February 2016 was a very warm month across central and northeast South Dakota as well as west central Minnesota. Average monthly temperatures ranged from 6 degrees above to 11 degrees above normal with many locations having their top ten warmest Februarys on record. Mobridge had their third warmest on record with Pierre and Timber Lake having their seventh and sixth warmest respectively.  Aberdeen was the ninth warmest on record. Kennebec finished just outside the top ten having their eleventh warmest February on record. At the end of the month on February 27^th, an abnormally warm air mass brought record highs for most all locations across the region. In fact, all-time February record highs were set at Mobridge and Kennebec with 73 and 76 degrees, respectively. The 68 degrees at Aberdeen was the second warmest temperature ever recorded in February.

The precipitation across the region varied quite a bit with around a quarter of an inch at Kennebec and over an inch of precipitation at Mobridge. Kennebec was almost a quarter inch below normal with Mobridge over four tenths above normal.

There were several notable weather events throughout February. High winds occurred on Feb 7^th and again on the 19^th. On February 7^th, winds gusted to 60 to 70 mph.  The winds during the early morning hours on February 19^th were even stronger, gusting up to 70 to over 80 mph across central and north central South Dakota. This includes a 78 mph gust at Pierre and an 83 mph gust near Hayes. The system that brought these damaging winds was warm enough to produce rain and lightning/thunder in areas as well. A freezing rain and heavy snow event occurred on the 13^th and 14^th. The freezing rain brought icing up to a tenth to isolated quarter inch amounts across parts of central South Dakota. Snowfall across the region ranged from 2 inches up to a foot in some locations. Finally, a leap day (Feb 29^th) snow event led to a narrow swath of 4-8 inches of snow across central South Dakota.