It will probably come as a surprise to most Americans, but the winter just finished was the fifth-warmest on record, worldwide.
Sure, nearly two-thirds of the country can dispute that from personal experience of a colder-than-normal season.
But while much of the United States was colder than usual, December-February -- climatological winter -- continued the long string of unusual warmth on a global basis.
And parts of the United States did join in, with warmer-than-normal readings for the season in New England and the Pacific Northwest. Indeed, Maine had its third-warmest winter on record, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports.
I know it might be difficult for wingnuts to grasp the difference between "the globe" and "the east coast of the United States," so I'll type slowly. The east coast is NOT the globe.
And not to confuse them further, but the southern half of the globe was experiencing summer while we were experiencing winter. I know! How can that be!? Summer and winter at the same time? IMPOSSIBLE! But it's true. And the half that experienced summer -- it was really hot. Meanwhile, there were warmer than usual temperatures in certain areas of the northern/winter half.
Get it? Do I have to pull out a second grade science text book?