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State of the Climate
National Overview
February 2006

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

National Climatic Data Center

Use the form below to access monthly reports.

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National Overview Report
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National Overview Report

Maps and Graphics:


February Most Recent 3 Months Most Recent 6 Months
Most Recent 12 Months Annual Summary for 2005 US Percent Area Very Wet/Dry/Warm/Cold

It should be emphasized that all of the temperature and precipitation ranks and values are based on preliminary data. The ranks will change when the final data are processed, but will not be replaced on these pages. Graphics based on final data are available on the Climate Monitoring Products page.


For graphics covering periods other than those mentioned above or for tables of national, regional, and statewide data from 1895-present, for February, last 3 months or other periods, please go to the Climate At A Glance page.
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National Overview:

February:

  • February temperatures were near average for the nation with no states much warmer or much cooler than their long-term means. For information on temperature records during the month, please go to NCDC's Extremes page.
  • Precipitation was much below average for the contiguous US ranking 9th driest on record. Much drier than average conditions occurred in the central and southern Plains as well as the Southwest. For more information on drought during February, please visit the U.S. Drought page.
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Monthly and Seasonal Highlights:


National:

For tables of national, regional, and statewide data from 1895-present, for February, last 3 months or other periods, please go to the Climate At A Glance page.
  • February 2006 ranked as the 45th warmest February in the 1895 to present record, or near the long-term mean. The preliminary nationally averaged temperature was 35.8°F (2.1°C), which was 1.2°F (0.7°C) above the long-term mean.
  • February 2006 had much below average precipitation, nationally, ranking 9th driest.
  • For the last 3 months temperature was much above average and ranked as the 5th warmest such period in the 1895 to present record. The preliminary nationally averaged temperature for December-February was 36.3°F (2.1°C) which was 3.2°F (1.8°C) above the long-term mean.
  • December 2005-February 2006 had near average precipitation, ranking 40th driest in the last 111 years.
  • Temperature over the past 6 months (September-February) was 3rd warmest on record for the nation. The preliminary nationally averaged temperature was 46.5°F (8.1°C) which was 2.8°F (1.6°C) above the long-term mean.
  • September 2005-February 2006 had below average precipitation, nationally, ranking 37th driest.
  • The March 2005-February 2006 temperature was much above average and ranked as the 4th warmest such period in the 1895 to present record. The preliminary nationally averaged temperature was 54.6°F (12.1°C) which was 1.8°F (1.0°C) above the long-term mean.
  • Precipitation was near average for March-February, ranking 49th driest for the last 12 months based on a record of 111 such periods.

Regional and Statewide:
  • February 2006 temperatures ranked warmer than average for 20 states and near average for all other contiguous states.
  • Alaska was much warmer than average for February ranking 10th warmest on record. Including this winter, there have been 18 warmer-than-average winters for Alaska in the last 22 years.
  • February was much drier than average for 10 states, including Kansas, which was record dry. Twenty-three other stats were drier than average.
  • The 3 month winter period, December-February, was much warmer than average for 17 states and warmer than average for 24 other lower 48 states.
  • December 2005-February 2006 was record dry for Arizona and much drier than average for 7 additional states in the southern and central Plains and Southwest. Four states were much wetter than average.
  • The past 6 months, September-February, was record warm for 2 states and warmer or much warmer than average for all other lower 48 states except Washington and Oregon, which were near average.
  • September 2005-February 2006 was record wet for 5 New England states and much wetter than average for a further 7 states. The southern Plains remained much drier than the long term mean with 4 states much drier than average and Arizona, which had its driest September-February on record.
  • March 2005-February 2006 was warmer or much warmer than average for much of the nation, with record warmth for South Dakota and Montana and only the Southeast remaining near average.
  • The last 12 months had a mixed precipitation pattern across the country. There were 22 states that were wetter or much wetter than average, including 2 record wet states in New England, and there were 14 states from Texas to Wisconsin and across to Virginia that were drier or much drier than average, including Arkansas which had its driest March-February on record.

    See NCDC's Monthly Extremes web-page for weather and climate records for the month of February.
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It should be emphasized that all of the temperature and precipitation ranks and values are based on preliminary data. The ranks will change when the final data are processed, but will not be replaced on these pages. Graphics based on final data are available on the Climate Monitoring Products page.

Questions?

For questions on technical or scientific content of this report, please contact:

Chris Fenimore:
Chris.Fenimore@noaa.gov

For general climate monitoring questions, please contact:

CMB.Contact@noaa.gov

For climate data orders, please contact the National Climatic Data Center's Climate Services and Monitoring Division:

NCDC.Orders@noaa.gov

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