Stacker Releases State Rankings of Hottest Februarys Based on NCEI Records
The project places state records in NOAA's context of recent extremes alongside a long-term warming trend.
Overview
- Local outlets on Feb. 9–10 republished Stacker’s state-by-state lists, including new installments for Colorado, Texas, California and Oregon.
- Rankings draw on National Centers for Environmental Information statewide monthly averages dating to 1895 and list each month’s average temperature, statewide high, low and total precipitation.
- Colorado’s top spot goes to February 1954 at 36.4°F on average, with a monthly high of 51.3°F, a low of 21.4°F and 0.38 inches of precipitation.
- Texas ranks February 2017 as warmest at 58.4°F on average, with February 2024 also appearing at No. 4, while California’s warmest is February 2015 at 53.2°F.
- Oregon’s list shows a tie for No. 1 between February 2015 and 1963 at 41.7°F, and the coverage notes NOAA findings on July 2022’s exceptional U.S. heat and July 2021’s global record.