February Was Coldest Since 2014 but Still Among the Warmest Ever

February 2021 was Earth's coldest February since 2014, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), though the Northern Hemisphere experienced its eighth-warmest winter (December through February) in 142 years.

In fact, even as the month was the coldest February in 7 years, it still was the 16th-warmest February on record, according to NOAA. Eastern Canada, much of Europe, and southern and northeastern Asia experienced unusual warmth in February. Meanwhile, much of North America, Scandinavia, and northern Asia experienced much cooler than normal temperatures.

North America had its coldest February since 1994 and its 20th-coldest in 112 years of record keeping, NOAA said. South America and the Caribbean, meanwhile, saw average temperatures among the top 10 warmest for those regions for the month.

Snow coverage varied dramatically in February. While North America saw its fourth-highest snow cover on record in February, Eurasia had its 14th-lowest snow cover.

Polar sea ice coverage was unusually small, NOAA said, with Arctic sea ice tied for the seventh-smallest ice coverage on record in February, while Antarctica's February sea ice coverage tied for 11th-smallest on record.

The 3-month December-to-February season was the eighth-warmest on record for the planet, NOAA said. While the Northern Hemisphere experienced its eighth-warmest winter, the Southern Hemisphere saw its 19th-warmest summer.