Winter across the contiguous U.S. ranked among the warmest third in the 124-year period of record, with an average temperature of 34.0 degrees Fahrenheit for the period of December 2017 through February, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in its latest "State of the Climate" report released March 12. That was 1.8 degrees above the 20th century average.
Winter was warmer than normal across most of the West and along the East Coast, but cooler than normal in portions of the Northern High Plains to the Central Plains. It was much warmer than normal for six states in the Southwest, but neither record warm nor cold for any state.

The average winter daytime temperature across the contiguous U.S. was 2.1 degrees above average at 44.9 degrees F, while the average nighttime temperature was 1.3 degrees above average at 23.1 degrees F. Both ranked in the warmest third in the period of record going back to 1895.
Regional precipitation extremes were observed in the period of December 2017 through February, with nationally averaged winter precipitation pegged at 6.26 inches, or 0.53 inch below average. Winter placed in the driest third in the period of record.
Winter precipitation was below average across much of the West and portions of the Plains into the Southeast, but above average across the Northern Rockies, Lower Mississippi Valley, Midwest and Northeast.
One state in the Plains and three in the West had a top-10 dry winter, including California that had its second driest winter on record and the driest since 1976-1977. Arkansas had its fourth wettest winter on record and the wettest since 1949, after having its driest autumn on record.
Winter was capped by a February that also ranked among the warmest third in the period of record, with an average temperature of 35.4 degrees F across the contiguous U.S., or 1.6 degrees above average. February temperatures were much above average across the Deep South, Midwest and the East Coast, but below average in the Northwest, Northern Rockies and Northern Plains.
Eight states in the Southeast and southern New England were record warm and 15 other states in the East had a top 10 warm February, as a significant warm spell impacted the East late in the month. By contrast, Montana had its sixth coldest February on record and the coldest since 1989.

The average daytime temperature in February was 1.8 degrees above average at 46.6 degrees F, while the average nighttime temperature was 1.4 degrees above average at 24.3 degrees F. Both were in the warmest third of the period of record.
Lower 48 temperature-related energy demand in February was 58% below average and the 14th lowest on record, according to NOAA's Residential Energy Demand Temperature Index.
February precipitation across the contiguous U.S. totaled 2.84 inches, or 0.71 inch above average, making it the sixth highest since record-keeping began and the highest since 1998.
Record-setting precipitation was observed across the mid- and lower-Mississippi Valley, the Midwest and Northern Rockies in February, with six states having a record wet February and ten other states having a top-10 wet February. For the Northern Rockies, the heavy precipitation and below-average temperatures in February resulted in record and near-record snowpack, NOAA said.
Meanwhile, below-average February precipitation was observed across portions of the Southeast, Southern Plains and West, with California notching its third driest February on record and the driest since 1967.
Snow cover extent in February was 99,600 square miles above the 1981-2010 average and was the 20th highest value in the period of record, NOAA said, citing data analyzed by the Rutgers Global Snow Lab. Snow cover exceeded the average across the Northern Rockies, Central and Northern Plains, as well parts of the Northwest and Northeast, but trailed the average across the Southwest and the Great Lakes region.
Drought was observed for 31.3% of the contiguous U.S., down from 38.4% at the close of January, NOAA said citing the Feb. 27 U.S. Drought Monitor Report. Drought conditions reportedly improved in the Northern High Plains, Central Plains, Mid-Atlantic and in the South to the Mid-Mississippi Valley, but worsened across parts of the West and the Southern High Plains.
