How to See February's Snow Moon
Full Snow Moon rises over San Mateo Bridge of San Francisco Bay in San Mateo, Calif., U.S. on Feb. 24, 2024. Credit - Tayfun Coskun—Getty Images
The second full moon of 2025, dubbed the 'snow moon' will be at its peak this week. The moon, named after the winter season's heavy snowfall, arrives just as much of the U.S. is expected to be impacted by back-to-back snowstorms.
Here's what to know about the snow moon.
The snow moon will reach peak illumination Wednesday morning at 8:53 a.m. EST, according to earthsky.org. The moon will be below the horizon at this time, so the Almanac's moon guide recommends looking for it on Tuesday or Wednesday night. The moon will peak above the horizon around sunset, and reach its highest point in the sky around midnight.
You can view the snow moon with your naked eye, but try stargazing in an area with less light pollution to appreciate its full beauty. If you're not able to catch a glimpse on Wednesday, the moon will also appear full in the days before and after its peak—though with most of the U.S. expected to be impacted by storms this week, some stargazers might find it hard to catch it.
Many early Native American tribes kept track of time through phases of the moon, and some of the names were adopted by European colonists. The 'snow moon' was named in reference to the heavy snow that falls during the winter season. Because the season also brought bad weather that made hunting difficult, it was also referred to as the 'Hunger Moon.'
The next full moon, named the 'worm moon' will take place in mid-March. Until then, keep an eye out for Venus, the planet named after the Roman goddess of love, which will reach peak brightness on Feb. 14—just in time for Valentine's Day.
Write to Simmone Shah at simmone.shah@time.com.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Ireland and West Indies first T20 off after rain
Ireland and West Indies drew an ODI series last month [Getty Images] Ireland's first T20 international against West Indies has been abandoned because of consistent rain. The three-match series was due to begin at Bready on Thursday with subsequent meetings scheduled for Saturday and Sunday. Advertisement The West Indies are returning to the area where they were bowled out for 25 in a famous Irish victory in 1969. The series is the second this year between the two sides who split an ODI series in Dublin last month.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Missed the Strawberry Moon last night? Here's where, when to see it tonight in Illinois
Many people across the country photographed the Strawberry Moon this morning, watching as the moon reached its peak at 2:44 a.m. CT. But don't worry if you missed it – the phenomenon will still be partially visible tonight. Avid skywatchers can also spot the Milky Way, the "bright central bulge of our galaxy," writes NASA, which should be visible through August. Here's what stargazers in Illinois should know. Tuesday, June 10, 2025, into Wednesday early morning hours is when the sweet Strawberry Moon was at its fullest, but it'll still appear mostly full Wednesday night. The moon's phases in June are: 🌓 First Quarter: June 3 🌕 Full Moon: June 11 🌗 Last Quarter: June 18 🌑 New Moon: June 25 June's Strawberry moon will be the lowest full moon in roughly 20 years, so look closer toward the horizon. Experts say the moon's low arc should give it a more yellowish or orange tint. Story continues after photo gallery. The reason the moon will appear lower is because the Earth is in the midst of "a major lunar standstill," writes EarthSky, which has to do with the moon's orbit around the Earth. "It's all about the inclination of the moon's orbit, which undergoes an 18.6-year cycle," writes EarthSky's John Jardine Goss. "The cycle happens because the moon's orbit is being slowly dragged around — mostly due to the pull of the sun — every 18.6 years." The last major lunar standstill occurred in 2006. According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, moonrise for the Peoria area will happen by roughly 9:28 p.m. Wednesday, June 11, crossing the meridian at 12:52 a.m. before setting at 5:12 a.m. Thursday. You can check moonrise and moonset times for your zip code by visiting the Old Farmer's Almanac online. Skies in central Illinois are expected to be partly cloudy Wednesday night, June 11, with a low of around 64 and winds around 7 mph, according to an advanced forecast from the National Weather Service. Similar to the Pink Moon, June's Strawberry Moon takes its name from seasonal plant growth, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac. Many ripening berries were ready to be harvested around this time in the northeastern United States. Other names for June's full moon from Native American tribes include the Birth Moon, Hot Moon, Blooming Moon, and the Green Corn Moon. The Milky Way can best be viewed somewhere far away from bright city lights. Find a dark, safe spot out in the country where you can see more stars in the sky. State parks and campgrounds are your best bet for clear stargazing, in locations such as Campsite 26 at Apple River Canyon State Park and the Area 4 Parking Lot at Iroquois County State Wildlife Area. A full list of the best stargazing spots in Illinois can be found on the Department of Natural Resources website. For those in Chicago, stars will be more visible on the city lakefront, the Palos Preserves in Willow Springs and the 606 Trail at 1801 N. Ridgeway, according to a list compiled by the Adler Planetarium. If you plan on observing the night sky this month, writes NASA, keep the following dates in mind for June 2025: June 16, 17 – Mars & Regulus – Mars passes closer to the bright bluish-white star Regulus, known as the "heart" of the lion constellation, Leo. They will appear about as far apart as the width of the full moon, and should be easy to spot with binoculars or a small telescope. June 19 – Moon & Saturn – The third-quarter moon appears right next to Saturn on Thursday morning in the hours before dawn, according to NASA. They rise in the east together at around 1:30 a.m. June 20 – June Solstice – The summer solstice is on June 20 in the northern hemisphere, tilting its maximum toward the Sun. This means the Sun will travel its longest, highest arc across the sky all year, writes NASA, resulting in the longest period of daylight for those north of the equator. June 21-30 – Mercury becomes visible – For those with a clear view to the western horizon, Mercury becomes visible for a brief period each evening at the end of June. Look for it to appear low in the sky starting 30 to 45 minutes after the Sun sets. June 22 – Moon & Venus – Venus rises this morning next to a slender and elegant crescent moon. Look for them in the east between about 3 a.m. and sunrise. All month – Mars: The Red Planet can be observed for a couple of hours after dark all month. It is noticeably dimmer than it appeared in early May, as Earth speeds away in its orbit, putting greater distance between the two worlds. All month – Milky Way core: The bright central bulge of our home galaxy, the Milky Way, is visible all night through August. It is best observed from dark sky locations far from bright city lights, and appears as a faint, cloud-like band arching across the sky toward the south. The following free astronomy apps can help you locate stars, planets, and constellations. SkyView Lite for iPhone | Google Play Star Walk 2 for iPhone | Google Play Star Chart for iPhone | Google Play for iPhone | Google Play The full Buck Moon should reach peak illumination by Thursday, July 10, 2025. Julia Gomez contributed to this article. This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Strawberry Moon 2025: weather forecast, moonrise time, spots to see Milky Way
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Wildfire totals in Canada quickly surpass yearly average
It's still early in the traditional fire season and wildfires in Canada are burning across the land faster than any other year except for 2023. So far this year, more than 7.8 million acres have burned, which is close to the size of the state of Maryland. This season has already passed the annual average. The 25-year average of land burned in Canada in a season is 7.3 million acres, according to data from the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center. In 2023, a record was set with over 40 million acres burned and this year's total is set to be well above normal. It's not just the fires themselves that are causing issues, but the smoke has reached into the U.S. causing air quality issues and has even made its way across the Atlantic. There are currently 225 active fires burning across Canada, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center. Of the 225 active wildfires in Canada, 116 are out of control, 27 are being held and 82 are under control. Canada currently has multiple massive active fires greater than 250,000 acres burning in five provinces. The country's largest fire is the Shoe Fire, burning in central Saskatchewan 100 miles north of Saskatoon, The Washington Post reported. That fire is now over 1.2 million acres in size and has prompted evacuations in 33 rural communities. British Columbia currently has two massive out-of-control fires among the 86 active fires within the province, per The Washington Post. One of the fires in the far north part of the province is getting close to reaching 500,000 acres. Another rapidly growing fire has led to evacuations for rural Indigenous First Nations regions. In Alberta, there are 60 active fires and five of them are over 120,000 acres. The province's largest fire was started by lightning north of Edmonton and had grown past 320,000 acres earlier this week. There are five fires in Manitoba that are greater than 120,000 acres and are out of control, and the largest is over 740,000 acres. Because of increased moisture, the growth of the larger fires has slowed significantly. Ontario's largest fire is over 370,000 acres and there are multiple wildfires burning in the southwest area of the province. The region's fires have also been subdued by wetter conditions recently, per The Washington Post. Rain is forecast near some of the Canadian fires this weekend and into next week, which will hopefully help contain the blazes more. As the smoke has caused air quality issues across Canada as well as in the Midwest and Eastern United States it's also made its way across the Atlantic Ocean. According to The Washington Post, this week a plume of smoke from the fires has caused hazy skies in Europe. As of Wednesday morning the smoke had traveled around 6,000 miles from its origin to central parts of Russia. Another round of smoke may be prevented from filling European skies next week thanks to a high-pressure system forming near Western Europe. The layer of smoke in the atmosphere has caused typically blue skies to have an orange or milk-white hue, and it also changes the appearance of the sun. 'The change in the appearance of the sun and sky is due to smoke particles in the atmosphere scattering the blue wavelengths of light more, allowing predominantly orange and red hues to reach our eyes,' per BBC Weather.