The Full ‘Snow Moon’ Is Coming Out This Weekend

The second full moon of 2026 is a number of brief days away, and it could not come at a extra related time. A lot of the US has been pelted by snow and ice from Winter Storm Fern, and it will be instantly adopted by February’s Full Snow Moon, scheduled to seem on the night of Feb. 1.

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In response to The Previous Farmer’s Almanac, the moon will attain its peak illumination at 5:09 p.m. ET on Sunday, simply earlier than sundown. The moon shall be under the horizon at this level for many of the Northern Hemisphere, so you will not be capable of catch this one proper at its very peak. It will come up over the jap horizon shortly after 6:00 p.m. native time and streak throughout the sky earlier than setting on the western horizon proper at dawn. 

The Snow Moon does not have any particular traits, like January’s supermoon or last June’s mini-moon. What makes this moon particular is its timing. Individuals within the Midwest and Northeast US presently have a ton of snow on the bottom, and with temperatures anticipated to stay under freezing for a number of weeks, the snow will possible nonetheless be there when the total moon hits. 

That ought to present fairly a present all by itself. In response to NASA, it is because snow has a very high albedo, a measure of how properly a fabric displays daylight. Snow displays upward of 90% of photo voltaic radiation and light-weight, and since moonlight is simply daylight mirrored off the moon, meaning the snow goes to do a wonderful job bouncing that gentle round. 

The outcome will little doubt be one of many brightest nights of the yr, simply surpassing the supermoons coming later in 2026. 

You will not want any particular tools to see the total moon, as it is the brightest factor within the evening sky by a rustic mile. With all of the snow cowl, you won’t even want a flashlight in the event you let your canine out after darkish and the sky is obvious. 

Why is it known as the Snow Moon?

Midwest and Northeast residents want solely to look outdoors to find why February’s full moon is known as the Snow Moon. The Previous Farmer’s Almanac says it earned the title as a result of the month had essentially the most snow again within the days earlier than the Revolutionary Conflict. 

January has since taken the title of the snowiest month. In response to information from The Climate Channel, the East Coast nonetheless sees most of its snowfall in February, and since most individuals lived there on the time, that is in all probability the place the title got here from.