Most of the snow may have melted, but the Snow Moon is still rising

Update: According to the Google AI this time, the February 2026 Snow Moon will still appear full and highly visible on Monday night as the Moon remains in its fully-lit phase for roughly two nights surrounding the peak on February 1. On the night of February 2, the moon will also pass directly in front of (occult) the bright star Regulus, which is visible in parts of North America and Africa. The best time for viewing is when the moon is low on the eastern horizon during dusk when it rises near sunset and offers excellent high visibility viewing throughout the night of Feb 2. So if you missed that perfect shot Sunday, even if you no longer have snow on the ground, Monday gives you a second chance for a shot of the beautiful full Snow Moon. It should still make a beautiful image.

Here are some photos from the community taken of the Snow Moon this weekend

Sunday, Feb. 1 is the official Snow Moon for 2026 – and this year in the local community there will be snow on the ground for the full moon to shine on!

A snow moon is not a rarity. The first full moon in February of each year is deemed to be a snow moon – so technically there is one every year. However, to have it rising with snow on the ground is rare for the local area – and this year just happens to be one of those rare times.

According to the AI skills of ChatGPT (which can be beneficial but not always everything you expect them to be) there possibly was a snow moon in the local area in 1973, 2010 and maybe 2014 – but even AI isn’t too sure on that one). However, this year we can see it for ourselves! That snow is there and likely to still be there at 5:09 p.m. Sunday when the snow moon is reported to be rising.

Again, according to ChatGPT, the Snow Moon is the name given to the full moon in February and historically comes from indigenous, colonial and European seasonal naming systems that helped people track the natural calendar long before modern meteorology. It is so called in North America because of the deep snow that made hunting difficult and travel dangerous. That’s why this particular full moon is associated with harsh winter conditions. People reportedly used moon names as practical names for survival. Some also referred to it as the “hunger moon.” Unless you were not able to get in your run on milk and bread by midnight Friday, that name really doesn’t resonate much anymore – at least not here.

But with predictions of a clear sky tonight, it may be the time to get a once in a lifetime shot of the 2026 Snow Moon glowing over actual snow here in the local area.

According to Leisure and Travel Magazine, “the moon reaches peak fullness at 5:09 p.m. ET, according to Astronomy.com. The most striking views, however, often come just after moonrise, when it creeps low over the horizon. At that point, a visual phenomenon known as the “moon illusion” can make it appear noticeably larger and brighter, as noted by NASA. For budding astrophotographers, this is a great opportunity to try capturing this lunar illusion, especially when viewed against snowy terrain or open landscapes.”

So, all local photographers, or those wanting to be photographers, let’s see your best Snow Moon 2026 photographs. Who knows when you will get another such opportunity!