NATIONAL WEATHER SUMMARY

FEBRUARY 2026

1-7: Snow- and wind-related impacts of an Atlantic coastal storm carried into February 1 across the Carolinas and environs, while a broader cold pattern persisted across the eastern one-third of the country for much of the week. Temperatures mostly averaged 10 to 20°F below normal in the East, except northern New England. Some of the coldest weather, relative to normal, affected the Ohio Valley and the southern Atlantic region, including Florida.

Warmth covered the northwestern half of the Plains, where temperatures averaged at least 10 to 20°F above normal. Readings averaged as much as 10°F above normal in several other areas, including various parts of the Rockies, Great Basin, and Pacific Coast States. Farther east, light rain fell on February 3-4 from the Gulf Coast into the Southeast, while occasional patchy snow was observed from the Great Lakes States into the Appalachians. The remainder of the country began February on a dry note, aside from rain and snow showers in the Pacific Northwest.

February 1 featured monthly record-shattering low temperatures in Florida locations such as Daytona Beach (23°F), Melbourne (25°F), and Vero Beach (26°F). Previous respective records had been 24, 27, and 28°F, set on February 18, 1958; February 26, 1967; and February 24, 1989. Melbourne broke a monthly record again on February 2, with a reading of 24°F. Fort Pierce, FL, also posted a monthly record low (23°F) on February 2, supplanting 25°F on February 24, 1989, and February 5, 1996. With a low of 35°F on February 1, Miami, FL, endured its coldest weather since January 10, 2010, when it was also 35°F. Similarly, West Palm Beach, FL (30°F on February 1 and 2), experienced a freeze for the first time since January 10, 2010, when the low fell to 32°F. Farther north, sub zero, daily-record lows for February 1 included -1°F in Bristol, TN, and -9°F in Fort Wayne, IN. Bristol was even colder on February 2, falling to -7°F. In fact, Lumberton, NC, logged a monthly record low of -1°F on February 2, marking the first sub-zero reading in that location since December 28, 1989. Florida’s frigid weather lingered into February 3, when Punta Gorda (27°F) tied a monthly record originally set on February 5, 1996. Several Florida cities, including Vero Beach (26, 27, and 31°F); Melbourne (25, 24, and 29°F); and Punta Gorda (29, 29, and 27°F), opened February with a trio of daily-record lows. Dramatic warmth weather prevailed farther west, starting in the Desert Southwest, where Phoenix, AZ, posted a daily record high of 85°F on February 1. Phoenix went on to record highs of 80°F or greater on each of the first 7 days of the month, except February 5. By the middle of the week, temperatures approached or reached the 90-degree mark in parts of southern California, where record-setting highs for February 4 soared to 91°F in Vista and 89°F in Newport Beach and Chula Vista. Meanwhile on the Plains, temperatures surged above 70°F in parts of Montana and reached 80°F or higher as far north as southern Oklahoma. On February 5, Great Falls, MT, tied a monthly record previously achieved on February 27, 1932, and February 27, 1992. Near the Canadian border, Cut Bank, MT, collected a daily-record high (70°F on the 5th), reaching the 70-degree mark in February for only the second time on record, along with February 27, 1992 (71°F). Late in the week, warmth extended as far east as the mid-South, where Pine Bluff, AR (80°F on February 6) notched a daily record. In Texas, record-setting highs on February 6 were 85°F in Waco, 84°F in Tyler, and 83°F in Austin. Mild, mostly dry weather covered Alaska, except for frigid conditions along and near the Arctic Coast. Alaskan daily record highs for February 3 included 44°F in Anchorage and 55°F in Sitka. Anchorage tallied another daily record on the 4th, with a high of 45°F.

8-14: A gradual pattern change in the western U.S. began early in the week with precipitation overspreading the Northwest. The initial surge of moisture reached as far east as northwestern Wyoming and parts of Montana. Subsequently, precipitation spread as far south as California, with late-week rain and snow showers also affecting the Four Corners States. End-of-week rainfall broadly developed across the central and southern Plains before quickly spreading eastward and reaching portions of the middle and southern Atlantic States by Sunday, February 15.  Rainfall locally topped 2 inches, mainly from the southeastern Plains into the mid-South, with generally positive impacts in drought-affected areas. However, some areas of the country—especially in the north central and northeastern U.S.— received little or no precipitation during the week.

Weekly temperatures averaged as much as 10°F below normal in the middle and northern Atlantic States, while readings averaged at least 10°F above normal from the Plains to the Mississippi River. Despite lingering cold weather in the East, no additional widespread freezes were observed across Florida’s peninsula, allowing producers to assess damage to a variety of crops, including citrus, blueberries, strawberries, sugarcane, winter vegetables, ornamentals, and nursery stock, in the wake of the February 1-3 cold wave. Warmth came in waves, starting early in the week with a surge across the western and central U.S. Daily-record highs for February 8 soared to 86°F in Phoenix, AZ, and 84°F in Wichita Falls, TX. By February 9, daily-record highs surged to 80°F in Fayetteville, AR; 79°F in Concordia, KS; 78°F in Pueblo, CO; and 75°F in Sioux City, IA. For Sioux City, it was the earliest observance of a temperature of 75°F or greater, eclipsing by 17 days the record previously attained on February 26 in 1896 and 2024. Nashville, TN, posted a daily-record high of 77°F on February 10, just 16 days after an ice storm devastated the city. In contrast, frigid weather lingered in the Northeast, where Watertown, NY, opened the week on February 8-9 with a pair of daily-record lows (-36 and -27°F, respectively). Daily-record lows of -9°F were observed in New Philadelphia, OH (on the 8th), and Dubois, PA (on the 9th). During the second half of the week, mild weather redeveloped across the Plains and Midwest. The week ended on February 13-14 with consecutive daily-record highs in locations such as Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN (51 and 54°F); Madison, WI (51 and 55°F); Sisseton, SD (56 and 55°F); and Sioux City, IA (64°F both days). In fact, readings in Sioux City ranged from 64 to 69°F each day from February 13-17. Farther south, McAllen, TX, logged a daily-record high of 92°F on February 14.

Cold air settled across much of the Alaskan mainland, with lingering warmth limited to the southeastern part of the state and the Aleutians. Despite the cold weather, significant snow was reported in many areas. For example, Fairbanks received 11.0 inches of snow on February 14-15, following a minimum temperature of -36°F on February 10. With 0.67 inch (all snow) on February 14, McGrath experienced its wettest February day since February 27, 1996, when 0.97 inch fell.

15-21: The nation’s midsection faced several days with record-setting warmth and gusty winds, followed by markedly colder weather. Snow accompanied the late-week chill in parts of the north-central U.S. However, before the pattern change, portions of the central and southern High Plains endured a rash of wildfires, starting on February 17, with the largest—the Ranger Road Fire—quickly consuming more than 280,000 acres of cured vegetation in northwestern Oklahoma and southwestern Kansas.

Weekly temperatures averaged at least 10°F above normal in many areas along and east of a line from the lower Rio Grande Valley to the Red River of the North, except east of the Appalachians. The warmest weather, relative to normal, prevailed in the Midwest. Conversely, readings averaged more than 5°F below normal in parts of Montana and the Pacific Coast States, with heavy snow in the Sierra Nevada helping to suppress temperatures. Early in the week, high winds raked the central and southern High Plains, accompanied by record-setting warmth. Daily-record highs for February 15 soared to 70°F in Valentine, NE, and 68°F in Denver, CO. Unusual warmth extended into the Midwest, where Sioux City, IA, secured a daily-record high (68°F) for February 15. From February 13-17, Sioux City experienced five consecutive maximum temperatures ranging from 64 to 69°F. In Wisconsin, Appleton achieved four consecutive daily-record highs (50, 48, 55, and 57°F) from February 13-16

On Tuesday, February 17, wind gusts in Colorado were clocked to 79 mph in Colorado Springs, 72 mph in Burlington, and 71 mph in Pueblo. South of Pueblo, on I-25, chain reaction collisions due to low visibility in blowing dust resulted in five fatalities and involved approximately three dozen vehicles. Other peak gusts on the 17th included 73 mph in Lubbock, TX; 68 mph in Garden City, KS; and 67 mph in Guymon, OK. Meanwhile, wildfires flared in Oklahoma and neighboring states. Many of the fires were ignited on February 17, when the Ranger Road Fire flared in Beaver County, OK, and soon spread into northwestern Harper County, OK, and portions of Meade, Clark, and Comanche Counties in Kansas. On the 17th, daily-record highs rose to 88°F in San Angelo, TX; 85°F in Medicine Lodge, KS; and 79°F in McCook, NE. Mid-week warmth was focused across the mid-South and Midwest, where record-setting highs for February 18 included 79°F in Fort Smith, AR, and 71°F in Indianapolis, IN. During the second half of the week, spring-like warmth gradually retreated into the South. On February 19, daily-record highs surged to 95°F in Harlingen, TX, and 84°F in McComb, MS, and Pine Bluff, AR. Several monthly record highs were set or tied on February 20, with temperatures rising to 89°F in Jacksonville, FL, and 83°F in Charlotte, NC. Jacksonville had attained 89°F once before, on February 13, 2020, while Charlotte’s highest reading had been 82°F on February 16, 2018, and several earlier dates. Additional monthly records were set or tied on February 21, when highs climbed to 89°F in Daytona Beach, FL, and 86°F in New Orleans, LA. Previous records in both locations had been mostly recently attained just last year—89°F in Daytona Beach on February 13, 2025, and 85°F in New Orleans on February 8, 2025. Farther west, chilly air replaced previously mild conditions. In Oregon, record-setting lows for February 18 dipped to -4°F in Burns and 5°F in Klamath Falls. On the 20th in California, daily-record lows included 13°F in Mount Shasta City and 28°F in Red Bluff. Elsewhere in California, Bishop closed the week on February 20-21 with consecutive daily-record lows of 6 and 10°F, respectively.

Cold weather dominated Alaska, where temperatures averaged more than 10°F below normal at some interior locations. Near- or slightly above-normal temperatures were limited to portions of the Arctic Coast and the state’s western tier.

22-28: Heavy snow and high winds blasted the middle and northern Atlantic Coast on February 22-23, followed by a much more tranquil regime in the eastern U.S. However, storm-related impacts lingered for several days in blizzard-affected areas from Delaware to southern New England. Meanwhile, meaningful Western precipitation was mostly limited to parts of northern California and southern Oregon. Unlike earlier events, when cold weather had maximized Western snow accumulations, precipitation fell mostly as rain, with some of the highest totals occurring on February 23 and 24.

Dry weather dominated the Plains, Midwest, and Southwest, while late-February showers dotted the Southeast. Despite the Southeastern showers, many locations headed into spring with limited soil moisture reserves, courtesy of drier-than-normal weather since late-summer 2025. In fact, drought of varying intensities gripped 51 percent of the Lower 48 States on February 24—the greatest national coverage since November 5, 2024— according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Weekly temperatures averaged as much as 5 to 10°F below normal in the Southeast, with scattered freezes occurring in Florida on February 24 and 25 as far south as Lake Okeechobee. Separate areas of chilly weather (temperatures as much as 5°F below normal) affected parts of the Northeast and upper Midwest. In contrast, readings averaged 5 to 15°F above normal in most areas from California to the Rockies and High Plains, with warmth punching as far east as Arkansas and Missouri. A surge of warmth across the western and central U.S. boosted temperatures to record-setting levels in many locations. Triple-digit heat was reported in parts of southern Texas, where daily-record highs for February 26 included 103°F in Laredo and 100°F in McAllen. Several monthly record-high temperatures were observed in the Desert Southwest, where Phoenix, AZ, tied a February standard with readings of 92°F on the 27th and 28th. Needles, CA, also tied a monthly record with highs of 92°F on February 27 and 28. Earlier, Florida’s peninsula had experienced a dramatic temperature drop. February 22 featured daily-record highs in Florida locations such as West Palm Beach (90°F) and Fort Lauderdale (89°F). Two days later, record-setting minima in Florida for February 24 included 24°F in Brooksville and 25°F in Gainesville. Punta Gorda, FL, notched a pair of daily-record lows on February 24-25, including a reading of 31°F on the latter date. Farther north, sub-zero temperatures extended as far south as Nebraska and Iowa, especially on February 23, while readings below -10°F affected areas from northeastern Montana into northern Minnesota. With lambing and calving season underway, producers carefully monitored the health of newborn animals. Meanwhile, warmth spread from the Southwest to the High Plains. On the 24th, Pueblo, CO, experienced its warmest ever February day, with the high of 83°F edging by 1°F the record set on February 10, 2017. In Texas, daily-record highs for February 24 reached 86°F in Amarillo, Childress, and Dalhart. During the second half of the week, warmth greatly expanded from California to the nation’s mid-section. From February 25 to March 2, El Paso, TX, noted six consecutive daily-record highs (84, 83, 85, 84, 88, and 87°F). Similarly, Indio, CA, posted daily-record highs (98, 100, 96, and 98°F) each day from February 26 to March 1. Elsewhere in southern California, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park (99°F on February 28) obliterated a monthly record originally set with a high of 95°F on February 27, 1989. Farther east, February 28 featured daily-record highs of 84°F in Fort Smith, AR, and 76°F in Paducah, KY,

Extreme cold engulfed Alaska in late February, preceded by widespread precipitation. Fairbanks received 12.8 inches of snow from February 22-24, followed by a reading of -49°F on February 27. The last day of February featured lows of -53°F in Tok and -54°F in Northway. 

 

Jim G. Munley, jr.
http://www.jimmunleywx.com