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PRINTCold Full Moon
There are many last minute activities as we had into the Christmas Holiday. As we do look for a Full Moon at 8:16pm on December 23rd. We refer to this as the Full Cold Moon. You can tell if a moon is moving toward a Full Moon or a New Moon based upon it’s shape. If you can form a “D” with the lit part, it is dilating towards a Full Moon. If you can form a “c” with the lit part, it is constricting towards a New Moon.
The Winter Solstice occurs on Saturday, December 22nd. The latest sunrise and sunset do not occur on the night of the solstice. The earliest sunset occurred on December 8th this year and the latest sunrise will be on January 5, 2008. Native Americans names Full Moons a long time ago. The Moon was so named due to the weather getting cold this night and the nights being the longest and darkest during December.
This month’s Full Moon is sometimes called the Moon before Yule. The Long Night Moon is a doubly appropriate name because the winter night is indeed and because the Moon is above the horizon for a long time. The midwinter Moon has a high trajectory across the sky because it is opposite of the low Sun.
. Enjoy time with family and friends. And, don’t forget the neighbor who may be alone this time of year. Merry Christmas and all the best wishes for the New Year
Peter Geiger is the Editor of the Farmers' Almanac. Read his full biography here.Free Weekly eNewsletter
Farmers' Almanac Long Range Weather
February 8th - February 11th
- Northeast U.S.
Wet snow mixed with rain Mid-Atlantic north through New England; slushy accumulations of 4+" possible.
- Midwest/Great Lakes U.S.
Accumulating snows Kentucky, Ohio, then clearing. Fair elsewhere.
- Southeast U.S.
Wet snow Tennessee, western North Carolina; wintry mix northern Mississippi, Alabama. Elsewhere, rain, then clearing.
- North Central U.S.
Drier, much colder.
- South Central U.S.
Snow parts of Arkansas, then clearing, cold. Clear, much colder elsewhere.
- Northwest U.S.
Drier, but colder.
- Southwest U.S.
Drier, but noticeably colder.
• View entire Long Range Weather Forecast »
• Farmers' Almanac 2011-12 Winter Outlook »
• View the Almanac Daily Planner »
If you notice a hole in the upper left-hand corner of your Farmers' Almanac, don't return it to the store! That hole isn't a defect; it's a part of history. Starting with the first edition of the Farmers' Almanac in 1818, readers used to nail holes into the corners to hang it up in their homes, barns, and outhouses (to provide both reading material and toilet paper). In 1910, the Almanac's publishers began pre-drilling holes in the corners to make it even easier for readers to keep all of that invaluable information (and paper) handy.