The night sky filled with supermoons in August, September, October, and November. Even though December won’t have a supermoon, that doesn’t mean the last full moon of the year shouldn’t be appreciated.
Here’s what to know about December’s Cold Moon and the weather forecast for the full moon night.
When is the full moon in December 2024?
The full moon usually appears in the middle of every month. According to Almanac, the December full moon will start to illuminate the skies on Dec. 15, around 4:02 a.m. ET.
What is the weather forecast for the December full moon in Columbus, Akron, and Cincinnati?
The full moon will be beaming on Sunday, but what will the weather be like in Ohio? Will we be able to see the final full moon of 2024?
Well, according to the National Weather Service, clouds and rain may ruin our plans, but hopefully, the moon will still be visible.
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Columbus will be mostly cloudy with a 30% chance of rain and a high of 46 and a low of 35.
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Akron will be mostly cloudy with a 50% chance of rain and a high of 44 and a low of 34.
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Cincinnati will be mostly cloudy with a 30% chance of rain and a high of 49 and a low of 37.
Why is December’s full moon called the Cold Moon?
According to Almanac, Native Americans gave names to every full moon of the year as a tradition that helped to keep track of the seasons. December’s full moon is called the Cold Moon due to the cold temperatures of the winter season starting to set in, or the month’s “cold grip.”
What phase of the lunar cycle is the moon in now?
The moon is currently in its waxing gibbous phase at 73% illumination, according to Space.com. The moon’s phases in December are:
A nearly full moon will be in the sky during the longest night of the year
The winter solstice is on its way. It’s the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere because it’s the day that part of the Earth is tilted furthest from the sun. That’s why the winter solstice brings the fewest hours of sunlight during the year. This day will have the shortest day and longest night.
During the night of the winter solstice, a nearly full moon will be in the sky, known as “the long night moon,” because it will be the longest night of the year.
The December full moon rises higher above the horizon and stays there for a more extended period than most full moons.
December will have two new moons
During the new moon phase, the moon does not appear in the sky because the sun does not shine on its surface.
December will have two new moon phases. One of them already occurred at the beginning of the month, and we will end the 2024 year without a moon in the sky.
When is the next full moon?
2025’s first full moon will be at peak illumination on Jan. 13 at 5:27 p.m. ET, according to Old Farmer’s Almanac.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: See the December full moon weather forecast for Columbus, Cincinnati, Akron