February 2026 OBS & Discussion

[mriceyman]

Endless cold without any decent snow is going to get old fast for some I suspect.  

With snowcover locked in im ready for a push to march


.

[MANDA]

Just now, mriceyman said:

With snowcover locked in im ready for a push to march


.

I'm not there yet but suspect I will be within 2 weeks.

[Brian5671]

3 minutes ago, MANDA said:

My bill is due to arrive any day.  Was just thinking about what it might be.  

Last month was $367.  This coming one has to beat that.

The increasing sun angle helps a bit during the day but it's brutal

[MANDA]

Just now, Brian5671 said:

The increasing sun angle helps a bit during the day but it's brutal

It absolutely does, especially in south and southwest facing rooms.  Once the sun sets though that "free heat" goes away fast.

[Jersey_Snowhole]

18z gfs ai says “you think tomorrow is going to be hard to watch you ain’t seen nothing yet” 

[MJO812]

31 minutes ago, Brian5671 said:

The increasing sun angle helps a bit during the day but it's brutal

Some melting is happening but not enough. 

[eduggs]

GFS-AI is miss, miss, rain. GFS is miss, miss, cold. But both are close to back to back hits. With the reliability of the ECM-AIFS, which is also showing essentially a miss, miss scenario next week, that should probably be the baseline for expectations until things look more hopeful. It's definitely not a close the blinds week though, fortunately.

[SnoSki14]

20 minutes ago, MJO812 said:

Some melting is happening but not enough. 

Based on the weeklies this snowpack could last til March. And this doesn't account for added snowfall that we'll likely see in Feb. 

This is a rare deep winter and these patterns nowadays get stuck in place for months. This pattern stems from November.  

Also it wouldn't surprise me to see March delivering big this year. 

[wdrag]

[NEG NAO]

8 minutes ago, wdrag said:

Thanks for the good news Walt - I think

[MJO812]

54 minutes ago, wdrag said:

Yeo second cold winter in a row. Hopefully we reach 30-40 inches this winter which would be a nice sight. 

[[email protected]]

2015 like February, incoming?

[MJO812]

Second year in a row they busted 

[Roger Smith]

 

<<<< FEBRUARY NYC DAILY RECORDS >>>>

Note: Max 2d snow is the listed date plus the previous date, so for example 17.4" fell Feb 3-4 1961. Any 2d total with * symbol had all of its snow on the calendar date and zero the previous day. Any 2d total with ** had all of its snow the previous day and none on calendar date of table listing. ... Also, any number in brackets after a Low min record is that day's non-record-low max. R or S after precip indicates whether the value was mostly rain, snow or a combination (RS). Some of those may be snow+sleet.  

Date _____ High max ____ High min _______ Low max ____ Low min _______ Max prec ___ Max snow ___ Max 2d snow

Feb 01 __ 67 1989 ____ 50 1988 ______12 1971 _____-2 1920 _______2.15 1915R__14.8 2021 ___16.8 2021^

Feb 02 __ 59 1988 ____ 42 1952 _______8 1881 ____-3 1881 _______2.98 1973R__5.0 2015___ 15.2 2021**

Feb 03 __ 64 1991 ____ 46 1999,2006 __16 1917 ____0 1955 _______ 1.55 1972R___8.0 2014 ___8.0 2014*

Feb 04 __ 68 1991 ____ 46 1991 _______12 1886 _____0 1886,1918 ___ 2.10 1961RS_11.4 1961 ____17.4 1961

Feb 05 __ 70 1991 ____ 51 1991 ________ 4 1918 _____-6 1918^________1.43 2014RS__5.9 1920 ___11.6 1920

Feb 06 __ 68 2008 ____42 1884,1938 __10 1895 ____-4 1895 ______ 2.74 1896R__15.5 1978 ____15.5 1978* (11.3 1920 3d 17.0")

Feb 07 __ 56 2020 ____ 42 1904 ______10 1875 _____ 1 1910 _______ 2.96 1941R__12.5 1967 ____17.7 1978 (15.2 1967)

Feb 08 __ 62 2017 ____ 48 1965 _______ 8 1895 _____ -7 1934 ______ 1.15 2013RS__8.0 1870 ____12.5 1967**

Feb 09 __ 63 1990 ____ 46 2005 _______8 1934 _____-15 1934 _____ 1.74 1885R __14.0 1969 ___14.0 1969*

Feb 10 __ 61 1990,2001,2023_ 47 2024* __7 1899 ____-6 1899 ______ 2.63 1970R___10.4 1926 ___15.3 1969 (12.0 1926)

Feb 11 __ 65 1960,2009 _50 1966 _______ 9 1899 _____-2 1885, 99 ___ 2.74 1886R___12.8 1994 ___12.8 1994* (12.5 1983)

Feb 12 __ 62 1999,2018 _ 45 1966 _______9 1899 ____-3 1914 (10) ___1.66 2006S___24.1 2006___26.9 2006 (17.6 1983)

Feb 13 __ 64 1951 ____ 47 1880 _______11 1899 _____-1 1914 ________ 2.42 1966R___10.7 1899^___16.0 1899

Feb 14 __ 63 1946 ____ 50 1949 ______ 12 1916 _____-1 2016 (15) ___ 1.59 1914RS__ 8.1 1914 ____12.5 2014 (9.5+3.0)

Feb 15 __ 73 1949 ____ 49 1984 _______8 1943 _____-8 1943 _______2.60 1869R___ 5.4 1922 ____9.0 1940 (7.7+1.3)

Feb 16 __ 71 1954 ____ 56 2023^______11 1904 _____ 1 1888 _________ 1.40 1885R___ 9.9 1996 ____9.9 1996*

Feb 17 __ 68 2022 ____ 49 2022 ______ 7 1896 _____-5 1896 ________1.49 2003S__16.3 2003____19.8 2003 (10.7 1996)^

Feb 18 __ 68 1981 ____ 48 1981 _______16 1958 _____0 1979 (13,17 17th-18th)_1.50 1887R__3.5 1928 ___16.3 2003**

Feb 19 __ 66 1997 ____ 53 2017 _______16 1903 _____ 1 1936 (18) ____ 2.15 1908RS_ 12.7 1979 ___12.7 1979* 

Feb 20 __ 69 1930,39__48 1939 _______16 1885 _____ 2 2015 (19) ____3.07 1898R^__ 12.5 1921 __ 12.7 1979** (7.6" 1934 4,9+2.7)

Feb 21 __ 78 2018^____55 2018 ________17 1870 _____ 4 1896 ________ 1.86 1902RS__ 8.0 1929 ___12.5 1921** _ (9.2 1929)^

Feb 22 __ 69 1997 ____ 46 1996 _______21 1963 _____ 8 1918, 63 _____2.39 1878R___ 6.0 2008 ___6.0 2008*

Feb 23 __ 72 1874 ____ 55 1985 _______19 1873 _____ 5 1889 _________1.38 1928R___4.8 1972 ____ 5.8 2001 (5.5+0.3)

Feb 24 __ 75 1985 ____ 58 2017 _______10 1894 _____-1 1873 ________ 1.69 1977R___6.0 1907 ____ 6.0 1907*

Feb 25 __ 75 1930 ____ 51 1930 _______16 1934 _____ 1 1894, 1914 ___ 2.11 1916R___9.4 2010 ____ 9.4 2010*

Feb 26 __ 65 1890 ____ 49 1976 _______19 1900 _____ 7 1928, 1990 __ 1.87 1929R__11.5 2010 ____20.9 2010 (9.3" 1934 3.7+5.6)

Feb 27 __ 72 1997 ____ 49 1976 _______18 1886 _____ 5 1900 _________ 1.56 2013R___4.0 1873 ____11.5 2010** (8.9" 1991 8.4+0.5)

Feb 28 __ 67 1976 ____ 47 1903,10,2017 _ 19 1875 _____ 5 1934 _________ 1.21 1910R___ 9.0 1949 ____9.0 1949*

Feb 29 __ 69 1880 ____ 47 1896, 2016 __12 1884 _____4 1884 _______ 2.26 1896R___ 1.1 1968 ____ 5.0 1884**

-- - - - - - - - - - - --

^ 1st _ 2021 snow broke record of 9.8" (1934 -- which was a one-day snowfall event).

5th_6th ... probably very cold with some snow in 1855

*10th _ new record high min 45F 2023 broke 43, 1999; in 2024, 47F broke 2023.

13th _ The 2d 1899 snowfall in this data base may be recorded as a one-day 16.0" in other data bases, here it is broken down to 5.3" 12th and 10.7" 13th.

16th _ New record high min 56F 2023 prev rec 44F 2002

17th _ Also 2d totals of 9.6"(6.3+3.3) 1903 and 9.1" 17th-18th (7.1+2.0) 1893 (these may appear as one-day totals of same amounts in other data bases). Also, 17th max temp 68F 2022 replaced 67F 1976. high min 49F 2022 replaced 46F 1981, 2011. 

19th_ 1908 prec record included 4.3" snow

20th _ also 2.68" (unknown amount rain and 12.5" snow) 1921.

21st _ also 68 max in 1930 ... also 2d snow 10.7" 1947 (4.2+6.5)

____________________________________________________________________________________

 

[weatherpruf]

11 minutes ago, MJO812 said:

Yeo second cold winter in a row. Hopefully we reach 30-40 inches this winter which would be a nice sight. 

we probably get our next decent storm when the pattern eases. 

[Wannabehippie]

12 hours ago, ILoveWinter said:

So back to the La Niña “front loaded” pattern we had in December? That wasn’t too bad for us. 

La Nina is just about dead. Headed in to an El Nino, if predictions hold true.

[Wannabehippie]

2 hours ago, psv88 said:

Awful. Gas bill was $500 for January. No need for wasted cold, just blows a hole in the wallet. 

 

2 hours ago, MANDA said:

My bill is due to arrive any day.  Was just thinking about what it might be.  

Last month was $367.  This coming one has to beat that.

 

2 hours ago, Brian5671 said:

same here $440 and we were away for a week at xmas-highest in the 22 yrs we've been in this house

Are you all going to try to improve insulation in the attic, windows before next winter? Or put plastic on windows to keep out any drafts?

[Wannabehippie]

2 hours ago, Brian5671 said:

The increasing sun angle helps a bit during the day but it's brutal

My condo faces south. On a sunny day it can get in to the mid 70s in here, even in the depth of winter with the low sun angle.

 

[nycsnow]

1 hour ago, eduggs said:

GFS-AI is miss, miss, rain. GFS is miss, miss, cold. But both are close to back to back hits. With the reliability of the ECM-AIFS, which is also showing essentially a miss, miss scenario next week, that should probably be the baseline for expectations until things look more hopeful. It's definitely not a close the blinds week though, fortunately.

Week out, euro aifs could change just like it did with this past storm… def not a dead pattern coming up. Hopefully clipper parade blows something up into coastal

[Stormlover74]

21 minutes ago, [email protected] said:

2015 like February, incoming?

Less stormy

[MJO812]

5 minutes ago, Stormlover74 said:

Less stormy

Maybe . We shall see.

[psv88]

47 minutes ago, Wannabehippie said:

 

 

Are you all going to try to improve insulation in the attic, windows before next winter? Or put plastic on windows to keep out any drafts?

Yea. Having some windows replaced and doors. Bought this house last year and we already replaced a bunch of windows, sky lights, all new exterior insulation…

[Prue11]

Cold air sucks without snow events I hope we get some more events this month. This winters oil bills are adding up fast

[Prue11]

1 hour ago, MJO812 said:

Yeo second cold winter in a row. Hopefully we reach 30-40 inches this winter which would be a nice sight. 

I’m already at 30” shooting for 40-45” this winter. Those smaller events really added up

[Prue11]

5 hours ago, Stormlover74 said:

I'm thinking that's the one hes referring to but it reformed off the delmarva not SC

January 22-23 2005 LI received up to 20” and orient had wind  gusts to 79mph

[wishcast_hater]

1 hour ago, MJO812 said:

Maybe . We shall see.

What happened going into Phase 8 or Phase 1?

[winterwarlock]

I am ready for 60s and 70s

[MJO812]

32 minutes ago, wishcast_hater said:

What happened going into Phase 8 or Phase 1?

Both 

[NyWxGuy]

2 hours ago, Stormlover74 said:

Less stormy

I fully believe that a dominant northern stream is why amplification is nearly impossible to come by since 2021-2022. We’ve had some decent cold months since then, but without a NS and SS in sync, we end up with mainly cold and dry as opposed to the epic winters of the 2000s and 2010s. I think a SWFE event into a strong high pressure will be the way we get to average this season in NYC. We’re at 22, we just need 8 more 

[psv88]

47 minutes ago, winterwarlock said:

I am ready for 60s and 70s

I’m getting there. Cold and dry fucking sucks. Probably 4 weeks away from our first 60. 6 weeks from first 70. We aren’t far away