The phrase, winter warmth, may seem like an oxymoron, but it was the theme of this past season across much of the U.S.  Nationally, it was the fourth warmest winter on record. Locally, in New York City, the season ranked as our second warmest ever with an average temperature of 40.5°F in Central Park.

A highlight of this meteorological winter was the city’s warmest February on record, which registered an average temperature 5.9°F above normal.  These mild temperatures, in turn, meant very little snowfall. Including the pre-season snowstorm at the end of October, the city only saw 7.4 inches of snow, which is 13.5 inches below normal.

Record warm spring temperatures are now following our unseasonably mild winter.

Graph Credit: MF at The Weather Gamut