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- This year’s full moon of snow peaked at 3:17 a.m. EST on Saturday, February 27, 2021.
- The last full moon of winter is easy to see, with a long, high arc over the night sky.
- The cold name is particularly poignant this year, following several snowstorms across the country.
For many parts of the country, this year’s winter has been one of the snowiest in recent memory – and this month’s full moon arrives just in time to postpone it.
The full moon of heavy snow reached light at 3:17 a.m. EST on Saturday, Feb. 27, according to NASA. While that is the very moment when it will be so bright and perfect, the moon is likely to be full through Sunday.
Like last month ‘s Wolf Moon, the Snow Moon mimics the path of the summer sun, rising in the east around sunset, rising over around midnight, and passing under the western horizon near the break of day, all Almanac of the old farmer. Thanks to its height, the full moon should be easily visible to steep viewers – depending on the time of night, look either high in the sky or close to the horizon.
As this is the third full and last moon of winter, the February moon gets its name from the snow that coats the ground through the frigid, blustery last days of the season. February is the snowiest month in much of the country – and after this month’s historic snowstorms in Texas and beyond, “Snow Moon” has never been more appropriate.
Other traditional names for the last full moon of winter include the Hungry Moon and the Bony Moon, Almanac of the old farmer explains, as hunting was more difficult at this time of year. (Unfortunately another nickname, Groundhog Moon, has nothing to do with Phil Punxsutawney, which hits Groundhog Day in early February.)
Even with less than a month of winter left, there’s no time to break out the swimsuits – the latest weather forecasts point to cold March and stormy April. But hey, the Snow Moon is a reminder no matter what the current temperature, that the first day of spring (and warmer weather along the way) is still on the way.
The next full moon, the Moon Worm, occurs on March 28, just over a week after the first day of spring.
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