BY KAREN BOSSICK
The weatherman promises that the snow will end and the stars will come out tonight. And when it does, look for the Snow Moon.
A Snow Moon will cap the month of February, reaching peak illumination at 3:19 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on Saturday, Feb. 27. The moon will rise at sunset tonight—Friday, Feb. 26--and reach its highest point in the sky about midnight. It will reach peak illumination shortly afterwards.
Look for it in the east around sunset.
The Full Moon was called the Snow Moon because of February’s propensity for snow. On average February is the United States’ snowiest month, according to the National Weather Service.
The Cherokee called it the Hunger Moon or the Bony Moon because of the scarcity of food that can occur when the ground is covered with snow. Some have also called it the Bear Moon since bear cubs are born around this time.