The U.S. is seeing two different winters.
So far this season, millions in the Northeast have endured rounds of frigid temperatures and mounds of snow. But a different winter has played out across much of the West. High temperatures and a lack of snow have been feeding a drought there, impacting ski resorts and fueling water shortage concerns.
Explore: Search snowfall depth in your area using this exclusive USA TODAY snowfall accumulation tracker
Between October 2025 and February 2026, the area of the continental U.S. that received less snow than usual far outweighed the area that got more, according to a USA TODAY analysis of snow records. For every square mile with a snow surplus, three were in deficit, the analysis found, comparing this season's snowfall accumulation against the average of seasonal totals from the 2008-09 winter through 2024-25.
Among the places that recorded a surplus is New York City, with 182% of its historical average. During a storm in February, Central Park recorded 19.7 inches of snow. That's among the top 10 single largest snowstorm dumps in the park's history, USA TODAY reported earlier.
