February Temperature Outlook In MA Looks Nothing Like 1943 Record

MASSACHUSETTS — February temperatures in Massachusetts could be a trick bag, according to an updated outlook from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center.

Overall, the temperature outlook for the last month of meteorological winter favors well-above normal temperatures in the northern half of the nation, and near-average temperatures in parts of the Southwest and Southeast, according to the forecast.

Precipitation, whether as rain or snow, looks to be above average across large parts of the southern, central and southeastern parts of the country, but well below average in the Pacific Northwest and around the Great Lakes, Ohio Valley and in the Northeast, according to the outlook.

In Massachusetts, the state has an equal chance for February temperatures to be below average, about average or warmer than average, according to the outlook. The precipitation outlook for the state paints a clearer picture, with a decent chance that the state will see lower precipitation than average.

So far this month, Massachusetts has seen cloudy skies and cool temperatures. The seven-day forecast calls for a mix of sun and clouds through next Monday with highs in the 40s until the weekend, when the state will get two consecutive days with temperature highs in the 50s, at least in the Boston area.

Historically, February can bring some of the coldest temperatures of winter. In Massachusetts, the coldest day on record was Feb. 15, 1943, when the thermometer registered negative 35 degrees Fahrenheit in Coldbrook. That temperature was actually matched twice in the month of January, historically, when it was measured on Jan. 5, 1904, in Taunton, and Jan. 12, 1981, in Chester.

February 2023 was the third-warmest on record nationwide since record keeping began in 1895, according to another Climate Prediction Center report. In Massachusetts, temperatures last year were much higher than average, ranking in the top 10 of the hottest months historically. It was also particularly dry last year, when the state recorded the eighth driest February in the 129-year record.

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