December 2015 through February 2016 was the warmest winter on record, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced on Tuesday.

Looking at temperatures averaged over the lower 48 states, NOAA found the U.S. was five degrees warmer than the 20th-century average, the Washington Post reports. Every New England state set winter records, and even Alaska saw its second warmest winter since NOAA began keeping records 121 years ago.

While the climate event El Niño’s hot ocean temperatures could be partly to blame, the winter is in keeping with a long-term trend of climate warming.

The temperature difference from normal from December 2015 through February 2016 over the Lower 48. NOAA

[Washington Post]

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