Another Snowstorm Alert for February 19-21; U.S. January 2025 State Climate Rankings

Fig. 1: NOAA/CPC issues an alert for heavy snow risk Feb. 19-21.

Discussion: NOAA/CPC issued an alert for another winter storm producing heavy snow risk from the Mid-south to Mid-Atlantic States February 19-20 and New York/New England February 20-21 (Fig. 1). GFS has this storm with very heavy snow at midday while the ECM is weaker and offshore with the event (sparing New England). There is macro-scale support for the storm and the attendant added snow cover certainly sustains the East chill through the end of the month.

NOAA identified January 2025 as the 33^rd coldest and 6^th driest on record (Fig. 2-3). The period of record is 130 years in length. The U.S. heating degree count was 2^nd highest for January this century due to the cold impact on the high population East U.S. The cold in the East caused a natural gas price spike of 50% higher than the value prior to meteorological winter. The dry mid-winter climate was largely due to the cold upper trough cutting off Gulf of Mexico moisture from the mid-winter pattern. Snowfall was well below normal during mid-winter.

Fig. 2: NOAA identifies January 2025 as the 33^rd coldest on record for the U.S. period of record (130 years).

Fig. 3: NOAA identifies January 2025 as the 6^th driest on record for the U.S. period of record (130 years).