Record Hot In West, Near-Record Cold For Midwest

Much of the East was much colder than average during the first three months of 2014. Conversely, the Desert Southwest was much warmer than average.

The first three months of 2014 were among the coldest January-to-March periods on record in several states, according to the federal government's quarterly State of the Climate Report, released Tuesday by NOAA's National Climatic Data Center. Wisconsin and Indiana shivered through their third-coldest first quarter of any year on record, while Ohio, Michigan and Illinois chalked up their fourth-coldest January-to-March periods. Eight other states – Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and West Virginia – each experienced a month among their top 10 coldest ever during first three months of the year. Statewide temperature records through NOAA's National Climatic Data Center date to 1895.

On the other end of the spectrum, the January-to-March 2014 period was the warmest on record in Arizona and California, while near-record warmth prevailed in Nevada (which had its third-warmest March), Alaska (third), Oregon (ninth) and Utah (fifth).

http://www.weather.com/news/science/january-march-cold-midwest-hottest-california-arizona-ncdc-report-20140415