Every February, the groundhog predicts what the rest of the winter will be like. Punxsutawney Phil, a rodent from Pennsylvania, may not be known for his accuracy. His predictions were only about 40% accurate, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Still, he has become a symbol of the time of year when people transition from the cold weather of winter to the promise of warm spring weather.

In many parts of the country, February is often the coldest month. From 1901 to 2000, the average monthly temperature in the continental United States was 33.82 degrees Fahrenheit. In 2023, it was above average, reaching 36.45 degrees Fahrenheit.

From 1901 to 2000, the average February temperature in Apache County, Arizona was 34.5 degrees.

Phil didn't see his own shadow on Groundhog Day this year, a relatively rare occurrence that means he's foreshadowing an early spring. The last time he didn't see a shadow was in 2020, when the average temperature in the continental U.S. was 2.36 degrees above his February average. Temperatures in March that year were 4.58 degrees above the 1901-2000 average.

Although individual years can always buck the trend, February weather is trending warmer due to climate change, increasing by 2.89 degrees per century.

When was the warmest February in Apache County, Arizona? But what about the coldest? To find out, Stacker used the following data: National Environmental Information Center Identify the highest and lowest average temperatures on February 15 since 1895. It also includes a comparison of that year's temperature with the average temperature from 1901 to 2000.

We'll soon find out the accuracy of Phil's 2024 predictions later this month. In this analysis, Stacker looked at the range from his 1895 to his 2023.

Read this article to find out if we had the warmest February and coldest February in Apache County, Arizona's history.