Extensive ice is rare on Lake Ontario. In a more normal winter only the northeast corner freezes. I believe that only 1979 (near 80%) and 1934 (near 100% cover) had more ice this recent image, and there is still about a week to ten days of possible ice expansion before it is likely to reach equilibrium. Last winter may have come close, I don’t have any data handy. But they say you could drive from Rochester NY to Oshawa ON in Feb 1934, a month when some all-time record lows occurred in the region, including -50F at Saranac Lake NY and -48 F in rural eastern Ontario.
Meanwhile, some fairly impressive cold over the Midwest and Ohio valley is close to records set in 1936 (but not breaking them). See a pattern here? 1934 and 1936 were the two hottest years of the dust bowl era.
I think we may see this again in 2015. The western ridge is very, very strong. Temperatures have been running 12 to 15 degrees above normal in Utah and southern Idaho, equal amounts below normal in some parts of the east.
If that ridge migrates a bit further east, it will set up a mega-heat pattern over the plains states.
Yes, it’s been quite warm (for the season) in northern Idaho as well. I’ve been reminding my Bostonian friend of that (seven feet of snow? Geesh). ;-)
According to the NWS, the -10F @ their office in Paducah, KY, on 2/19/15, clobbered their old record for the date. I’m not sure if the records in that area go back to 1936, though.
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/view/validProds.php?prod=RER&node=KPAH