Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Southern Region for December 2022–February 2023. Dated March 2023.

Winter 2022–2023 temperatures were above normal across much of the Southern Region, with stations averaging 0 to 2°F above normal in the west and 4 to 8°F in the east. Below-normal precipitation was common in southern, western Texas, the Texas Panhandle, western Oklahoma, and along the Gulf Coast. In eastern Oklahoma, much of Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Tennessee precipitation was above normal.

Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Western Region for December 2022–February 2023. Dated March 2023.

Temperatures were below normal across nearly the entire West with the exception of parts of southeast New Mexico. A series of atmospheric rivers from late December through mid-January brought heavy precipitation to California, the Great Basin, and parts of the northern Rockies where total winter precipitation was record high in some instances.

Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Missouri River Basin for December 2022–February 2023. Dated March 2023.

Temperatures were below normal for much of the region. Precipitation was well above normal in the central portions of the basin, with record to near-record wetness. Improvements to drought conditions occurred across much of the basin in response to the above-normal precipitation, with the region observing a nearly 15% decrease in drought.

Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Midwest Region for December 2022–February 2023. Dated March 2023.

Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Great Lakes Region for December 2022–February 2023. Dated March 2023.

Winter was up to 4°C (7°F) above normal. Winter precipitation ranged from 75%–200% of normal across the basin.

NOAA’s Regional Climate Services Program created these climate outlooks to inform the public about recent climate impacts within their respective regions. Each regional report contains easy-to-understand language, and anyone can access them through the Drought Portal.

Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Southeast Region for December 2022–February 2023. Dated March 2023.

Temperatures were much above average across the Southeast, particularly in Alabama and Virginia, as well as parts of the Carolinas and north Florida, where many locations were 4 to 6 degrees F above average for the season. Precipitation was variable across the Southeast this winter.

Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Northeast Region for December 2022–February 2023. Dated March 2023.

The Northeast had its second-warmest winter at 4.9°F above normal. It was among the five warmest for all 12 states, with Massachusetts being record warm. The Northeast saw 107% of normal winter precipitation, in the middle third of all years. 

Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Pacific Region for December 2022–February 2023. Dated March 2023.

For the December–February period, precipitation was near-normal to above-normal across most of the U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPI) and the Hawaiian Islands.

Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Gulf of Maine Region for December 2022–February 2023. Dated March 2023.

Winter (averaged over December, January, and February) was up to 4°C (7°F) warmer than normal, with multiple sites having one of their five-warmest winters on record. Winter precipitation (accumulated from December to February) ranged from near normal to 150% of normal.

Produced by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Climate Change and Health Equity (OCCHE), the Climate and Health Outlook is an effort to inform health professionals and the public on how our health may be affected in the coming month(s) by climate events and to provide resources for proactive action. An associated web page includes additional resources and information.