The accurate prediction of East Asian winter climate is crucial for people's well-being. However, there are significant differences in the winter climate anomalies between early and late winters in this region. Previous studies using the seasonal average (December to February, DJF) may have filtered out the effects of some important climate factors, leading to biases in the understanding and prediction of East Asian winter climate. This short commentary provides an interpretation of the relevant work on the climate anomaly differences between early and late winters in East Asia. The results may provide new perspectives for understanding and predicting East Asian winter climate.