La Niña May Be To Blame For Unseasonably Warm Winter

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- When you see the polar ice cap melting and temperatures this warm in Pittsburgh in February, how can you not think global warming.

"We do have a stretch, more than a year now, where we've seen temperatures every single month warmer than the average," KDKA Meteorologist Ron Smiley said.

Smiley says he doesn't want to cry full-out global warming, but it certainly has been an unusual, characteristic he says of the ups and downs of the weak La Nina that has now run its course.

"We're looking at, last month more than six degrees above average; this month, we could be eight and nine degrees above average. Those are some fairly big margins," Smiley said.

Big enough for short sleeves and sun worshipping this Presidents' Day.

"It's beautiful, very unseasonable obviously, but really nice to be able to get outside with the kids in February," said Christianne Johnson, of Mt. Lebanon.

"It's beautiful, love it, taking advantage of it while we can before we get dumped on again," said Max Zeigler, of Beechview.

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However, we're still a month away from spring, so Smiley says don't put away the snow shovel quite yet.

"We will have a chance for snow in about a week. We'll watch closely for that," he said.