Meteorological winter, which runs from December to February, ended this weekend. Not only did it give way to meteorological spring on March 1 in the Northern Hemisphere — it ended the coldest three month period in the United States since the winter of 2013 to 2014.
It was about 1.1 degrees below average as a whole in the contiguous United States, which was home to some of the most unusually cold air on the planet — a part of western Kentucky that was almost 7 degrees colder than average.
Despite the frigid temperatures, 67 percent of the country experienced below-average snowfall.
The meteorological definition for the seasons, based on historical weather statistics, differs from the astronomical definition. Astronomical spring begins on March 20.
But this next three month season will begin on a stormy, dangerous note, with severe thunderstorms and tornadoes possible in the South on Tuesday and strong winds in many regions this week, along with blizzard conditions, heavy rain and a temperature roller coaster.
Parts of every state except Alaska and Hawaii experienced below-average temperatures this winter.© Ben Noll/The Washington Post/NOAA
Below-average temperatures covered parts of every state except Alaska and Hawaii this winter.
The most unusually cold conditions occurred in South Dakota and in a corridor that includes Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia as well as Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland and Virginia.
The cold conditions were driven by high pressure in the Arctic, which caused the polar vortex to be displaced unusually far south, dislodging polar air masses into the United States.
Since the start of 2025, more than 111 million people across the United States experienced subzero temperatures, the highest number in six years.
One of the true temperature oddities of the season occurred in January when Anchorage was briefly warmer than parts of Louisiana, just 30 miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico.
Below-average snowfall covered a majority of the United States this winter.© Ben Noll/The Washington Post/NOAA
Despite several noteworthy winter storms, including a rare Gulf Coast snowstorm that brought a foot of snow to parts of New Orleans, snowfall was below average in 67 percent of the United States.
Places that experienced the greatest snowfall compared to average include eastern Texas, southern Louisiana, southern Mississippi, southern Alabama, Georgia, eastern South Carolina and eastern North Carolina as well as southeastern Oklahoma, northern Arkansas, New York’s Tug Hill Plateau and eastern Oregon.
Meanwhile, the largest snowfall deficits were found in the Dakotas, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and western parts of the Carolinas.
Snow fell in parts of every state this winter, with some of the heaviest totals in Oregon and New York.© Ben Noll/The Washington Post/NOAA
The snowiest place in the western United States this season was the South Sister, a mountain west of Bend, Oregon, where a total of 619 inches fell.
In the East, the snowiest place was to the west of Lowville, New York, in the Tug Hill Plateau — where 386 inches fell. Areas near the Great Lakes were spectacularly snowy this winter because of frigid air masses crossing record warm lake water.
Parts of all 50 states experienced snow this winter.
It was about 1.1 degrees below average as a whole in the contiguous United States, which was home to some of the most unusually cold air on the planet — a part of western Kentucky that was almost 7 degrees colder than average.
Despite the frigid temperatures, 67 percent of the country experienced below-average snowfall.
The meteorological definition for the seasons, based on historical weather statistics, differs from the astronomical definition. Astronomical spring begins on March 20.
But this next three month season will begin on a stormy, dangerous note, with severe thunderstorms and tornadoes possible in the South on Tuesday and strong winds in many regions this week, along with blizzard conditions, heavy rain and a temperature roller coaster.
An unusually cold winter
Parts of every state except Alaska and Hawaii experienced below-average temperatures this winter.© Ben Noll/The Washington Post/NOAA
Below-average temperatures covered parts of every state except Alaska and Hawaii this winter.
The most unusually cold conditions occurred in South Dakota and in a corridor that includes Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia as well as Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland and Virginia.
The cold conditions were driven by high pressure in the Arctic, which caused the polar vortex to be displaced unusually far south, dislodging polar air masses into the United States.
Since the start of 2025, more than 111 million people across the United States experienced subzero temperatures, the highest number in six years.
One of the true temperature oddities of the season occurred in January when Anchorage was briefly warmer than parts of Louisiana, just 30 miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico.
Below-average snowfall
Below-average snowfall covered a majority of the United States this winter.© Ben Noll/The Washington Post/NOAA
Despite several noteworthy winter storms, including a rare Gulf Coast snowstorm that brought a foot of snow to parts of New Orleans, snowfall was below average in 67 percent of the United States.
Places that experienced the greatest snowfall compared to average include eastern Texas, southern Louisiana, southern Mississippi, southern Alabama, Georgia, eastern South Carolina and eastern North Carolina as well as southeastern Oklahoma, northern Arkansas, New York’s Tug Hill Plateau and eastern Oregon.
Meanwhile, the largest snowfall deficits were found in the Dakotas, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and western parts of the Carolinas.
Snow fell in parts of every state this winter, with some of the heaviest totals in Oregon and New York.© Ben Noll/The Washington Post/NOAA
The snowiest place in the western United States this season was the South Sister, a mountain west of Bend, Oregon, where a total of 619 inches fell.
In the East, the snowiest place was to the west of Lowville, New York, in the Tug Hill Plateau — where 386 inches fell. Areas near the Great Lakes were spectacularly snowy this winter because of frigid air masses crossing record warm lake water.
Parts of all 50 states experienced snow this winter.
