According to NOAA's National Climatic Data Center the average temperatures across both the contiguous U.S. and the globe during the climatological winter were the coolest since 2001.  In terms of winter precipitation, Pacific storms, bringing heavy rain and snow to large parts of the west produced a high snowpack that will provide welcome runoff this spring.  Record snowfall amounts also occurred over many areas in the Midwest.

   The average winter temperature over the U.S. was 33.2 degrees, which was 0.2 degrees above the 20th century average - yet still ranks as the 54th coolest winter since national record began in 1895.  Winter temperatures were warmer than average from Texas to the Southeast and along the Eastern Seaboard, while cooler than average temperatures stretched from much of the upper Midwest to the West Coast. 

  For more information on the winter temperatures and precipitation go to

  http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2008/20080313_coolest.html