US Had Second-Warmest Winter on Record Despite Frigid East

Federal meteorologists say the continental US just experienced its second-warmest winter ever, even as many in the East and Midwest endured bitter cold.

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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The continental United States just had its second-warmest winter on record, according to federal meteorologists, even as many in the East and Midwest shivered through blizzards and subfreezing temperatures. The higher average temperature was driven primarily by record or near-record warmth in the West, while the East saw cold spells that were less extreme in comparison.

Why it matters

This stark contrast between the warm West and cold East highlights the regional variations in winter weather patterns across the country, as well as the broader trend of winters warming faster than other seasons in the US due to climate change.

The details

Nine states - Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah and Wyoming - broke or tied records for the warmest winter on record. In contrast, the state with the coldest ranking was Delaware, which only had its 28th coldest winter. The West saw very little winter weather, while the East experienced a prolonged stretch of cold, though it was not as extreme or long-lasting as the warmth out West.

  • The winter period measured was from December 2025 through February 2026.
  • February 2026 was the fourth-warmest February on record nationally.
  • January 2026 was the 24th-warmest month nationally.
  • December 2025 was the fifth-warmest December on record.

The players

NOAA

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the federal agency that tracks and reports on weather and climate data in the United States.

Russell Vose

NOAA's climate monitoring chief, who explained that the higher average winter temperature was driven primarily by record warmth in the West.

Jeff Masters

A meteorologist with Yale Climate Connections, who noted that while the East experienced a prolonged stretch of cold, it was not as extreme or long-lasting as the warmth out West.

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What they’re saying

“The East, especially the Northeast, had winter. In the West, there were certainly places where you could say we missed the winter.”

— Russell Vose, NOAA Climate Monitoring Chief

“We had a pretty impressive long stretch of unbroken cold that was very notable. But the total duration for the whole winter, not so much.”

— Jeff Masters, Meteorologist, Yale Climate Connections

What’s next

NOAA will continue to monitor and report on winter weather patterns and temperature trends across the United States.

The takeaway

This winter's stark contrast between the warm West and cold East underscores the regional variations in weather patterns, as well as the broader trend of winters warming faster than other seasons in the US due to climate change. The data highlights the need to consider localized impacts when assessing the effects of a changing climate.