Can February really have no full moon at all?

Yes, and it’s the only month this can happen to: a lunation lasts about 29.5 days, longer than February. When a full moon falls right at the end of January, the next one arrives in early March and February skips its turn. It’s rare, but it happens.

Why is February’s full moon called the Snow Moon?

Because February is, in the regions that named these moons, the month of the heaviest snowfalls. The North American farmers’ almanacs kept this descriptive name; older traditions also spoke of the “Hunger Moon”, the one of empty stores.

When is the full moon in February?

It falls on a different date every year, since the lunar cycle doesn’t line up with our months. The precise dates for the current lunation appear higher up on this page; for the countdown, see the next-full-moon page.

Lunar calendar · February

The moon in February February

February is the month of the quiet turn: the days lengthen noticeably, the light comes back, but the cold still holds. The farmers’ almanacs call its full moon the Snow Moon, in memory of the heaviest snowfalls of the year. It’s also the only month short enough that, some years, it holds no full moon at all. A lunar month of patience, between winter and promise.

The essentials

Traditional full moon: Snow Moon: the month of the heaviest snowfalls in the farmers’ almanacs; some traditions also called it the “Hunger Moon”
Season: late winter (northern hemisphere), the days lengthen noticeably
Keyword for the month: patience
Quirk: the only month that can pass with no full moon at all, because it’s shorter than a lunation

What’s the lunar mood in February?

By February, something has shifted without warning: at the hour darkness fell in January, it’s still daylight. The light returns at both ends of the day, and the moon rises over evenings caught between winter and something else. The cold, meanwhile, often reaches its peak: February’s dry, clear air gives some of the finest sky-watching nights of the year.

It’s a month of quiet contrasts: the full moon still climbs high as it did in deep winter, yet the evening sky keeps a pale band in the west for longer. To watch the moon in February is to witness the tug of war between the night drawing back and the cold hanging on.

Why the “Snow Moon”?

In the North American farmers’ almanacs, February is statistically the snowiest month: the full moon that lights it took this plainly descriptive name. Other, harsher traditions called it the “Hunger Moon”: by the end of winter, stores were running low and hunting grew hard in the deep snow.

The two names tell the same moment seen through two different windows: outside, the beauty of a white landscape under the moon; inside, the larder emptying and the wait for the thaw. February has always been the month you grit your teeth and hold on.

What gentle rituals suit this lunar month?

February lends itself to threshold rituals. Tradition celebrates the return of the light here, from Candlemas to the festivals of fire: lighting a candle at dusk and noting the hour darkness falls, week after week, is enough to make the turning visible.

If you keep a lunar journal started in January, this is the month when staying with it pays off: reread your notes from the first cycle before beginning the second. And on clear nights, step out for ten minutes to watch the moon among the bare branches; that landscape vanishes come spring.

And in the garden?

Under cover, February starts the first sowings while the soil is still asleep; our February garden calendar tells you what to sow, and when.

The lunations of February (exact dates)

Calculated from the ephemeris, in London time, and rechecked every night. Each lunation has its own detailed page.

Frequently asked questions

Can February really have no full moon at all?: Yes, and it’s the only month this can happen to: a lunation lasts about 29.5 days, longer than February. When a full moon falls right at the end of January, the next one arrives in early March and February skips its turn. It’s rare, but it happens.
Why is February’s full moon called the Snow Moon?: Because February is, in the regions that named these moons, the month of the heaviest snowfalls. The North American farmers’ almanacs kept this descriptive name; older traditions also spoke of the “Hunger Moon”, the one of empty stores.
When is the full moon in February?: It falls on a different date every year, since the lunar cycle doesn’t line up with our months. The precise dates for the current lunation appear higher up on this page; for the countdown, see the next-full-moon page.