Source:  Corey Davis and Sean Heuser, NC CLIMATE OFFICE, 3/4/19


Our recent trend of warm Februarys continued last month with above-normal temperatures across the state. The western part of the state also saw record-breaking wet and windy weather, while parts of the southern coast dried out.

Un-Winterlike Warmth
February is the final month of meteorological winter, but based on our temperatures last month, you might think that winter ended a month early this year. The preliminary statewide average temperature of 46.9°F ranks as our 13th-warmest February in the past 125 years.

That warmth was evident in our mean, minimum, and maximum temperature rankings, which were generally 3 to 6 degrees above normal. Although we didn't quite surpass the last two Februarys, which ranked as our 2nd-warmest (2018) and 5th-warmest (2017) on record, it was a mild month for sure.

Wilmington had 12 days with highs in the 70s, which was the eighth-most in the past 145 years. Last February had 14 such days, including a mid-month stretch of days in the 80s.

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