Across much of the United States, the 2011-2012 winter season was unusal. Instead of heavy snow, most areas saw warmer-than-normal temperatures. In January, more than 1,000 high temperature records were broken. It was also an unseasonably dry winter.

But with the warm winter temperatures marked an early severe weather season. January was an unusually active month. The first major tornado outbreak happened on January 22 and 23, when a spring like storm system came into the southern Mississippi Valley and several tornadoes were confirmed in Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Alabama. This event produced at least 23 tornadoes.

A late-winter tornado outbreak pounded several states on Wednesday, February 29th. Communities in Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Kentucky, Indiana and Tennessee felt the impact of storms that spawned at least 20 tornadoes. Six people died in Illinois, three in Missouri and three in Tennessee. Branson, Missouri was hit by an EF2 tornado, while one of the hardest hit areas was in Harrisburg, Illinois where an EF4 tornado left a path of destruction.

On Friday, March 2nd, another strong storm system moved through the Midwest and South spawning deadly tornadoes. The latest count included 19 dead in Kentucky, 14 in Indiana, three in Ohio and one each in Alabama and Georgia. Tornadoes also were reported in Mississippi, Tennessee, Illinois, North Carolina, and Virginia. In Henryville, Indiana, the storm cut a wide swath, destroying homes and businesses in its path. The National Weather Service said one of the two tornadoes that went through the Henryville area had winds of about 175 mph, making it an EF4. Debris from Henryville was found 68 miles away

The Climate Prediction Center is forecasting above normal precipitation across parts of the Midwest this spring. They are forecasting below normal precipitation across parts of the Southwest and South.

The Climate Prediction Center is forecasting above normal temperatures across most of the United States this spring. They are forecasting below normal temperatures across parts of the Pacific Northwest.