The Snow Moon of February

2021 astronomy events

Called the Snow Moon of February, the full moon occurring during the shortest month of the year. The name represents the weather, which can be really cold and cloudy. The month of February is typically the month in which the Pacific Northwest receives the most monthly snowfall in the mountains. Although it has the most snow, February isn’t the coldest temperature month, as the coldest average temperature in the Pacific Northwest is the month of January.

A photo of the Snow Moon of February

Meaning Behind The Name

The name is because it is really snowy in this time of year and was meant to signify the snowfall. As the Old Farmers Almanac notes, the Wishram people of the Pacific Northwest would call this moon the “Shoulder to Shoulder Around the Fire Moon.” Another name for the full moon isMe noted by the Farmers Almanac which says that the “Trapper’s Moon as this was the optimal time for trapping beaver, fox and mink for early American colonists. This was the case because February was the dead of winter which is when these animals coats were at their fullest.”

Here are some great resources:
https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/moon/snow.html

There is one other winter related full moon name, which is the Cold Moon of December.

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