February’s Full Moon Will Shine This Weekend

Long, dreary January is finally drawing to a close, marked symbolically with a full moon this weekend. Rising on 1 February, the second full moon of the year is known as the Snow Moon – and it’s packed with meaning, especially in 2026. Here’s why, plus how to see it.

Snow Moon: What’s The Significance Of February’s Full Moon?

On average, there are 12 full moons every year, with the moon taking 29.5 days to complete a full cycle, from new moon to waning crescent. These full moons have been chronicled across the globe throughout history, but are perhaps best known for their relevance to Native American tribes who hunted, farmed and harvested under moonlight and tracked the progress of the seasons and the year by studying the shape of the moon – a constant (if waxing and waning) presence in the night sky, and much easier to study than complex constellations.

In fact, for astronomers, a shiny full moon throws a bit of a spanner in the works: they can be so bright they wash out the night sky and make it harder to pick out deep-sky patterns like star clusters and galaxies. But for any beginners, selenephiles or just casual moon appreciators, the full moon is a wonderful sight.

The final full moon of meteorological winter, January’s Wolf Moon, February’s full moon is called the Snow Moon after the Native American tradition, named for the frequent snowfall in the northern hemisphere at this time of the year – though there’s no ice in the forecast for 2026. The Snow Moon is also often referred to as the Storm Moon or the Hungry Moon, tying the full moon once again to the tumultuous weather patterns and scarce food sources the end of winter is associated with.

Best Time To See The Snow Moon

The Snow Moon will rise in the east-northeast just before sunset on 1 February 2026 – around 4.15pm, ahead of a 4.50pm sunset. It’s the perfect opportunity to give Dusking a whirl, the ancient Dutch ritual when people gather at dusk to watch the sunset and hold off turning lights on as long as possible. With the brightness of a full moon, you will be able to sit mindfully as the twilight turns to dark for even longer.

The full moon will peak at 10.09pm and shine all night long, however it’s expected to be cold and drizzly, so do wrap up warm if you plan on heading out into the cold. If you are lucky enough to spot the full moon without any cloud cover, with the help of some binoculars, you should be able to get a clear view of the lunar surface with all of its craters and marias. Beady eyed moongazers might even be able to make out the six Apollo landing sites, especially if you have a telescope to hand.

A full moon marks the midpoint in the monthly lunar cycle, when the moon is perfectly opposite to the sun (with Earth in the middle), allowing its face to be entirely illuminated. As the moon wanes once more, it’ll still appear relatively full in the sky for a few days, so it’s not game over if you miss it on 1 February.

The Significance

Astrology fans, this one’s for you: the Snow Moon rises in Leo, ushering in a dose of fierce, fiery energy. While the Snow Moon speaks to the cold grip of deep winter, Leo serves as a reminder that passion still burns beneath the surface. If your 2026 New Year’s resolutions have lost some of their lustre, or your plans have yet to leave the ground, this relentlessly ambitious fixed fire sign is poised to deliver a fresh surge of optimism, spark and grit. If job hunting, dating or holiday planning have felt heavy going of late, expect the mood to shift.

When Is The Next Full Moon?

After the Snow Moon, the next full moon will arrive on 3 March 2026, appealingly nicknamed the Worm Moon after the pink wriggly insects burrowing through newly thawed soils as the winter transitions into spring. Selenephiles should take note: a partial lunar eclipse will also take place on 14 March, with the moon taking on a reddish hue at around 6.19am.