February 2025 Full Snow Moon
“… A silvered pine, spattered stardust
against an inky sky — I wonder
who the owl calls for
on this Snow Moon Night. …” From Hunger Moon by Erika Burkhalter
February’s full Moon is called the Snow Moon, and it occurs on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, at 8:53AM EST. For us the Moon sets at 7:40AM EST so it will be below the horizon at the exact moment it is full. But we won’t miss it – the Moon will look full and bright to our eyes on the evenings of the 11th, 12th and 13th.
An interesting fact – February is the only Month that may not have a full Moon. The lunar phase cycle is 29.5 days, so if we have a full Moon at the very end of January, we won’t have a full Moon in February. This no full Moon is often called the Black Moon of February. No full Moon Februarys happen about every 19 years. The last time this happened was 2018 and the next time we have a no full Moon February will be in 2037.
It’s easy to see why February’s full Moon is called the Snow Moon as February can be one of the snowiest months of the year. Although traditionally called the Snow Moon, February’s full Moon has many other Native American names. Several of these names refer to the cold and snow of February such as the Lakota name When Trees Crack Because of Cold Moon, the Abenaki name Makes Branches Fall in Pieces Moon and the Mahican name Deep Snow Moon. By this time food supplies are running low, plant foods can’t be replaced and there are few animals to hunt. There are several Moons that reflect the hunger and scarcity of this time such as the Cherokee name Hungry Moon and the Choctaw name Moon of Big Famine. Many full Moons have animal names like January’s Wolf Moon, however in February many animals are hibernating or otherwise hard to find, but even so there are tribes that have given animal names to this Moon such as the Haida who call this the Goose Moon and the Ojibwe who call this the When Bear Cubs are Born Moon.
Today if you were naming February’s full Moon what would you call it? Maybe the Sipping Hot Chocolate Moon or Sitting in Front of Fire Moon or maybe the Super Bowl Moon or the Valentine Moon. Whatever name you choose enjoy February’s full Moon.