US Winter 2025-2026: Record Warmth in the West Overshadows Cold in the East, Ranking Second-Warmest Nationally The meteorological winter of December 2025 through February 2026 in the contiguous United States presented a striking regional divide. While much of the eastern US endured prolonged frigid temperatures, heavy snow, and ice—leading many residents to perceive it as an unusually cold season—the western US experienced its warmest winter on record, accompanied by severe snow droughts. Data from multiple sources indicate that the Lower 48 states as a whole recorded its second-warmest winter ever, surpassed only by a few prior seasons. Cities like Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Cheyenne set all-time high winter temperature records, and the West faced risks of summer drought and heightened wildfire potential due to low snowpack. In contrast, eastern locations ranked among their colder winters but none with long-term records achieved the absolute coldest. The article highlights that even intense cold outbreaks in populated eastern areas could not offset the widespread warmth elsewhere. A key indicator is the Northern Hemisphere's 'cold pool'—the mid-level atmospheric layer conducive to snow formation—which reached its smallest extent on record since the 1940s, according to University of Wisconsin-Madison meteorologist Jonathan Martin. This shrinkage aligns with long-term trends of winter warming driven by human-caused climate change, making warmth records more likely and cold extremes less dominant overall. Winter is now the fastest-warming season in many US regions, illustrating how climate change amplifies extremes while shifting averages higher.

US Winter 2025-2026: Record Warmth in the West Overshadows Cold in the East, Ranking Second-Warmest Nationally

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