February continued 2022’s relatively dry start, with the majority of the U.S. in a drought, according to NOAA’s monthly U.S. climate report released on Tuesday morning.
The end of the month also ushered in the end of meteorological winter, which ranked as the nation’s 12th-driest winter in 128 years of record-keeping.
Here are some of the highlights from NOAA’s report:
February’s average precipitation was 1.73 inches (0.40 of an inch below average), which ranked in the driest third of the historical climate record.
Total winter precipitation (which includes December, January, and February) was 5.76 inches — 1.03 inches below average — which ranks as the 12th-driest winter on record.
Louisiana had its third-driest winter on record, Nebraska had its fourth driest and Kansas saw its fifth driest. Meanwhile, Minnesota had its 10th-wettest winter.
The average temperature across the contiguous U.S. last month was 33.8 degrees F, 0.1 of a degree F below the 20th-century average, ranking in the middle third of the climate record.
Drought tightened its grip:
By the end of February, 59.2% of the contiguous U.S. was in drought, up nearly 4% from the beginning of February.
Drought conditions expanded or intensified across portions of the northern and central Plains, as well as across parts of the West, Midwest, Great Lakes and from Florida to the Carolina coast. Drought severity lessened across portions of the southern Plains and across Puerto Rico.
A winter storm walloped many:
A massive winter storm stretched from Texas to Maine during the first week of February and brought heavy snow, freezing rain, ice and bitterly cold temperatures to much of the eastern two-thirds of the contiguous U.S. More than a foot of snow fell across parts of the Northeast.
Fallen power lines and trees caused power outages across many states, and thousands of flights were canceled amid treacherous travel conditions.
A record wet February and winter for Alaska:
Alaska saw its wettest February in its 98-year period of record. Looking at some cities in the state, Juneau had its wettest February, following a record-wet January.
King Salmon also saw its wettest February on record, while Anchorage ranked second wettest. February contributed to Alaska also seeing its wettest winter on record, eclipsing the previous wettest winter of 1928-29.