February has already proven to be a snowy month for Oregon, making the name of the upcoming full moon quite fitting.

February’s “Snow Moon” will rise two days before Valentine’s Day this year, alongside the planet Venus during the month’s rare planetary parade.

In addition to the Snow Moon, February will see Venus, named after the goddess of love, shine at its brightest for the year after sunset, according to NASA. Mars and Jupiter are then set to rule the nighttime skyline, with a pop-in from Mercury and a fainter view of Saturn.

Here’s what to know about February’s full moon and how to watch the planetary parade.

When is the next full moon in Oregon in February?

Oregon’s next full moon will be on Wednesday, Feb. 12, and will be highest in the sky at 12:21 a.m. that night.

However, peak illumination will occur early Wednesday morning at 5:53 a.m., so the best view of this moon will be the night before or night after, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.

What are the moon phases for February 2025?

• 🌓 First quarter: Feb. 5.
• 🌕 Full moon: Feb. 12.
• 🌗 Last quarter: Feb. 20.
• 🌑 New moon: Feb. 28.

Why is the February moon called the snow moon?

The February moon is also known as the snow moon according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, a reference to the typically heavy snowfall that occurs that month.

In the 1760s, Capt. Jonathan Carver visited a Native American tribe and wrote the snow moon was so named “because more snow commonly falls during this month than any other in the winter.”

When is the planetary parade in February 2025?

This February brings a rare planetary alignment that will gather five bright planets into clear view — Venus, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury and Saturn. The next similar alignment is expected to occur in October 2028.

• The most prominent of the five planets is Venus, which is already visible and shining in the west-southwest sky at dusk and will continue at peak brightness throughout the month of February.
• To find Saturn, simply look toward Venus and extend an imaginary line straight downward — the first bright star-like object you come across will be Saturn. It will be most visible during the first two weeks of February, becoming more difficult later in the month.
• Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, will appear high in the south at dusk. The silvery-white planet will appear accompanied by two famous naked-eye star clusters, the Pleiades and Hyades.
• Look halfway up in the eastern sky for orange-yellow Mars, which comes into view as night falls. It will be accompanied by the “Twin Stars” of Gemini, Pollux and Castor.
• The smallest planet, Mercury, will become visible during the final week of the month.

On Feb. 24, Mercury will be in conjunction with Saturn and offer the best chance to see all five evening planets at once, according to Space.com. Start looking about 30 minutes after sunset.

When is the full moon in Oregon in March?

The full moon in March, also known as the worm moon, should reach peak illumination by Friday, March 14.

Contributing: Maria Francis, Mid-Atlantic Connect Team

Ginnie Sandoval is the Oregon Connect reporter for the Statesman Journal. Sandoval can be reached at GSandoval@gannett.com or on X at @GinnieSandoval.