Full Snow Moon

According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, the Full Moon we see in February is called the Snow Moon because, on average, February is the snowiest month in the United States according to data from the National Weather Service.

In ancient times Native Americans looked to the Moon to track the seasons on a lunar calendar. So it makes sense that each month’s Full Moon was given a name.

Other February full Moon names include:

• Shoulder to Shoulder Around the Fire Moon (the Wishram people of the Pacific Northwest)
• No Snow in the Trails Moon (the Zuni of the Southwest)
• Bone Moon (the Cherokee of the Southeast)… The Bone Moon meant that there was so little food that people gnawed on bones and ate bone marrow soup. (almanac.com)

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Tonight we receive 2 gifts from the skies. First, the Full Moon begins to rise from behind the San Bernardino Mountains.

Later, the International Space Station passes overhead as the blue dot below.

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More about the Moon

According to the short video from The Old Farmer’s Almanac website, still another name for the February Full Moon is the Hunger Moon because the snow made it difficult for native peoples to hunt and trap.

Full Moon names corresponded to seasonal changes, but country wisdom also describes the phenomenon of moon weather. The Full Moon brings frost in the Spring and the Fall and periods of extreme cold in the winter. Researchers have indeed found distinct correlation between a Full Moon and cloudiness, rainfall, and thunder. Weather records also confirm that the first few days after a Full Moon or New Moon tend to be rainy or stormy.

Other weather folklore related to the moon has to do with its shape, color, and position in the sky. For instance, when the New Crescent Moon holds its points or horns upward, it is able to hold water so a dry spell can be expected.

almanac.com

When the New Crescent  moon stands on its points or horns, precipitation will spill out.

almanac.com