Groundhog or not, it's been a warm winter for Havelock

Many residents in Eastern North Carolina could probably care less what the groundhog sees today in Pennsylvania. Even if Punxsutawney Phil calls for six more weeks of winter, residents seem more than willing to accept it this year.

"I love it," Cheryl Burns of Newport said as she enjoyed a mild day at Havelock City Park with her daughter. "It almost doesn’t feel winterish because there’s no snow, but it’s nice. I can be here in the park in short sleeves with my daughter and not worry about her getting frostbite."

Winter has hardly seemed like winter in the area, as Wednesday’s high temperatures neared 70 degrees. Since Dec. 21 when winter officially began, the area has had 10 days when the high temperature has hit 70 degrees or higher. Of the 43 days of winter so far, just nine days have had high temperatures below the normal high of 54 or 55 degrees.

Belkys Melendez, a meteorologist intern and climate focal point at the National Weather Service in Newport, said the reason for the warmth is a La Nina, a cooling of waters in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. She said the typical pattern of a La Nina is for high pressure systems to control the area, leading to less rain while keeping colder arctic air pushed to the north along the polar jet stream.

"We’ve been having the subtropical jet (stream) over us and bringing a ridge of high pressure normally across our area, bringing mild temperatures and not as much rain," Melendez said.

That wasn’t the case last winter, which was colder than normal. In Havelock, the area experienced three snowfall events in four weeks before the calendar even turned to February.

"Last year there was so much snow," said Christina Peck of Havelock.

However, she has experienced a downside to the warmer weather.

"It was 34 degrees one night and 79 the next day. It’s ridiculous," Peck said. "It’s tough for people with allergies and asthma. I’ve had to use an inhaler this year when I haven’t had to use it for a couple of years."

At the weather service office in Newport, the lowest temperature recorded in December was 25 degrees, while last winter, the lowest December temperature was 16. In January, the lowest temperature was 15 degrees, while last January, the lowest temperature was 9 degrees.

"We’ve had some cold outbreaks but nothing compared to last year at all," Melendez said.

She said the long-range forecast from the Climate Prediction Center continues to call for above-normal temperatures for the rest of the winter and into April.

As for those wishing for more of a taste of winter and perhaps some snow, the chances don’t look good, Melendez said.

"There’s no guarantee," she said. "With the conditions that we’re having right now, chances look a little bit smaller than what we had last year."

In the end, those spring daffodils may just be rising skyward sooner rather than later this year.

"It’s definitely interesting," Havelock’s Heather Schneider said of the weather. "It seems like it’s a true southern winter, cold at night and warm in the day."