NATIONAL WEATHER SUMMARY

FEBRUARY 2025

2-8: Multiple Pacific disturbances moving inland along a nearly stationary frontal boundary delivered heavy precipitation from northern California to the northern Rockies. In contrast, spring like Southwestern weather maintained poor runoff prospects stemming from subpar mountain snowpack. Farther east, snow dusted the nation’s northern tier, from the northern Plains into the Northeast, although higher amounts were noted in some areas during the mid- to late-week period.

For much of the week, a sharp temperature gradient existed across the West. Notably, temperatures ranged from as much as 15°F below normal in north central Wyoming to more than 15°F above normal in parts of southwestern and south-central Wyoming. Record setting warmth blanketed the Southwest and Deep South, with temperatures broadly averaging 10 to 20°F above normal. Unusual warmth extended into parts of the Midwest. Elsewhere, readings averaged at least 10 to 20°F below normal in much of Montana and environs. Monthly maximum temperature records were tied or broken in numerous locations, starting on February 3. On that date in Texas, highs soared to 90°F in Borger and 89°F in Amarillo, tying February records. Borger also experienced its earliest 90 degree heat, previously set with a high of 90°F on February 10, 2017. Elsewhere in Texas, Lubbock set or tied multiple records on February 3 with a high of 91°F. For example, Lubbock had attained a reading as high as 91°F only once before in February— on the 11th in 2017—making this year the earliest date that Lubbock had topped the 90-degree mark. Additionally, Lubbock’s high of 91°F matched the 2017 monthly record for that location. Record-shattering warmth expanded late in the week, as Texarkana, AR, tied a monthly record with a high of 90°F on February 8. Dozens of daily-record highs were set each day during the week, mainly across the South, but also extending into parts of the West and Midwest. Salt Lake City, UT, topped the 60-degree mark each day from February 2-5, including a monthly record-tying high of 69°F on February 4. Previously, Salt Lake City had reached 69°F on February 28, 1972. Similarly, Grand Junction, CO, shattered a monthly record with a high of 71°F on February 3 (previously, 70°F on February 24, 1904). Farther east, Greenville-Spartanburg, SC (81°F on February 4), tied a monthly record most recently attained on February 16, 2018. Impressively, Salt Lake City also set a monthly station record for highest minimum temperature—59°F on February 4. Prior to 2025, Salt Lake City’s highest daily minimum temperature during any winter month had been 52°F on December 23, 1955.

9-15: Multiple rounds of heavy precipitation struck the Southeast, saturating soils and culminating in late week flooding.  Prior to the final Southeastern deluge, which peaked on February 15, precipitation had fallen as rain, freezing rain, sleet, and snow. In fact, significant snow occurred on February 11-12 in parts of the central Appalachians and middle Atlantic States, followed by additional accumulations on February 12-13 from the central Plains into the Midwest and Northeast. By the morning of February 13, snow covered nearly 51 percent of the Lower 48 States, up from 23 percent early in the month.

Weekly temperatures averaged at least 10 to 20°F or below normal from the eastern slopes of the Cascades to the northern and central Plains and upper Midwest. Colder-than-normal conditions extended to other areas, including the southern Plains and the remainder of the Midwest. Across the nation’s mid-section, winter wheat’s insulating snow cover was highly variable, with notable gaps in protection across the southern Plains and in parts of South Dakota and northwestern Nebraska. Elsewhere, warmth was generally confined to the Deep South, including parts of Arizona and New Mexico, as well as an area stretching from Deep South Texas to the southern Atlantic Coast. Readings averaged more than 10°F above normal from southeastern Louisiana into parts of Florida and southern Georgia. Early in the week, warmth lingered in the Southeast and along the Gulf Coast. Record-setting highs for February 9 reached 84°F in Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX, and Charleston, SC. In New Orleans, LA, high temperatures topped the 80-degree mark on February 6, 8, 11, 12, and 15, following the record-setting 8.0-inch snowfall of January 21. New Orleans’ reading of 85°F on the 8th tied a monthly record originally set on February 26, 1972. Meanwhile in southern Texas, temperatures soared to daily-record levels on February 12 in Harlingen (95°F) and McAllen (92°F). Florida also experienced several very warm days, with a monthly record of 89°F tied on February 13 in Daytona Beach. On the same date, Lakeland, FL (90°F), tied a monthly record and experienced its earliest-ever 90-degree heat, previously set with a reading of 90°F on February 20, 1988. Late in the week, another surge of Southern warmth delivered daily record highs for February 15 in locations such as Vicksburg, MS (84°F), and Monroe, LA (83°F). Diametrically opposed conditions existed, however, farther north and west. In Oregon, for example, Klamath Falls reported a minimum temperature of 0°F or below each day from February 7-12. The cold snap in Klamath Falls peaked on the 12th with a low of -14°F, which set a monthly record (previously, -10°F on February 9, 1933; February 2, 1950; and February 6, 1989). Elsewhere in Oregon, Baker City achieved a minimum temperature of -22°F on the 12th, the lowest February reading in that location since 1989. With a February 12 low of -27°F, Burns, OR, narrowly missed its monthly record, which remains -28°F on February 4, 1985. Daily-record lows plunged below -30°F in several locations, including Chinook, MT (-38°F on the 11th), and Stanley, ID (-33°F on the 12th). By February 13, frigid weather extended to the Plains, where daily-record lows included -31°F in Bismarck, ND; -19°F in Pierre, SD; -14°F in McCook, NE; and -12°F in Hill City, KS.

16-22: Weekly temperatures averaged 10 to 25°F below normal throughout the Plains, Midwest, and mid-South, extending into the western Gulf Coast region. Among areas east of the Rockies, only eastern Maine and southern Florida escaped with near-normal temperatures. Conversely, near- or above-normal temperatures were observed in the West, aside from lingering cold conditions across the interior Northwest. Weekly readings averaged at least 5°F above normal in several areas, including portions of the Great Basin and the Southwest. As the week began, warmth lingered across Florida, where Vero Beach posted a daily-record high (85°F) for February 16. Subsequently, a strong cold front produced high winds and locally severe thunderstorms in the Southeast, extending as far north as the central Appalachians. Peak gusts on the 16th included 74 mph in Elkins, WV, and 52 mph in Alma, GA. The gust in Elkins was a monthly record, surpassing 69 mph on February 11, 2009. Soon, some of the coldest air in years drove southward across the nation’s mid-section. On February 17-18, Bismarck, ND, tallied consecutive daily-record lows (-35 and -39°F, respectively), with the latter reading marking the coldest day in that location since January 15, 2009, when it was -44°F. Other daily-record lows for February 18 included -33°F in Minot, ND, and -30°F in Mobridge, SD. Incredibly, Mobridge collected a daily-record high, 63°F, on February 23, just 5 days later. In Montana, record-setting lows for February 19 plunged to -35°F in Havre, -32°F in Choteau, and -31°F in Cut Bank. By February 20, daily-record lows in Nebraska included -33°F in Valentine; -32°F in Broken Bow; -26°F in Chadron; and -24°F in Grand Island. Valentine matched its temperature from February 15, 2021—the last time a reading of -30°F or below had occurred in that location. For Grand Island, it was the coldest day since February 16, 2021, when the low dipped to -27°F. Broken Bow warmed from -32 to 67°F between February 20 and 24. Farther south, sub-zero, daily-record lows occurred on February 20 in locations such as Fayetteville, AR (-3°F), and Wichita, KS (-8°F). Consecutive daily-record lows were observed on February 19-20 in many communities, including Springfield, MO (-7 and -12°F); Dodge City, KS (-5°F both days); and Oklahoma City, OK (2 and 4°F). However, Dodge City received 4.6 inches of snow from February 17-19, prior to the coldest weather. With a low of -4°F on February 21, Cape Girardeau logged its second-latest sub-zero reading, behind only -8°F on March 6, 2015. Cold air extended deep into the South, where record-setting lows for February 21 included 17°F in Birmingham, AL, and 18°F in Greenville, MS. Mobile, AL, posted a daily-record low (25°F) for February 22.

Feb. 23-Mar 1: Less than a week removed from a harsh, late-winter cold outbreak across the central and eastern U.S., mild, dry weather prevailed nearly nationwide. Consequently, non mountain snowpack rapidly melted. National snow coverage, which had peaked near 57 percent on February 20, fell to 16 percent as March began. As the new month started, there was negligible snow on the ground, except in Western mountains and across the nation’s northern tier.

late-February precipitation was confined to a few small areas, including Florida’s peninsula, the central Gulf Coast region, parts of the Northwest, and an area stretching from the lower Great Lakes region into northern New England.

Rapid surface drying occurred in areas experiencing warm, dry weather, leading to an elevated wildfire threat in areas with cured or freeze-dried fine fuels, such as grasses and leaf litter. Reduced topsoil moisture also led to increased stress on some Southern rangeland, pastures, and winter grains. With the stunning temperature reversal, areas of the northern and central Plains that had experienced readings 10 to 25°F below normal the previous week suddenly were 10 to 20°F above normal. Whipsaw temperatures extended to other areas, including the mid South and Midwest. Any lingering cold weather across the South (locally as much as 5°F below normal for the week) was erased as the week progressed. The West experienced a spell of record-setting warmth, boosting weekly temperatures at least 10°F above normal in portions of the Pacific Coast States, Desert Southwest, and western Great Basin. As the week began, temperatures rebounded across the western half of the U.S. Daily-record highs for February 23 included 75°F in Merced, CA, and 64°F in Aberdeen, SD. Elsewhere in South Dakota, the temperature in Mobridge rose from a daily-record low of -30°F on February 18 to a daily-record high of 63°F on February 23. In some areas, high winds accompanied the warmth, with Livingston, MT, clocking a southerly wind gust to 90 mph on February 23. Subsequently, warmth further expanded and intensified. On February 24, daily-record highs stretched from Lancaster, CA (81°F), to Traverse City, MI (51°F). Warmth peaked across the central Plains on February 25, when daily-record highs soared to 76°F in Goodland, KS, and McCook, NE. By February 26, record-setting warmth shifted into the Southeast, where highs soared to 80°F in Muscle Shoals, AL, and 79°F in Chattanooga, TN. Late in the week, warmth re-amplified across the West in advance of an approaching storm system. February 27 featured daily-record highs in California locations such as Santa Ana (93°F), downtown Los Angeles (88°F), and Bakersfield (84°F). Late in the week, warmth prevailed in the West and South, while cool, windy weather overspread the Midwest and Northeast. In Iowa, peak wind gusts on February 28 were clocked to 66 mph in Waterloo and 62 mph in Spencer and Mason City. In contrast, the last day of February featured daily-record highs of 84°F in Redding, CA, and 81°F in Medicine Lodge, KS. The week ended on February 28 and March 1 with consecutive daily-record highs in Redmond, OR (73 and 69°F), and Grand Junction, CO (66 and 69°F). The new month began with warmth returning across the nation’s mid section; record-setting highs for March 1 included 85°F in Houston, TX, and 65°F in Great Falls, MT. 

 

Jim G. Munley, jr.
http://www.jimmunleywx.com