USDA: 24-25 Winter A Mixed Bag Nationally

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA] is out with its recap of the winter of 2024-2025, which includes December, January and February. 

“We are seeing that it was our 27th warmest winter out of 130 years, going all the way back to 1895-1896.” 

USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey acknowledges that may seem odd. 

“It was the coldest winter since 2020-2021. January was actually quite cold. It was the 33rd coldest January and the nation's coldest January since 1988.” 

However, those two cold months were offset by a much warmer start to winter. 

“We had a very, very warm December helping to drive that number that very warm December 4th warmest on record really helped to offset that cold weather later in the season. And again leading to that 27th warmest winter in the last 130 years, the nation's average temperature a little above 34°F. That was almost two degrees above the 20th century mean.” 

So how did winter temperature averages translate to a state level? 

“Most states were in the warm half of the historical distribution. Again, that was largely due to that very warm December.  West Virginia, with its 53rd coldest winter, was the lowest ranking among the 48 states in the contiguous U.S.  Conversely, it was a top 10 winter for warmth in Arizona, where it was the 4th warmest winter, also 4th warmest in California and 8th warmest in Nevada.” 

In terms of dryness nationwide, during this past winter. 

“It was also the 20th driest winter in that 130-year period. Precipitation across the lower 48 states averaged just a little under 6” during the December, January, February time period, and that was almost an inch below the 20th century average.” 

As for state precipitation rankings for the winter of 2024-2025. 

“The range was from the second driest winter in Arizona and New Mexico all the way up to the 16th wettest winter in Kentucky, where we did experience significant February flooding. Utah also made the top ten list for winter dryness, along with the previously mentioned states, and I would just also mention that Arizona and New Mexico, where it was, that 2nd driest winter on record. The only winter that was drier was the winter of 2005-2006 in both of those southwestern states.” 

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