Warm February: What's Up With That?

Typically, February is the third coldest month of the year, only falling behind December and January, but this February may be one for the books!

In an article posted by Live Science, Jake Crouch, an NCEI climate scientist said, "For every cold daily-temperature record we've broken in February, we've broken 62 warm daily-temperature records".

Why Is It So Warm?

The absence of a wandering polar vortex may partly explain the early spring-like weather. In past years the Arctic's polar vortex- a low-pressure system that spins frigid air counterclockwise around the North Pole- has ventured beyond its northerly home into the United States, lowering temperatures. But this year, it appears to be leaving the continental United States alone. While we've been left alone, other regions have seen the effects. Northern Russia and Europe have been experiencing a "fairly cold winter season", the West Coast has been seeing an onslaught of rainstorms, and the Rocky Mountains have had more snow than usual dumped on them this month.

To read more of Live Science's post, click here