Tornadoes, shrinking ice and early syrup: how hottest winter hit the US

The country saw rain in many regions instead of snow, a midwest heat patch, and ice receding from lakes and ponds

The US has just experienced its hottest ever winter, with record-breaking temperatures driving away snow and ice and causing the coldest months to feel bizarrely balmy in many parts of the country.

Swaths of the lower 48 states had a lost" winter, with many of the coldest winter states - New York, Vermont, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan and New Hampshire - all setting new record heat levels for the season, which concluded at the end of February, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa).