Photo: Mario Tama / Getty Images
February continued the relatively dry start of 2022, with most of the contiguous United States in drought. The end of the month also marked the beginning of the meteorological winter, which ranked as the twelfth driest winter in the country in 107 years, depending on the monthly US weather report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
These are highlights from the latest monthly report on US weather from NOAA:
Temperatures and precipitation
The average temperature in the contiguous United States last month was 33.8 degrees F, which is 0.1 degree F below the average of the 20th century, placing it in the middle third of the climatic record.
I know felt below-average temperatures
in parts of the Northern Plains, Great Lakes, and from the cen from the Rocky Mountains to the Gulf Coast. Temperatures were above average in parts of the west coast, as well as from the southeast of the USA to New England.
February average rainfall was 1.60 inches (0.40 inches below average), which was located in the driest third of the historical climatic record.
Above-average precipitation fell from the Mid-Mississippi Valley to New England, with Ohio experiencing its sixth wettest February on record. Precipitation was below average across most of the West and parts of the Plains, Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. California and Nebraska had their second driest February on record, while Nevada had the third driest.
The drought worsened
At the end of February, the 59.2% of the contiguous United States was in drought, up nearly 4% from early February.
Drought conditions expanded or intensified in parts of the Northern and Central Plains, as well as parts of the West, Midwest, Great Lakes, and from Florida to coastal Carolina. The severity of the drought decreased in parts of the Southern Plains and throughout Puerto Rico.
A winter storm hit many
A huge winter storm swept from Texas to Maine during the first week of February bringing heavy snow , freezing rain, ice, and extremely cold temperatures across much of the eastern two-thirds of the contiguous US.
More than a foot of snow fell in parts of the Northeast. Power lines and downed trees caused power outages in many states, and thousands of flights were canceled amid treacherous travel conditions.
Record wet winter for Alaska
Alaska saw its wettest February in its record period of 98 years. February contributed to Alaska also seeing its wettest winter on record, eclipsing the previous wettest winter of 1928-29.
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