The Northeast survived the 11th warmest February in 103 years of record -- warm enough to shatter six all-time temperature records for the month and set or tie 47 daily high-temperature records, according to climatologists at the Northeast Regional Climate Center at Cornell University.

"February was a continuation of the winter's warm weather," said Keith Eggleston, regional climatologist at the center. For the Northeast, the month averaged 5.4 degrees warmer than normal, making it the region's 11th warmest February in 103 years of records. The winter season (December through February) was also the 11th warmest on record in the Northeast, with a departure from normal of plus 4.2 degrees.

Rochester, N.Y., was among the cities that obliterated previous high-temperature records for the month. On Feb. 21, the mercury hit 73 degrees -- the first time since February 1932 that the high-temperature for the month reached above 70 degrees.

It was the second-warmest February on record in Connecticut (7.7 degrees warmer than normal) and in New Jersey (6.9 degrees warmer than normal) and the fourth warmest February in Rhode Island (6.2 degrees warmer than normal).

For February, Maine had the region's smallest temperature departure at 1.3 degrees above the long-term average.

Several locations in New York, such as Rochester, Buffalo, Albany, Ithaca and John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City, reported their warmest temperatures ever recorded in February on either the 21st or the 27th.

For the first month since December 1995, every state in the Northeast reported precipitation totals that averaged drier than normal. Overall, the 12-state region received 81 percent of the normal February precipitation, to rank as the 23rd driest February on record. Southern New England received about half its normal allotment, while New York came very close to normal at 99 percent.

Winter season precipitation (rain plus melted snow), meanwhile, was somewhat wetter than normal at 112 percent of the 30-year average in the Northeast. It was the 13th wettest winter in New Jersey, with 132 percent of normal, but the eighth driest winter season in West Virginia (73 percent of normal).

New Weather Records

Temperature

Note: It was the warmest February on record at Bridgeport, Conn. The average monthly

temperature of 37.3 beat the previous record of 36.8 set in 1954.

Monthly High Temperature Records

City                          New     Previous
Albany, N.Y.                  68      67  in 1976
Buffalo, N.Y.                 70      68  in 1932
Kennedy AP, N.Y.              71      68  in 1991
Rochester, N.Y.               73      70  in 1932
Harrisburg, Pa.               78      75  in 1985
Ithaca, N.Y.                  67      66  in 1953

Daily High Temperature Records
City                          Date     New     Previous
Charleston, W.Va.             18th     64      63  in 1984
Bridgeport, Conn.             19th     61      55  in 1990
Providence, R.I.              19th     64      62  in 1949
Central Park, N.Y.            19th     66      63  in 1961
Kennedy AP, N.Y.              19th     66      60  in 1961
Brookhaven, N.Y.              19th     62      56  in 1981
Newark, N.J.                  19th     66      62  in 1961
Allentown, Pa.                19th     63      60  in 1981
Harrisburg, Pa. (tie)         19th     66      66  in 1948
Williamsport, Pa.             19th     60      58  in 1954
Wilmington, Del. (tie)        19th     67      67  in 1948
Buffalo, N.Y.                 21st     70      62  in 1953
Rochester, N.Y.               21st     73      59  in 1953
Harrisburg, Pa.               21st     71      70  in 1930
Pittsburgh                    21st     73      67  in 1930
Beckley, W.Va.                21st     67      63  in 1983
Huntington, W.Va.             21st     74      61  in 1974
Parkersburg, W.Va.            21st     72      70  in 1959
Morgantown, W.Va.             21st     73      69  in 1976
Concord, N.H.                 22nd     67      57  in 1990
Burlington, Vt.               22nd     59      54  in 1990
St. Johnsbury, Vt.            22nd     61      58  in 1981
Boston                        22nd     66      63  in 1990
Hartford, Conn.               22nd     69      62  in 1991
Albany, N.Y.                  22nd     68      62  in 1981
Central Park, N.Y.            22nd     69      66  in 1991
Ithaca, N.Y.                  22nd     63      62  in 1930
Binghamton, N.Y.              22nd     60      57  in 1974
Newark, N.J.                  22nd     70      66  in 1974
Bridgeport, Conn.             27th     67      62  in 1951
Hartford, Conn. (tie)         27th     65      65  in 1976
Wilmington, Del.              27th     73      70  in 1946
Baltimore                     27th     76      73  in 1977
Worcester, Mass.              27th     60      56  in 1976
Atlantic City, N.J.           27th     73      70  in 1971
Newark, N.J.                  27th     74      67  in 1976
Albany, N.Y.                  27th     61      56  in 1880
Binghamton, N.Y.              27th     53      51  in 1977
Buffalo, N.Y.                 27th     63      57  in 1977
Central Park, N.Y.            27th     72      68  in 1880
Kennedy AP, N.Y.              27th     71      67  in 1976
Ithaca, N.Y.                  27th     67      62  in 1880
Rochester, N.Y.               27th     63      57  in 1880
Syracuse, N.Y.                27th     60      50  in 1977
Allentown, Pa.                27th     72      64  in 1976
Harrisburg, Pa.               27th     78      67  in 1976
Philadelphia                  27th     74      70  in 1946
Wilkes Barre-Scranton, Pa.    27th     70      59  in 1976
Williamsport, Pa.             27th     69      63  in 1976
Dulles Airport, Va.           27th     74      71  in 1977
National Airport, Va.         27th     77      74  in 1977

Low Temperature Record
City                          Date     New     Previous
Caribou, Maine                17th    -22     -18  in 1973

AP=Airport