The U.S. experiences its warmest winter on record

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - This winter was the warmest on record for the U.S., according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

NOAA records date back to the late 1800s. These records prove that winter has become the fastest-warming season for nearly 75% of the country.

The record warmth caused a lack of snow and ice across vast areas of the lower 48 states, exacerbating drought conditions in the Midwest and creating issues for local economies.

The Smokehouse Creek wildfire burned more than a million acres in the Texas Panhandle and western Oklahoma in February 2024, due to a dangerous mix of heat, high winds and drought. The wildfire, which began on February 26, became the largest wildfire in Texas history and the second largest in US history, according to CBS News.

Eight states experienced a record-warm winter: North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, Vermont and New Hampshire. 26 additional states saw their top-10 warmest winters on record, according to NOAA.

December was a full seven degrees above average. Higher temperatures continued through the season, aside from a brutal cold spell in January.

Last month was the planet’s hottest February on record according to data from Copernicus, the European Union’s climate monitoring service.

Data from NOAA concludes that five of the 10 warmest winters on record in the U.S. have occurred in the last 20 years.