Nearly snowless winter ranks as one of the region’s warmest

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - The winter of 2022-2023 will be remembered as one of the mildest in our lifetime across central Virginia.

We’re on track to finish as the third warmest meteorological* winter on record across central Virginia. *Astronomical winter, which is the one most people traditionally observe, ends on March 20 this year.

NBC12 gave the First Alert back in September and again in November that we expected warmer than average temperatures and less snow than average in RVA based on a third straight La Niña winter combined with the backdrop of global warming. This winter ended up even warmer and less snowy than we possibly could have predicted. In fact, not only will it go down as one of the top three warmest meteorological winters on record, it is currently tied for the least snowy winter ever on record at Richmond International Airport. Only a trace of snow was recorded at RIC this winter on February 2.

All that being said, it looks like old man winter doesn’t want to give up just yet. Cooler than average weather is expected to arrive as we get toward mid-March. We are probably not done with sub-freezing nights, which is a concern for fruit trees and other tender plants that are already blooming due to the unseasonably warm weather in February.

We can’t completely rule out a chance to finally see snow if the storm track lines up correctly with colder air in place. Download the NBC12 First Alert Weather app for updates!

You can find the app in the Apple Store and on Google Play.

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