This Winter Wasn’t the Coldest, But It Was One of the Most Miserable

FiveThirtyEight | This Winter Wasn’t the Coldest, But It Was One of the Most Miserable

When I talk about winter, I mean the three months between Dec. 1 and Feb. 28. That’s the common definition among meteorologists. Looking at that period keeps data cleanly organized and consistent from year to year.

Turns out my mom was right. The winter of 2013-14 brought a rare combination of miseries that many of us hadn’t seen in years, and some had never seen. It was colder than usual, it was extremely cold more often than usual, and it snowed more than usual in more places than usual.

Ever since 1997, I give winter until after April 1st just to be sure.