Publication: USA Today

UCLA Expert: Daniel Swain: Assistant Researcher and Climate Specialist, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability

Synopsis: Almost half of the nation's temperature recording stations — 90 out of 192 — saw an average February temperature more than five degrees Fahrenheit above average. Only 43 cities saw cooler-than-normal average temperatures. 

UCLA News: While easterners have enjoyed a mostly mild and dry winter, that certainly hasn't been the case in the Far West. "February 2023 was an extraordinary month for snow in California," Swain wrote in his blog. “In the SoCal mountains, what was arguably the worst blizzard since the late 1980s in this part of the state has led to a widespread state of emergency, with folks trapped for extended periods without food or electricity (and resulting in a National Guard activation).” 

Read more at USA Today.