NOAA released their winter climate statistics yesterday. They showed that for the lower 48 states, this past December through February was the warmest since records began in 1895. The exceptionally warm December really boosted the temperatures this season. It was Alaska’s second warmest winter, with averages more than 10 degrees above normal. You can read more about the numbers at https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/.
Jason Samenow of the Capital Weather Gang wrote an associated blog article describing this as the year without a winter”. Even though Washington DC had snow this year, the incredibly warm December really pushed the winter to a new level of warmth.
One of the consequences of the warm weather, especially in the northern states, is the earliest ever maple syrup production in Minnesota. Paul Ruttner of Minnesota Public Radio describes this in his blog post here.
