The blistering cold that dominated the second half of January in Berks County, and the region, ran well into the first half of February, extending a snow cover from the Jan. 25 snowstorm with a little help from minor wintry weather episodes.

“Moderating temperatures after the first 10 days and a near miss of major snow accumulations to the east prevented this February from being a really remarkable winter month in the Reading area,” said Jeffrey R. Stoudt, Berks weather historian and founder of the Berks Area Rainfall Networks.

That snow cover almost made it to the next significant snowfall of the season on Feb. 22-23. In total, the National Weather Service considers Berks to have had a snow cover for 34 days, Jan. 18 through Feb. 20, the 16th longest stretch in records that date to 1904.

“Trace amounts of snow lingered on the ground for a day or two after the streak ended, but these are not considered part of the streak,” said Alex Staarmann, lead meteorologist at the National Weather Service Office in Mount Holly, N.J., which oversees Berks and much of the tristate area.

Four of the top five snow cover streaks as determined by the weather service are easily within the memory of most Berks natives, and revive memories of the some of the ugliest winters on record:

• 78 days: Jan. 4 through March 22 in 1994.

• 71 days: Dec. 8, 1917 through Feb. 16, 1918.

• 64 days: Dec. 9, 1995 through Feb. 10, 1996.

• 53 days: Jan. 22 through March 15, 2015.

• 49 days: Jan. 22 though March 11, 2014.

Most of those winters saw heavy snowfall. And, they also saw extended periods of bitter cold that didn’t let the snow melt.

The winter of 1995-96 is by far the highest snowfall accumulation on record at 82.6 inches for the season, and it was down to bare ground by Feb. 10, but didn’t stay that way. There were more minor snows into March.

Stoudt added about 2026: “That (snow) pack gradually ablated and was mostly gone by the 22nd (of February) when 2 to 4 inches of new snow blanketed the Reading area and westward and somewhat more over eastern Berks County as a blockbuster nor’easter brought 1 to 2 feet and some blizzard conditions to the Delaware Valley and eastward to the shores of New Jersey. Philadelphia got 14.0 (inches).”

Other items from last month:

“While harsh cold was in control, a low of 5 above zero on the 9th was one of five daily lows at or below 10,” Stoudt said. “And the coldest daily high of 18 on the 8th tied the date record coldest high from 1951 and was the coldest of seven days that failed to climb above freezing. “

Stoudt crunched the numbers on the meteorological winter and added: Winter (months DJF) averaged 30.1 degrees, moderately below the normal of 33.2. but well above the 10th coldest, which is 27.6 from 1981-82. Total precipitation of 6.25 inches fell well below the normal of 9.25, but above the 10th least of 5.56 from 1958-59. Total DJF snowfall of 24.1 inches is near average.

The mercury reached 60 degrees on Feb. 28 for first time since Dec. 19, a period of 70 days. That wasn’t even enough to come close to breaking into the top 20 on record in that category.

The top five:

• 136 days: Nov. 2, 1904 through  March 17, 1905.

• 131 days: Nov. 23, 1930 through April 2, 1931.

• 129 days: Oct. 18, 1976 through Feb. 23, 1977.

• 127 days: Nov. 18, 1903 through March 23, 1904.

• 124 Days: Nov. 11, 1981 through March 13, 1982.

Before the 2026 streak ended on Feb. 28. Staarmann sized it up this way: “Reading … would need to go the entire month of March without reaching 60 degrees to make it into the top 20. Reading … (has) not experienced a March with temperatures below 60 all month since 2001 (and before 2001, the last time was 1958), so that is unlikely to occur.”

However, that Dec. 19 was an oddity. If it was not for that day, the streak would have started with Nov. 10, and been inside the top 20.

“That 60 in December likely went unnoticed by most as it occurred during windy and rainy weather at dawn,” Stoudt added.

As far as snow totals in Berks, Stoudt said, “Total snow accumulation differences were largely elevation driven but also trended greater from west to east.”

Berks February weather

• Temperature: 31.4 degrees

• Normal: 33.1 degrees

• Precipitation: 1.37 inches

• Normal: 2.61 inches

• Snowfall: 3.9 inches (season, 24.1)

• Records: Coldest high: 18 degrees on the 8th (tie, 1951)

• Ice days: 7 (season, 23) (temperature not higher than freezing)

Source: National Weather Service

Monthly snowfall totals from the Berks Area Rainfall Networks in inches:

• Henningsville, 8.4

• Dryville, 7

• Lobachsville, 6.4

• New Morgan, 6

• Strausstown, 5.8

• Elverson (NE), 5.5

• Quaker Hill, 5.4

• Oley, 5.1

• Mohrsville, 4.9

• Bernville, 4.2

• Lincoln Park, 3.9

• Wyomissing, 3.7

• Reading (E), 3.5

• Shartlesville, 3.5

• Hamburg, 3.2

• Cacoosing, 3

• Mohrsville, 1.8