Snow and moon combine tonight for a rare show

Snow covers as decorative and bountiful as this one are unusual enough, particularly in March, around here.

On Friday morning, we witnessed one of the most spectacular daybreaks we've even seen in the Philadelphia city-state.

And tonight the region will get that rare confluence – a profound snow cover, reasonably clear and vapor-free sky, and a virtually full moon.

The moon will come up around 7, and it will take a few hours to get cooking, but once it does, it will evoke the image expressed so elegantly in "A Visit from St. Nicholas," more commonly known as "'Twas the Night Before Christmas:"

"The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow, gave a luster of midday to objects below."

Tonight would be the best bet to savor one of our favorite winter phenomenon, what one friend calls a vision of diamonds  in the snow. We often wonder if Beethoven wrote his splendid "Moonlight Sonata" on such a night.

The official forecast calls for "partly cloudy" skies, and for our money, aesthetically it doesn't get much better than watching a cloud brush past the moon, dramatically darkening and just as suddenly lighting the landscape.

As for Saturday, during the day you are likely to be impressed anew by the power of the March sun, which will go to town on he snow cover.

Also, the waning moon will be coming up later and take longer to reach full strength above whatever is left of the snow cover.

On top of all that, you might consider going to bed earlier: Daylight Savings Time begins at 2 a.m. Sunday.