Supermoon Visible: Scarsdale's Weekend Weather

SCARSDALE, NY — Forget about saying Goodnight, Moon. This weekend, get ready to say, Hello, Supermoon. When the moon rises on Sunday evening, it will be the last of a trifecta of supermoons in 2017, but two more follow in January, and we'll see a blue moon in early 2018, as well.

And it'll be decent viewing weather, too, for the time of year.

"November finished about 1.5 degrees below average… and we’ll see a rather mild start to the month of December," said Bill Potter of Hudson Valley Weather.

A supermoon doesn't happen every month – the ones in May, September, and November are the most well-known. Each one has at least one special name. The May moon is also known as the Flower Moon, September's is called the Harvest Moon, and December's has several names including the Full Cold Moon, the Beaver Moon and the Hunter's Moon.

It's called a supermoon because the moon, which doesn't have a perfectly circular orbit, gets closer to the Earth, sometimes more than 30,000 miles closer. As a result, it appears 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter. In 2017, we have seen a trio of supermoons in October, November and December.

The moon will be at its closest point to Earth at 4 a.m. Eastern on the morning of Monday, Dec. 4, but moon gazers can get their best views at just after sunset Sunday, Dec. 3, as it appears large over the horizon.

The best viewing times are considered the first half hour after the moon rises. In the Hudson Valley, moonrise Sunday will be at 4:59 p.m. That's half an hour after sunset.

Will skies be clear enough?

Here's what the National Weather Service predicts for this weekend in southern Westchester:

• Today: Sunny, with a high near 53. Northwest wind 7 to 13 mph.
• Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 28. North wind 5 to 8 mph.
• Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 45. Wind chill values between 25 and 35 early. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the morning.
• Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 32. Calm wind.
• Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 49. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the afternoon.
• Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 32.

A note about the supermoon effect: The moon isn't actually larger, but it appears particularly so in its closest approach to Earth during its monthly orbit — known as lunar perigee. The December full moon, which is also known as the "cold moon," is smaller than most.

Also: If you're looking to take a picture, remember as good as your cell phone camera is, it may not be the best for capturing the moment in this case.

Watch Now: Last Supermoon Of The Year This Weekend

Story by Patch Editor Beth Dalbey. Patch Editor Lanning Taliaferro contributed to this report.

Photo by Tom Dulat/Getty Images News/Getty Images