 22, 2025, described colder weather and mentioned that the city had seen no snow. The date was still Xiaoxue in the local calendar. [1][4][7]
Preserving Winter Food in Jiangsu and Fuzhou
The Zhejiang social sciences federation cites a Nanjing saying that associates Xiaoxue with preserving vegetables and the later Major Snow with curing meat. A Qing-period account from Zhenzhou, now Yizheng, calls the preserved winter greens hancai (寒菜, háncài). The region’s examples include mustard greens and other vegetables kept for winter meals. [5][6]
A Fuzhou report describes curing meat to serve around Spring Festival and drying fish. The latter also has a symbolic association: the local words for fish and surplus sound alike. Drying fish supplied a winter food and carried a wish for abundance. [7]
FAQs About Xiaoxue and Minor Snow
Is Minor Snow always November 22?
The date varies with the year and time zone. The Hong Kong Observatory lists November 22 in 2026 and 2027. [1][2][3]
What comes after Minor Snow?
Major Snow follows in the solar calendar. The Hong Kong Observatory calls it Heavy Snow and places it at 255 degrees of solar longitude. [1]
Sources
[1] Hong Kong Observatory. The 24 Solar Terms
[2] Hong Kong Observatory. November 2026 Calendar
[3] Hong Kong Observatory. 2027 Gregorian–Lunar Conversion Table
[4] China Weather Network. First Snow across China around Xiaoxue
[5] Zhejiang Federation of Humanities and Social Sciences Circles. Seasonal Foods at Xiaoxue
[6] Beijing Municipal Bureau of Landscaping and Greening. Start of Winter and Minor Snow
[7] Fuzhou Evening News / Fuzhou Municipal Government. Foods for Fuzhou’s Minor Snow