February: Snow Moon

The February Full Moon is named after the snow on the ground. Some Native American tribes named this the Hungry Moon or the Bear Moon.

Moon rising over snowy mountains.

February's Full Moon is named after the snow covering the ground.

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Snow Moon 2024

Feb 24, 2024 at 7:30 am

Snow Moon 2025

Feb 12, 2025 at 8:53 am

Times for the Snow Moon vary by time zone. Times and dates are based on the local time in Washington DC. Change location

Named After the Snow

The Snow Moon is the Full Moon in February, named after abundant snowfall in the Northern Hemisphere.

Some North American tribes named it the Hungry Moon due to the scarce food sources and hard hunting conditions during mid-winter, while others named it Bear Moon, referring to bear cubs being born this time of year. Celtic and Old English names for the February Full Moon are Storm Moon and Ice Moon.

Black Moon in February

About once every 19 years, February does not have a Full Moon. This is known as a Black Moon. Because of time zone differences, these Black Moons may not happen all over the world.

12 Full Moon Names

The Full Moon has been integral to tracking the change of months and seasons since ancient times.

Today, we use many of these ancient month names as Full Moon names, and many of them come from Colonial Americans adopting Native American names into their calendars.

Although the most commonly used Full Moon names are English interpretations of Native American names, some are also Celtic, Anglo-Saxon, medieval English, and Neo-Pagan.

Is February the Snowiest Month?

February is one of the snowiest months in the US, but December and January also get lots of snow.

On our climate pages, you can see which month is the coldest, warmest, wettest, and windiest in cities worldwide.

Topics: Moon, February, Seasons, Full Moon Names