The 7 States with the Worst February Weather

7. South Dakota

Winters are harsh in South Dakota; their coldest winter months are January and February. Located in the middle of the continent, the state gets both warm air from the Gulf of Mexico and cold air from Canada, contributing to its extreme temperatures. The average high during February is around 39° F with a low of 14° F. Rainfall for the month averages about 4 days with 6 to 7 inches. The eastern part of the state is particularly cold, with an average of 12 snow days in February. This chilly weather does not keep locals inside, rather, they enjoy such activities as ice fishing, skiing, and snowmobiling. Native flora here includes black walnut, bur oak, and chokecherry. Also, toughing out the winter are wildlife such as prairie dogs, coyotes, merlins, ring-necked pheasants, and the common loon.

6. Nebraska

This midwestern state just below South Dakota experiences a frigid February. The average temperature during the month is between a high of 38° F to a low of 19° F. Rainfall during this time averages between 3 to 8 days producing about 7 inches with an estimated 8 snow days. The lakes freeze over during this time, turning them into ice rinks for the locals to enjoy. These chilly temps do not deter hearty Nebraskans as they participate in a variety of winter activities. For example, locals enjoy such sports as ice fishing, cross-country skiing, and sledding. Likewise, other hearty denizens who brave the weather include river otters, jackrabbits, swift foxes, coyotes, and white-tailed deer. Winter birds within the state include bald eagles, rough-legged hawks, junco, chickadee, and great horned owls.

5. Michigan

This state can experience extreme snowfall because of its borders with the Great Lakes and Canada. Freezing temperatures may feel colder due to the increase in winds. February temperatures average between a high of 34° F and a low of 20° F with the lowest on record temperature at minus 34 degrees. Marquette, located in the upper peninsula, is the coldest city in the state. Residents here may experience extreme cold temperatures with highs of 27° F and lows of 14° F.

On average there are about 10 days of rain in the month with an expected 1.5 inches with humidity around 74 percent. However, this weather does not keep Michiganders down. Winter activities include cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, fat tire biking, sledding, and ice golfing. In addition, wildlife here includes cottontail rabbits, groundhogs, snowshoe hares, bald eagles, red-tailed hawks, mallards, chickadees, cardinals, and white-breasted nuthatch.

4. Minnesota

Influenced by its proximity to Lake Superior in the northeast, winters are severely cold and long. Minnesota’s continental climate comes with temperature extremes. The “lake snow effect” is a geographical phenomenon caused by cold air flowing across the Great Lakes, which picks up moisture. As the air rises, clouds form and produce snow. During February, average temperatures are between 9° F and 34° F. The month is about 59 percent cloudy or overcast. Average rainfall is 0.1 to 0.4 inches, with snowfall averaging between 3.3 to 7.6 inches.

Extreme weather of up to 170 inches of snow can occur in the northern region. Duluth is particularly cold in the “snowbelt” area of the state and one of its snowiest cities. Their coldest temperature on record was in 1996, when temperatures fell to 60° F below zero. These Nordic-bred residents enjoy such activities as snowmobiling, snowshoeing, winter festivals, and dog sledding. They share their home with such resilient creatures as bald eagles, moose, white-tailed deer, snowshoe hares, and short-tailed weasels.

3. Iowa

The Hawkeye state has a typical mid-western continental climate, which experiences a cold and wet February. The average temperature during the month is between 17° F and 30° F. Rainfall averages about 5 days during the month, producing about an inch of rain. The average snowfall is about 6 inches. The winter weather offers opportunities for Iowans to get outside and enjoy such sports as sledding, ice skating, and skiing. Winter flora include red cedar, snowdrop, witch hazel, Christmas rose, and winterberry. In addition, wildlife here includes foxes, coyotes, deer, weasel, hawks, red and white-breasted nuthatch, brown creeper, common goldeneye, and common merganser.

2. Wisconsin

The climate here is influenced by the Great Lakes of Lake Superior and Lake Michigan, which border the state on two sides, contributing to freezing, snowy, and long winters. Average February temperatures are between 19° F and 28° F. They typically get between 3 to 8 days of rain and snowfall is about 12 inches. Occasionally, residents experience extreme weather conditions, such as in February 2019 when Eau Claire saw a record-breaking 53.7 inches of snow. Favorite winter activities include skiing, ice skating, sledding, and snowboarding. Winter flora include beautyberry bushes, red-osier dogwood, and prairie bead grass. Additionally, winter wildlife includes birds such as crossbills, sparrows, and waxwings.

1. North Dakota

The top state for the worst February weather is North Dakota. Strong arctic winds move through the mostly flat terrain from the north, resulting in extremely cold temperatures and blizzards during the winter. One such contributor is the Alberta Clipper, a low-pressure system that originates in Canada. The state’s continental climate experiences unpredictable temperature extremes, with an average of 50 days below zero during the winter months.

Temperatures can vary widely here; for example, the February average in the city of Fargo is a high of 19° F and a low of 5° F. Average temperatures vary between highs of 2° F in the north to 17° F in the south. The coldest recorded temperature was on February 15, 1936, when it got to below 60° F in the city of Parshall. Indeed, wind chills have dipped below 63° F in Grand Forks. Another record-breaker occurred on January 22, 1936, when North Dakota’s recorded wind chill was negative 73° F! Wildlife here include prairie dogs, bighorn sheep, elk, ferrets, whitetail deer, and bison who are tough enough to withstand the extreme winter chill.