No U.S. states had a record cold winter. Nine had a record hot one

"Nowhere in the U.S. had a record cold winter this year. Nowhere even came close. What did set records was heat. The western half of the country spent the winter baking—nine states had their hottest winter ever and five their second-hottest—which worsened drought conditions and has raised the risks of damaging wildfires come spring and summer."

"So much of the country was so warm that despite the cold in parts of the east, it was the second-warmest winter on record for the contiguous U.S. in the past 131 years. The grass is regrowing for again for the second time this winter, climate scientist Daniel Swain of the California Institute for Water Resources told Scientific American in early February from his home in Colorado."

"The reason it felt so cold out east and so hot out west is the same: climate change. Winter is the fastest-warming season."

The 2025-2026 winter defied expectations across the United States. While the eastern half experienced persistent cold and snow, creating perceptions of a harsh winter, the western half endured unprecedented heat. Nine states recorded their hottest winters ever, and five others their second-hottest. This extreme western heat worsened drought conditions and increased wildfire risks for spring and summer. Despite eastern cold, the contiguous U.S. experienced its second-warmest winter in 131 years. No location in the country recorded a record cold winter. Climate scientist Daniel Swain noted unusual phenomena like grass regrowing twice during winter in Colorado. The contrasting regional temperatures stem from climate change, with winter being the fastest-warming season.

Read at www.scientificamerican.com