The continental United States has experienced its second warmest winter on record, according to federal meteorologists. The Lower 48 states averaged 37.13 degrees Fahrenheit (2.85 degrees Celsius) from December through February, just one-third of a degree below the record set two years ago.
The warmth was primarily driven by the region west of the Mississippi River, which largely missed winter this year, said Russell Vose, NOAA's climate monitoring chief. Nine states broke or tied records for the warmest winter: Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah and Wyoming.
In contrast, the East and Midwest experienced blizzards and subfreezing temperatures, but these cold spells were not as extreme or long-lasting as the western heat. Delaware had the coldest rank for the winter, but it was only its 28th coldest on record.
February was the fourth warmest on record nationally, with five states having their warmest February. Over the past 50 years, winter in the Lower 48 has warmed by 3.95 degrees Fahrenheit (2.19 degrees Celsius), far more than any other season, according to NOAA.
