WASHINGTON, United States: This winter was the warmest on record in the United States, data showed Friday.
This is the latest sign that the world is headed for unprecedented times as a result of the climate crisis.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the average temperature in the central 48 states from December 2023 to February 2024 was the highest on record since the late 1800s; 37.6 degrees Fahrenheit (3.1 degrees Celsius).
That was 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit (3.0 degrees Celsius) above the 20th century average for the world’s second-largest greenhouse gas producer after China.
Eight states in the upper Midwest, Great Lakes, and Northeast experienced record-warm winters, in part due to the El Nino weather pattern.
On Thursday, Governor Minnesota, Tim Walz announced that the state was canceling federal funding for businesses affected by reduced snowfall, “from skiing and snowshoeing to winter festivals.”
The heat lasted until February. The average monthly temperature for the continental United States, excluding Hawaii, Alaska and offshore areas, was 41.1 degrees Fahrenheit, 7.2 degrees above average and the third warmest on record, according to the data.
Wildfires, drought and floods
The Smokehouse Creek fire, which erupted on February 26 and is the largest in Texas history, has burned more than 1 million acres (400,000 hectares) in the Texas Panhandle and western Oklahoma, officials added.
Sustained warmth has led to a steady decline in ice cover across the Great Lakes, reaching a record low of 2.7 percent on Feb. 11, when ice cover typically peaks.
February is also the third driest month on record, with some areas experiencing drought, but unusual weather patterns bringing heavy rain and snow to parts of the West.
