The Full Thunder Moon is Calling You to Your Hot Tub!

This is the week to soak in your hot tub and experience July’s full moon. In the west, it will officially peak July 14^th at 11:38 p.m.—the perfect time for a summer soak!

Did you know…each full moon of the year has a name? July’s full moon is called Full Thunder Moon. (And no…that’s not a new amusement ride at Disneyland!)

A number of things are significant about July’s full moon. It signifies the peak of the summer season. While solar radiation peaks in June, summer temperature averages don’t peak until mid-July. This lag in temperatures peaking means that July traditionally is an active thunderstorm month across the country, hence the name Full Thunder Moon.

While Full Thunder Moon is the term embraced by many meteorologists, there are in fact a couple other terms used to note July’s full moon, and both have interesting factoids tied to them.

For those that are animal lovers, you might prefer to think of July’s full moon as the Full Buck Moon. July is the month that young buck deer experience their antlers poking up from the top of their heads.

For those with ties to harvesting and farming, July is marked by the Full Hay Moon. This is the summer month when it’s time to make hay, bringing in ripe crops. And, with summer’s later twilight, extra harvesting hours are available to farmers.

No matter if it’s the Full Thunder Moon, the Full Buck Moon, or the Full Hay Moon—they’re all great reasons to head out to your tub this week for a late night soak! Summer affords great opportunities for enjoying the heavens—we’ll talk about another big event for August next month!