Record warm Midwest winter, early spring throws people for a loop
A record-warm winter and early spring in the Midwest has residents looking for snow but finding spring flowers instead.
Flowers blooming at Hershey Gardens in Hershey, PA on Feb. 20, 2024, a week earlier than most years (X/@HersheyGardens)
Winter weather lovers across the central and eastern United States have not had much time to enjoy extended stretches of cold and snowy conditions amid a season that has brought record warmth and little snow.
According to the Midwest Climate Center's AWSSI winter index, which takes both temperatures and snowfall into account, Fargo, North Dakota; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Eau Claire, Wisconsin; and Mason City, Iowa, are among the list of cities experiencing their mildest winters on record.
Since Jan. 22, temperatures in Fargo, North Dakota, have averaged 20.8 F above the historical normal.
Statewide, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Vermont have experienced their highest average meteorological winter temperatures so far this season, according to the Iowa Environmental Mesonet. New York, Maine and Washington are ranked second in the seasonal standings.
In Minneapolis, there have been 12 days this winter with a high temperature above 50 degrees, setting a new record. Meanwhile, in the "icebox" of International Falls, Minnesota, there have only been 13 days below zero this winter, far from the runner-up winter of 2011-2012 with 28.
The Great Lakes have been a testament to the abnormally mild winter in the Midwest, as the amount of ice on the lakes has been at a record low, with only 0.05% of Lake Erie being covered by ice.
The lack of ice on the Great Lakes and other lakes and ponds across the region has been detrimental to folks who regularly go ice fishing in the winter or pursue other outdoor winter sports. However, the widespread warm spells have helped to reduce heating bills for residents across the region.
The unusually mild winter and early springlike weather also has dipped into the Carolinas. Some cities in North Carolina haven't had measurable snowfall for nearly two years, a snowless streak that began 750 days ago in Greensboro and 752 days ago in Charlotte.
The National Phenology Network's Daily Spring Index Leaf Anomaly Index Feb. 20, 2024. (NPN)
The National Phenology Network's Daily Spring Index Leaf Anomaly Index shows parts of the Carolinas and Tennessee have experienced their first spring leaves 10 to 20 days before the historical average.
The forecast calls for more of the same. It will feel more like May than February across the central United States in the coming days, with temperatures approaching record levels across the region, culminating in record-high temperatures from Texas to Minnesota on Monday.
Although cold air and snow aren't over for the season for the Upper Midwest, AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Expert Meteorologist Paul Pastelok says that a warm spring is forecast over most of the northeastern quadrant of the country.
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