Full Moon field guide · UK dates
The Snow Moon
A seasonal name for the snowy conditions associated with February in northern climates.
What Snow Moon means
Snow Moon attaches February's full Moon to the winter weather of northern Europe and North America. Other calendars use names such as Hunger Moon, Storm Moon or Ice Moon for the same part of the year.
UK snow is never guaranteed, but February nights are still long enough for an extended evening observation.
These are popular English-language almanac names rather than a single universal cultural calendar. NASA’s Moon phase guide describes the modern naming usage. Seasonal descriptions here follow the northern hemisphere; southern seasons are reversed.
Next occurrence · Europe/London
Sat, 20 Feb 2027
Exact full Moon: . Brown lunation 1288.
Three-year almanac
Snow Moon dates, 2026–2028
| Year | Date and time · Europe/London | Lunation | Calendar |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1275 | Open month | |
| 2027 | 1288 | Open month | |
| 2028 | 1300 | Open month |
02
What to notice from the UK
Compare the Moon's cool light over open ground with its warmer colour close to the horizon.
Check local rise and set for the next Snow Moon
The disc looks full on the nights around the exact instant. A low Moon may look larger or warmer because of perspective and the atmosphere, not because its phase changed.
03
Other recorded labels
Almanacs do not share one universal naming system. This month is also listed as Sol Moon in an Old English grouping and Moon of Ice in a modern Celtic-revival grouping.