On February 4 th-6 th a storm that originated in the southwest U.S. Please see the Arctic Sea ice analysis by the National Snow and Ice Data Center for additional information. During the month, the sea ice extent grew at an average rate of 25,700 square km (9,900 square miles) per day, with ice growing faster at the beginning of the month compared to the end. Arctic sea ice during February 2010 was 220,000 square km (85,000 square miles) greater than the record low for the month, which occurred in 2005. The Arctic ice extent averaged 14.58 million square km (5.63 million square miles), 1.06 million square km (409,000 square miles) below the 1979–2000 average for February. The Pacific side of the Bearing Sea had above–average ice extent. This coincided with another strong negative Arctic Oscillation phase, which has been persistent throughout much of the 2009-2010 winter season. With an unusually strong high pressure over the area, most of the Arctic Ocean experienced warm temperatures during the month. Source: National Snow and Ice Data CenterĪrctic sea ice extent during the month of February was below normal. Winter storms during the month added to existing snow depth in the Mid-Atlantic states, but snow cover had decreased to 47 percent by the end of the month mostly due to the melting of the thin layer of snow pack. At the beginning of the month, snow was present for approximately 69 percent of the contiguous United States, including a wide swath of area that stretched across some of the southern tier states.

extended to 4.6 million square km (1.8 million square miles), 1.5 million square km (579,000 square miles) above the long–term average. The North American monthly area snow extent was 18.58 million square km (7.17 million square miles), 1.5 million square km (579,000 square miles) above the long–term average. Snow cover extent during February 2010 ranked as third largest February since 1967 for North America and the United States. These events, contributed to above-normal snow cover extents across the contiguous U.S. These cold temperatures, combined with the active weather pattern in the southern and eastern U.S., produced historic snowfall events - see the national temperature and precipitation state of the climate report. During the month of February, cold air in the wake of several reinforcing Arctic air masses dominated much of the U.S., creating temperatures that were much–below average in the Deep South.

Noaa snow totals nj