Full Cold Moon 2022: the December Full Moon

Mark your calendars! The Full Cold Moon in 2022 is on Wednesday December 7, 2022 11:08 PM EST or December 8, 2022 4:08 AM UTC based on the data provided by NASA. It will be the twelfth and last 2022 full moon on the schedule for the year.

A full moon occurs when the Earth is directly between the Sun and Moon so that the moon looks completely illuminated when you look at it. It happens about once a month or, 29.53 days on average.

Ready to dive a little deeper into the 2022 Full Cold Moon? Learn more about the moon’s nicknames and other facts.

Picture of the Full Cold Moon 2022, the Full Moon in December

The dates and times provided by NASA in the United States Eastern Time (ET) account for both Eastern Standard Time (EST) and Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) for part of the year in the United States. Also below is the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) time. This was previously referred to as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Since you may be in a different time zone, the exact dates may shift slightly for your calendar.

When is the Full Cold Moon in 2022?

The 2022 Full Cold moon will be on Wednesday December 7, 2022 11:08 PM EST or December 8, 2022 4:08 AM UTC. It is the full moon that occurs in December. The Full Cold Moon will also be the twelfth and last full moon of 2022. In 2022 it will also be the last full moon of the Autumn 2022 season.

Related: Full Moon Calendar for 2022

Why the December Full Moon is called the Full Cold Moon

The Full Cold Moon is one of the nicknames for the full moon that occurs in December. The name fits the month well given how the temperatures get colder with the official start of Winter. While you may not have guessed it, the name is probably not a surprise.

Aside from the Full Cold Moon, another nickname for the December Full Moon is the Long Nights Moon, another equally fitting given December has the shortest day of the year.

A final nickname for the full moon is the Oak Moon.

When was the Full Cold Moon in 2021?

In 2021 the Full Cold Moon was on Saturday December 18, 2021 11:36 PM EST or December 19, 2021 4:36 AM UTC. It was the last full moon of 2021 and the last Autumn full moon. The 2021 Full Cold Moon was the full moon in Gemini.

Future Full Cold Moons for 2022 to 2029

Here is a list of the next eight Full Cold Moons 2022 to 2029. Depending on where you are located sometimes the full moon will shift dates between timezones.

YearDay of the weekEastern DateUTC Date
2022WednesdayDecember 7, 2022 11:08 PM ESTDecember 8, 2022 4:08 AM UTC
2023TuesdayDecember 26, 2023 7:33 PM ESTDecember 27, 2023 12:33 AM UTC
2024SundayDecember 15, 2024 4:02 AM ESTDecember 15, 2024 9:02 AM UTC
2025ThursdayDecember 4, 2025 6:14 PM ESTDecember 4, 2025 11:14 PM UTC
2026WednesdayDecember 23, 2026 8:28 PM ESTDecember 24, 2026 1:28 AM UTC
2027MondayDecember 13, 2027 11:09 AM ESTDecember 13, 2027 4:09 PM UTC
2028FridayDecember 1, 2028 8:40 PM ESTDecember 2, 2028 1:40 AM UTC
2029ThursdayDecember 20, 2029 5:46 PM ESTDecember 20, 2029 10:46 PM UTC

Past Full Cold Moons 2015 to 2021

And here is a list of the seven Full Cold Moon that occurred from 2015 to 2021.

Depending on where you are located sometimes the full moon will shift dates between timezones.

YearDay of the weekPast Full Cold MoonUTC Date
2021SaturdayDecember 18, 2021 11:36 PM ESTDecember 19, 2021 4:36 AM UTC
2020TuesdayDecember 29, 2020 10:28 PM ESTDecember 30, 2020 3:28 AM UTC
2019ThursdayDecember 12, 2019 12:12 AM ESTDecember 12, 2019 5:12 AM UTC
2018SaturdayDecember 22, 2018 12:49 PM ESTDecember 22, 2018 5:49 PM UTC
2017SundayDecember 3, 2017 10:47 AM ESTDecember 3, 2017 3:47 PM UTC
2016TuesdayDecember 13, 2016 7:05 PM ESTDecember 14, 2016 12:05 AM UTC
2015FridayDecember 25, 2015 6:11 AM ESTDecember 25, 2015 11:11 AM UTC

Additional Full Moon Calendars

And if you’re looking for when the full moon occurs for the rest of the year, check out these future full moon calendars.

Picture of the moon for the Full Cold Moon 2022, the December Full Moon