February 19, 2026 Thursday Evening Winter Storm Update
Odds increasing for impactful snowfall from Nor'easter in New England
February 2026 was the 4th-warmest February in the 132-year national record (1895–2026), at 40.3°F against a 1991–2020 normal of 35.6°F (+4.6°F).
February 2026 was the 5th-driest February in the 132-year national record (1895–2026), at 1.4in against a 1991–2020 normal of 2.1in (-0.7in).
NOAA/NCEI Climate at a Glance, contiguous United States. This is the observed record for the month, not a score of anything said in this piece — the forecast ledger begins 2026-08-17 and cannot reach earlier posts.
Earlier this evening in the 7 pm hour, a supercell with a confirmed tornado passed near Indiana University in Bloomington. These cells are within the warm sector of a storm system spinning over the Great Lakes.
This tornadic activity is right within the “Enhanced Risk” zone outlined by SPC earlier today with a tornado watch overlapping. These storms were well predicted in advance and the warning processing through NWS and partners including online streamers has been superb hopefully limiting causalities. Tornadoes in mid-February are quite rare in the Great Lakes, but the overall weather pattern is highly amplified with significant warmth east of the Rockies help to fuel the storms.
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