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U.S. Posts Second-Warmest Winter as February Runs Warm and Dry, NOAA Reports

Forecasters cite record daytime highs in the West alongside drought now covering more than half the country.

FILE - Maureen Regan and Rich Regan walk with their dogs, Rooney, Nutella, and Mia, in the aftermath of a winter storm, Monday, Feb. 23, 2026, in Kings Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa, File)
FILE - Maryann Slovin begins clearing out her driveway and sidewalk in Hockessin, Del., on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, as a snow storm moves through region. (AP Photo/Suchat Pederson, File)
FILE - Two boys take a break from swimming in the Pacific Ocean at Windansea Beach under sunny skies and warm weather, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)
The average temperature for the contiguous U.S. in February was 40.4°F, 6.6°F above the 20th-century average, ranking second warmest in the 132-year record.

Overview

  • NOAA reports a winter average of 37.1°F for the Lower 48, 4.9°F above the 20th‑century norm and second-warmest on record, with the West and Southwest setting regional records and nine states logging their warmest season.
  • Daytime highs were the warmest on record for the season nationally at 48.3°F, with 11 states setting records for average maximum temperatures and hundreds of counties hitting new marks.
  • February ranked fourth-warmest and fifth-driest for the contiguous U.S., with 1.37 inches of precipitation nationally, the lowest February total since 2002.
  • Drought expanded by roughly 10.4 percentage points during February to 54.9% of the Lower 48 by March 3, with persistence noted across large interior regions.
  • A Feb. 22–24 bomb cyclone delivered blizzard conditions and hurricane-force gusts in the Northeast, including Providence’s largest snowstorm on record, with snowfall affecting more than 115 million people.