February’s Full Moon peaks on Sunday evening, February 1! Why is it called the Full Snow Moon? What makes this chilly Moon so special? Find out in our February Moon Guide.
When to See the Full Moon in February 2026
February’s Full Snow Moon reaches peak illumination at 5:09 P.M. EST on Sunday, February 1. Step outside after dusk to see the Full Moon in all of its glory!
See when the Moon will be visible in your area.
Why Is It Called the Snow Moon?
The Full Moon names used by The Old Farmer’s Almanac come from a number of places, including Native American, Colonial American, and European sources. Traditionally, each Full Moon name was applied to the entire lunar month in which it occurred, not just to the Full Moon itself.
The Snow Moon
The explanation behind February’s Full Moon name is a fairly straightforward one: it’s known as the Snow Moon due to the typically heavy snowfall that occurs in February. On average, February is the United States’ snowiest month, according to data from the National Weather Service. In the 1760s, Captain Jonathan Carver, who had visited with the Naudowessie (Dakota), wrote that the name used for this period was the Snow Moon, “because more snow commonly falls during this month than any other in the winter.”
Alternative February Moon Names
Names for this month’s Moon have historically had a connection to animals. The Cree traditionally called this the Bald Eagle Moon or Eagle Moon. The Ojibwe Bear Moon and Tlingit Black Bear Moon refer to the time when bear cubs are born. The Dakota also call this the Raccoon Moon; certain Algonquin peoples named it the Groundhog Moon, and the Haida named it Goose Moon.
Another theme of this month’s Moon names is scarcity. The Cherokee names of Month of the Bony Moon and Hungry Moon give evidence to the fact that food was hard to come by at this time.
→ See a Full calendar year of Moon names and meanings.
Moon Phases for February 2026
All dates and times listed below are Eastern Standard Time. See the Almanac’s Moon Phase Calendar for times in your city/state.
| Full Moon: February 1, 5:09 P.M. |
| Last Quarter: February 9, 7:43 A.M. |
| New Moon: February 17, 7:01 A.M. |
| First Quarter: February 24, 7:27 A.M. |
.png){kind=small}
.png){kind=small}
.png){kind=small}
.png){kind=small}
→ When is the next Full Moon? See our Full Moon calendar.
February Snow Moon Video
Each month, we will explain the traditional names of the Full Moon along with some fascinating Moon facts. In this video, learn about the Snow Moon, “Moon weather,” and the horns of the new crescent Moon. Click below to watch the video.
Best Days in February 2026
Below are the Best Days for activities, based on the Moon’s sign and phase in February.
For Planting…
…Aboveground crops: 26, 27
…Belowground crops: 8, 9
For Setting Eggs
5, 6, 25
For Fishing
1, 17-28
→ See all our Best Days for various activities.
Moon Facts and Folklore
- On February 6, 1971, Alan Shepard became the first man to hit a golf ball on the Moon.
- Did you know that the Moon’s diameter is 2,160 miles? This is less than the width of the United States (approximately 3,000 miles), and 0.27 of Earth’s diameter (7,926 miles).
- Wolves have howled at the Moon for centuries, yet it is still there.
- And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand, they danced by the light of the Moon.
—Edward Lear, English poet (1812-88)
Share your thoughts about the February Moon below!
More Like This
Hi, Jan, This made our day! We always enjoy hearing from Almanac fans who represent generations of readership! Many thanks for your kind words, your OFA editors
Hi, Judy, You have made our day with your lively and generous comment. Thank you very much for your loyalty to this Almanac! About the "anonymous quotes": You might be going waaaay back (like several decades), when every teeny, tiny space on any page that was not an ad was filled with a line of text.
For more than 15 years now, we have attributed the source of just about every quote, with his/her name, his/her country of origin (e.g., American), the nature of his/her work (e.g., American writer, Canadian poet), and given his/her birth and death dates (e.g., 1875–1937). The only time this might not appear is on the Calendar Pages because there is so little space. Sometimes proverbs or adages or folklore appears without attribution; that may be what you are thinking about.
We aim to introduce quotes and other fun facts or sayings into stories when they "fit"—not just the space but the theme—and we will continue to do so.
In the meantime, thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts! We appreciate you!
Almanac editors
- « Previous
- 1
- 2
- …
- 10
- Next »
Comments