Winter of 2010 Was 5th Warmest Ever

I know it is human nature to somehow think what happens in your tiny part of the world (northeast Ohio) is happening everywhere, but it's not. The cold and snowy February here in Ohio and other places in the northeast part of the United States may make one initially question whether global warming is occurring. But that's why we rely on science and data, not hunches, for answers. And the truth is that this winter was the fifth-warmest in history:

It will probably come as a surprise to most Americans, but the winter just finished was the fifth-warmest on record, worldwide.

Sure, nearly two-thirds of the country can dispute that from personal experience of a colder-than-normal season.

But while much of the United States was colder than usual, December-February -- climatological winter -- continued the long string of unusual warmth on a global basis.

And parts of the United States did join in, with warmer-than-normal readings for the season in New England and the Pacific Northwest. Indeed, Maine had its third-warmest winter on record, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports.

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