COLDEST FEBRUARY EVER

frozen falls
Buffalo’s weather statistics go back to the 1800s, but in all that time no February was colder than February 2015. In 145 years of of weather-keeping no February in Western New York history had these numbers:
10 days below zero
-10 degree temperature record low (for two days)
47 inches of snow
53 days of snow on the ground (all of February and part of January)–right now it’s about 3-feet deep
average daily temperature: 11 degrees
I’m hoping March is a much better month than the February we just endured! It was the coldest month ever! How was your winter?
buffalo snow

22 thoughts on “COLDEST FEBRUARY EVER

  1. Dan

    Temps ;last week bounced from -10o to low 40s. Today it’s mid-30s and 6″ of snow. Next week bounces from the 40s to single digits.

    I’m giving up snow for Lent.

    Reply
  2. Bill Crider

    We’re supposed to be in the 70s the early part of the week, then have several days with highs in the 40s. It’s been a very strange winter here on the Texas Gulf Coast.

    Reply
  3. Deb

    It’s been a relatively mild winter here in Southern Louisiana. We’ve only had a few “4-P” nights (protect people, pets, plants, and pipes); only a few nights in the low 20s. However, less than 200 miles north of here, there’s been some brutal cold–nothing like what you’re getting, but atypical for the south. In fact, the boys and girls basketball teams at the school where I work are both in the state playoffs and the games had to be postponed because the opposing teams in northern Louisiana couldn’t make the drive down here!

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      Deb, the South had to contend with more than the normal amount of ice. Up here, the snow banks are over 5 feet high. It’s hard to see cars (and people) entering the street. Our next problem is how fast will all this snow melt? Flooding is a concern.

      Reply
  4. Randy Johnson

    We’ve set a few records here in North Carolina as well. Nothing as bad as other areas, But for us…a couple of weeks without getting above freezing. One night the temp was -4. That’s temp, not wind chill.

    Reply
  5. Jeff Meyerson

    Wow, George, that is pretty amazing. Fortunately, we missed the entire thing, but New York City had (only) their third coldest February ever, after 1936 (I believe), which set the record for the coldest temperature ever in New York City at -15, and 1885.

    We had cooler than normal temperatures down here in South Florida too, by several degrees, though it has recently warmed up to the 80s. (Normal high for this time of year here is 78.)

    Let’s hope March is a lot better. I guess our decision to stay an extra week was the right one.

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      Jeff, you and Jackie made the Right Decision to stay in the Florida warmth longer. There’s no need to rush back to ice and snow.

      Reply
  6. Richard R.

    We had the driest February on record, and nearly the warmest, which bodes ill for the coming summer. Our snow pack is marginal (we need it for both irrigation and drinking water) and there was little rain. It’s possible we could be going into water conservation mode this summer, in rainy Oregon! All the moisture went north of us – and Bob in Tacoma – across British Columbia before it swept down across the rest of the country. It IS Spring here, the Forsythia, Daffodils and other bulbs are blooming, and other plants are getting leaves. The trees are in bud or flower. If we get a freeze or hard frost, a lot of plants will be killed, it’s too early for this weather.

    Reply
  7. Jerry House

    George, it’s only been in the past week or so that we’ve had any significant snow in Southern Maryland. It warms up for a day, then we get thrown in the freezer for a few days. I’m tired of this see-sawing already and am ready to send the snow and the cold back north.

    BTW, I couldn’t tell if the top photo was of Niagara Falls or your house.

    Reply
  8. Patti Abbott

    As Steve said, the cold is worse than the snow. The shock of coming off of that plane, first in Minneapolis and then Detroit was awful. But we were lucky to get away for 7 weeks. Retire George and join Jeff or me.

    Reply

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