February 2026 OBS & Discussion

[Brian5671]

58 minutes ago, jm1220 said:

Chance at some sleet/freezing rain later especially north of the city but maybe north shore as well. 

Going to be a mess with frozen ground-even at 33-34 degrees could be an issue on untreated roads

[SACRUS]

23 / 11 the ascent from the ice box continues mid / upper 30s today and Some areas to or low 40s on Wed (last time 1/22).  Overall drier through the yet to be sorted out 2/15-2/16 storm system which looked mainly mix/wet.  Moderation and warmer next week - still hovering between cold to the north and much warmer to the south and we'll see if one or two days between the 2/17 - 2/21 period gets to 50(s)  - last was Jan 12-14th.  Beyond there overall near normal to below.

 

[SACRUS]

Records:

Highs:

EWR: 63 (1990)
NYC: 61 (2023)
LGA: 60 (2024)
JFK: 60 (2023)



Lows:

EWR: 8 (1968) - Unofficial record -9 (1899)
NYC: -6 (1879)
LGA: 4 (1979)
JFK: 6 (1979)

Historical:

 

1899 - The temperature at Monterey plunged to 29 degrees below zero, establishing record for the state of Virginia. (Sandra and TI Richard Sanders - 1987)

1899: The minimum temperature for the date was -8 °F and the high was + 4 degrees F. in Washington, DC. The + 4 degrees F. high was the lowest maximum ever recorded in Washington. That makes this day one of only five days in the official climate history of Washington (11-1-1870- present 2003) to have a maximum temperature less than 10 degrees F. The first time was on 12-30-1880 when the high was 9 °F and the second was 12-30-1917 when the high was 9 degrees F. A high temperature of 8 degrees has occurred twice also - the first time was this date (1-13-1912) and the second time was 1-19-1994. (Stanley Rossen email of December 31, 2002)(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)
Coldest ever in Virginia it was -29°F Monterey in 1899 a record that stood until Jan. 22nd, 1985 when it was -30° below zero. This is still the VA all time record low temperature. The temperature in Milligan, Ohio plunged to -39° below zero in 1899, for a all time state record to the present (2010). (Extreme Weather p. 54, by Christopher C. Burt)

1921 - Gardner, Georgia, was devastated by a massive, estimated F4 tornado that caused an entire small town section to disappear. The tornado killed an estimated 31 people and injured 100.

 

1921: Gardner, Georgia, was devastated by a massive, estimated F4 tornado that caused an entire small town section to disappear. The tornado killed an estimated 31 people and injured 100.

1933: The temperature in Seneca, Oregon plunged to -54° below zero, for a new state record. It would be over 100° warmer the next day with a high temperature of 45°. (Extreme Weather p. 54, by Christopher C. Burt) (Ref. Wilson Wx. History)
 

1959 - St. Louis, Missouri, was hit by a massive F4 tornado that killed 21 and injured 345. Over 2000 buildings were damaged or destroyed, including the St. Louis Arena.

1973 - A major snowstorm struck the southeastern U.S. It produced as much as 18 inches in Georgia, and up to two feet of snow in South Carolina. (David Ludlum)

1978 - As much as eight inches of rain drenched southern California resulting in widespread flooding and mudslides. The heavy rainfall produced a wall of water which ripped through the mountain resort community of Hidden Springs drowning at least thirteen persons. The storm was one of the most destructive of record causing fifty million dollars damage. (David Ludlum)

1981 - A morning tornado at Bay Minette, AL, struck the local middle school severely damaging the gymnasium. 62 people were injured, 44 of whom were students.

1982 - Bismarck, ND, experienced its 45th consecutive day of subzero temperature readings which tied the previous record long string of subzero daily lows ending on the same date in 1937. (David Ludlum)

1983: On February 10, 1983 a huge snowstorms swept up the eastern seaboard, burying the Virginia Washington area in a swath of very heavy snow. During the late evening of February 10th a low over Georgia started giving a light snow to the Washington, DC area. The snow slowly picked up in intensity during the overnight hours and by morning the surface low was positioned just east of Wilmington, North Carolina. A tight pressure gradient between the storm and a high-pressure area to the north causing winds to increase to gust over 40 mph and snowfall rates of 3 inches per hour were common. Many observers particularly in the Maryland suburbs reported several episodes of lightning and thunder. Most of the southern and eastern suburbs recorded 15 to 20 inches of snow while 20 to 30 inches of snow fell in the northern and western suburbs. National Airport received 16.6 inches while 22.8 inches fell at both BWI and Dulles Airport. In Northwest Montgomery and Frederick Counties the storm was the greatest ever recorded easily exceeding the totals received during the famous Knickerbockers storm of January 1922. Germantown and Frederick both receive 30 inches of snow and western Loudoun County, Virginia, up to 38 inches. Braddock Heights, just west of Frederick, Maryland, received 34.9 inches. Areas to the east and a little south of Washington received snow pellets mixed with snow thus reducing the accumulations there. (p. 90 Washington Weather Book 2002 by Ambrose, Henry, Weiss) (Ref. Wilson Wx. - More Information About This Storm) Ref. (NWS Ranking for Storms between 1956 and 2011) This is the 10th Worst Snowstorm

1987 - A storm in the northeastern U.S. produced heavy snow in southeastern Maine. Grand Falls and Woodland received 15 inches, mainly during the early morning hours, while most of the rest of the state did not even see a flake of snow. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1988 - Bitter cold arctic air gripped the north central U.S. International Falls MN was the cold spot in the nation with a low of 35 degrees below zero. Record warm readings were reported in southern California, with highs of 78 at San Francisco and 88 at Los Angeles. San Juan Capistrano CA was the hot spot in the nation with a high of 92 degrees. (The National Weather Summary)

1989 - For the first time all month winter relaxed its grip on the nation. The temperature at Brownsville TX warmed above 60 degrees for the first time in six days, ending their second longest such cold spell of record. (The National Weather Summary)

1990 - Thunderstorms developing ahead of a cold front continued to produce severe weather across the southeastern U.S. through the morning hours and into the late afternoon. There were a total of twenty-nine tornadoes in twenty-nine hours, and 245 reports of large hail or damaging winds. Pre-dawn thunderstorms produced high winds which injured at least seventy persons in Alabama and Georgia, and caused more than twelve million dollars property damage. A tornado at Austell GA prior to daybreak injured two persons and caused two million dollars damage. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

2010 - A second major snowstorm, dubbed Snoverkill and Snowmaggedon 2.0, further buries the Nation's Capital with 10.8 inches of new snow. Schools, businesses and even parts of the Federal government are shut down by blizzard conditions. The city now has a deeper snowpack, 28 inches, than the 20 inches in Anchorage, AK, or 27 inches in Marquette, MI.

2011 - The coldest day in Oklahoma history sees the temperature plunge to -31°F at Nowata, OK. A US National Weather Service station at Bartlesville recorded a reading of -28°F. Both locations break the previous low temperature mark of -27°F set in 1905 and tied in 1930. The Weather Doctor

 

2017: An atmospheric phenomena know as "moonbow" was seen in the Seattle area.

2017 - Denver saw their all-time warmest temperature in February with a reading of 79 degrees.

 

[SACRUS]

Period to watch if we could sneak a warm (50+) day in 2/17 - 2/20 period or will warmth be shunted south of PHL

 

[the_other_guy]

i’m surprised I’m under a winter weather advisory. They must really be concerned about ice this evening. Looks like a quick hit

[jm1220]

1 hour ago, bluewave said:

I am really happy we were able to sneak in the big benchmark system in late January. But we have reverted back to the dominant storm track pattern since 2018-2019. With the blizzard getting suppressed to our south, we have returned to the cutter, hugger, and suppressed Southern Stream storm tracks. 
 

 

I’d give this winter a B-/C+ if we’re really done with any decent snow from here. Definitely cold but once again enormous potential wasted for big storms when we had the cold. Jan 25th as good an event as it was had the most snow north of me since it ended up behaving as SWFEs do. We did luck out in Dec with the clippers but across the area we’re still below average for seasonal snow and I can’t rate the winter as that good unless we make it above average. 

[PhiEaglesfan712]

2 hours ago, North and West said:

While it lasts? C’mon... It’s been nippy nearly the whole season since thanksgiving.


.

You even have to know that the cold is on borrowed time. Over time, the law of averages say that things eventually return to the mean. Our recent cold winters (like 2010, 2011, and 2015) all had very warm spring months.

23 minutes ago, SACRUS said:

Period to watch if we could sneak a warm (50+) day in 2/17 - 2/20 period or will warmth be shunted south of PHL

 

I'm looking to the first week of March. I see warmth and 60-degree days coming.

[Brian5671]

13 minutes ago, PhiEaglesfan712 said:

You even have to know that the cold is on borrowed time. Over time, the law of averages say that things eventually return to the mean. Our recent cold winters (like 2010, 2011, and 2015) all had very warm spring months.

I'm looking to the first week of March. I see warmth and 60-degree days coming.

I think most are ready for warmth at this point especially if we stay cold/dry

[nycsnow]

10 minutes ago, Brian5671 said:

I think most are ready for warmth at this point especially if we stay cold/dry

Yea if Sunday Monday is a complete whiff I’m ready for 50s&60s

[Freezing Drizzle]

13 hours ago, NyWxGuy said:

Just saw on the memories in my Iphone, today in 2017 was a blizzard for many of us. Was in the 60s the day before, 2/8/17, with a winter storm watch for 8-12" of snow for the next day. I remember how many people in my inner circle couldn't believe it would snow the next day. Precip started out as rain around 40 degrees around 4 am, and then temps crashed and it was snowing by 5:30 or so. Very heavy snow all morning, 9-12" here in NYC, and a blizzard just to the east of us. Great storm, followed by deep cold. 

Yeah, my notes read: "Rain, to sleet, to snow. 5.9" in am."

@weatherpruf  Your area is usually a bit colder than here (except for BDCFs lol); unless I was in a local band.

[PhiEaglesfan712]

The February 2017 event was a very sharp cutoff. Those south of Philly got next to nothing. Almost like the 2013 storm.

The March 14, 2017 event was more widespread. Upstate New York added to one of their most snowy seasons on record, while it saved the season for Philly, and even Baltimore/DC cashed in for a few months (though they still ended up with ~3 inches of snow for the whole season).

[jm1220]

2 minutes ago, PhiEaglesfan712 said:

The February 2017 event was a very sharp cutoff. Those south of Philly got next to nothing. Almost like the 2013 storm.

The March 14, 2017 event was more widespread. Upstate New York added to one of their most snowy seasons on record, while it saved the season for Philly, and even Baltimore/DC cashed in for a few months (though they still ended up with ~3 inches of snow for the whole season).

Yep, your typical Miller B with the sharp cutoff where it screws you after developing too late. The day before that Feb 2017 storm was very warm, and I think it started very briefly as rain or no accumulating snow in Long Beach but very quickly started pounding and sticking everywhere. 

[Stormlover74]

7 minutes ago, PhiEaglesfan712 said:

The February 2017 event was a very sharp cutoff. Those south of Philly got next to nothing. Almost like the 2013 storm.

The March 14, 2017 event was more widespread. Upstate New York added to one of their most snowy seasons on record, while it saved the season for Philly, and even Baltimore/DC cashed in for a few months (though they still ended up with ~3 inches of snow for the whole season).

I don't really recall the storm but looks like I recorded 6

[MJO812]

40 minutes ago, Brian5671 said:

I think most are ready for warmth at this point especially if we stay cold/dry

Not me

[Stormlover74]

31 minutes ago, nycsnow said:

Yea if Sunday Monday is a complete whiff I’m ready for 50s&60s

I'd rather some rain at this point

[Brian5671]

21 minutes ago, Stormlover74 said:

I'd rather some rain at this point

At some point I'll be rooting for a cutter to wash this mess away

[Eduardo]

1 hour ago, jm1220 said:

I’d give this winter a B-/C+ if we’re really done with any decent snow from here. Definitely cold but once again enormous potential wasted for big storms when we had the cold. Jan 25th as good an event as it was had the most snow north of me since it ended up behaving as SWFEs do. We did luck out in Dec with the clippers but across the area we’re still below average for seasonal snow and I can’t rate the winter as that good unless we make it above average. 

You’re a tough grader! 

I’d give it a solid B+ if Spring were to march in and stick around.  The immense cold that kept our snowpack locked in for weeks on end is why most people are going to remember this winter for awhile.  I’m also an out-front retention snob.

I do think this winter has a little bit of gas left in the tank.  Maybe one more shot at something toward the end of Feb before we get a classic mild, Niña March.

Zooming way out, I am encouraged that we had favorable breaks from the cutter-cold-suppression-cutter nonsense in December and January that allowed us to build up a snowpack.  Even if we revert to it for a time, I think we are cycling away from it as a dominant pattern.  I’m actually really curious what next winter might feature if we see a bona fide Niño—something we haven’t seen in quite awhile.

[North and West]

I'm looking to the first week of March. I see warmth and 60-degree days coming.

But isn’t that the point? It’s been cold since then, and now we’re getting into sun angle season, so that’s when it usually breaks. I think we’re all ready for spring.


.

[WX-PA]

2 hours ago, bluewave said:

I am really happy we were able to sneak in the big benchmark system in late January. But we have reverted back to the dominant storm track pattern since 2018-2019. With the blizzard getting suppressed to our south, we have returned to the cutter, hugger, and suppressed Southern Stream storm tracks. 
 

 

Most storms in any winter are supressed. cutters ect. If it wasn't NYC would have 100 inches of snow every winter.Reason February has been snowless is because of arctic high pressure over us.We were too cold..Still have the rest of February and March. I think this winter will have above normal snow in NYC. Many area's have already achieved it. Wouldn't lump this winter with the awful years of 2018-2025

[MJO812]

15 minutes ago, North and West said:

But isn’t that the point? It’s been cold since then, and now we’re getting into sun angle season, so that’s when it usually breaks. I think we’re all ready for spring.


.

Who is all ?

[MJO812]

This month has sucked after a promising December and January.

[NyWxGuy]

2 hours ago, TriPol said:

Too far north for suppressed systems, too far south for coastal huggers, too far east for lake effect snow. I'm not sure what we're too far west for, but I'm sure it's something.

Big reversion to the typical 2019-present base state. Aside from 2021 and January 2022, there have been no big or coastal storms. We only scored big last month because the STJ collided with anomalous blocking which pretty much forced it to snow. Aside from that, the fast northern stream has continued to wreck our winters for the past 7 years (with the exceptions highlighted above). 

[jm1220]

39 minutes ago, Eduardo said:

You’re a tough grader! 

I’d give it a solid B+ if Spring were to march in and stick around.  The immense cold that kept our snowpack locked in for weeks on end is why most people are going to remember this winter for awhile.  I’m also an out-front retention snob.

I do think this winter has a little bit of gas left in the tank.  Maybe one more shot at something toward the end of Feb before we get a classic mild, Niña March.

Zooming way out, I am encouraged that we had favorable breaks from the cutter-cold-suppression-cutter nonsense in December and January that allowed us to build up a snowpack.  Even if we revert to it for a time, I think we are cycling away from it as a dominant pattern.  I’m actually really curious what next winter might feature if we see a bona fide Niño—something we haven’t seen in quite awhile.

I just can’t give this winter a good grade if we end up with below normal snow especially with blown opportunities in all this cold air. Anyone can see it as they want lol. 

[snowman19]

All joking aside, this has been a very dry winter and drought conditions are worsening. We are going to have big issues this spring into the summer if we don’t start getting a lot of rain. As @bluewave pointed out, the end of January snowstorm didn’t have a lot of liquid equivalent, just very good ratios with the Siberian cold that was in place, it’s not going to melt down to much…..

[jm1220]

Colder on the barrier islands today lol. Long Beach stuck at 29-30 and I’m at 33. 

[Stormlover74]

3 minutes ago, MJO812 said:

This month has sucked after a promising December and January.

I should delete this thread and have someone start a new one 

[Nibor]

 

[hooralph]

Manhole fire season is about to take off. Gonna sound like 4th of July around here.

[SnoSki14]

1 hour ago, Brian5671 said:

At some point I'll be rooting for a cutter to wash this mess away

We can't even get that. Its been bone dry since the snowstorm. 

[jm1220]

34 minutes ago, snowman19 said:

All joking aside, this has been a very dry winter and drought conditions are worsening. We are going to have big issues this spring into the summer if we don’t start getting a lot of rain. As @bluewave pointed out, the end of January snowstorm didn’t have a lot of liquid equivalent, just very good ratios with the Siberian cold that was in place, it’s not going to melt down to much…..
 

There’s 1.5 to almost 2” liquid equivalent in the snow on the ground here. I agree we need a lot more but it’s not powder that’s for sure.