A colder than normal December contributed to the perception this has been an unusually frigid winter, but for the three-month winter season — December through February — temperatures were just 1.2 degrees below normal.

        The National Weather Service in Wilmington, Ohio, said the three-month average temperature was 30 degrees. The average for the three-month period, based on the past 30 years, is 31.2 degrees.

        Meteorologist Brian Coniglio said part of the perception is based on the mild winters of the past two years. While he didn't have figures for 1999-2000, the average temperature for the winter of 1998-99 was 36.2 degrees.

        Winter temperatures this year are comparable to the temperatures from 1995-96, when it was 29.9 degrees, and 1993-94, when it was 29.8 degrees.

        The coldest it has been in recent history for three months was the 1977-78 blizzard year — the three-month average was 21.8 degrees.

        This past December's average temperature was 23.2 degrees, 10.3 degrees below the normal temperature of 33.5 degrees.

        “The winter was just about average,” Mr. Coniglio said. “It's just that it was so cold in December.”

        There has been just 13.8 inches of snow, which is measured beyond the three months. That is almost 10 inches below the annual average of 23.4 inches.

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