Colorado Springs residents had little use for snow shovels, thermal clothing or even winter coats during the city’s warmest February on record, according to the National Weather Service in Pueblo.

The average high in February was 41.8 degrees Fahrenheit, the weather agency said.

“That might not sound impressive at a glance, but the last year that we had a similar February was 1954 (41.1 degrees) — more than 70 years ago,” said Weather Service Meteorologist Mike Garberoglio.

Several temperature records have been either broken or threatened since Dec. 1, according to Weather Service data. Five daily temperature records fell in December, and 2026 kicked off with a high of 65 degrees — the warmest Jan. 1 on record.

A La Niña weather pattern — which happens when ocean waters in the equatorial Pacific cool down, often affecting weather conditions thousands of miles away — is partially responsible for the unseasonably warm conditions. But this year’s La Niña has not been particularly strong, said Garberoglio, based in Pueblo.

“The La Niña signal has weakened,” he said. “We’re trending toward the neutral, middle ground of that index right now. But a lot of systems that would have brought cooler, wetter weather simply missed us and either went north of us, or south of us. La Niña is not the only cause, but it’s definitely part of it.”

Colorado Springs also saw its fifth-driest February on record, with only 0.2 inches of snowfall recorded, according to the National Weather Service. That’s far below the average of roughly 5 inches.

“The last time we had a February this dry was 1991,” Garberoglio said. “The February snowfall was pretty measly this year.”

Warm, dry conditions typically mean increased fire danger, and February was no different. The Weather Service issued eight red flag fire warnings last month, with a total of 15 this winter season. The region typically receives three or four warnings in February.

Pueblo had its third-warmest February ever, the Weather Service said. Two record highs were set in Pueblo last month: 78 degrees on Feb. 9, and 83 degrees on Feb. 24. The city had zero inches of observed snowfall, making it the least snowy February in Pueblo history.

Denver’s average of 42.1 degrees February placed it as the third-warmest on record; the record of 43.7 degrees was set in 1954, the National Weather Service in Boulder said Sunday.

Denver had a trace of snow, tied for the least snowy February on record, and it was second-driest overall with 0.02 inches of snow.

March is usually the snowiest month of the year in Colorado Springs, with an average of 8 inches. It’s still too early to say if this March will produce that much snow, but early projections suggest that this month will be “above average, temperature-wise,” Garberoglio said.

March, April and May have at least a 33%-40% chance of being warmer and drier than normal, according to data from the NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center.

“Not the most optimistic outlook for a region that usually needs moisture,” Garberoglio said.