On Thursday, La Nina was officially declared to be over by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).  Unfortunately, when it is reported to the public that La Nina (or its counterpart El Nino) are either coming or going, the impacts are often way too generalized.  While it's natural to desire explanations that are set in stone for what these two climate phenomena will cause in the United States, it's just not that simple.

Senior Meteorologist Stu Ostro (Find him on Facebook | Twitter) reinforces the point, “I am driven to distraction by the way El Nino and La Nina are sometimes described by the press and even scientists. That they’re the be-all-end-all of everything, and when either one begins or ends, that always and absolutely equates to a particular weather outcome.  It’s not that black-and-white!”

When the information came in last fall that a new La Nina was taking shape, the reports for Texas were dire since they were in a multibillion-dollar drought disaster and La Nina typically (notice I said typically) brings drier-than-average conditions to the Lone Star State.

While La Nina did contribute to the intensifying drought over the previous winter (2010-2011), it was not the case this past winter.

In fact, it was the 14th wettest December through February period on record in Texas!  This was followed by the 8th wettest March on record.  The percentage of the state in exceptional drought (worst category) has fallen from 88 percent in early October to 8 percent in early May.

Two separate La Nina winters and two different outcomes.

Below-average temperatures during the winter months are another aspect of La Nina's influence that we look for across a large amount of real estate from Washington and Oregon eastward to Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and the Dakotas.

Not so much in the winter of 2011-2012.

The December through February period turned out to be among the top fifteen warmest for Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota. Temperatures finished near average in both Washington and Oregon during this same timeframe, despite a colder-than-average December.

La Nina winters also typically bring wetter-than-average conditions to western Washington and western Oregon.  While March was among the wettest on record for these states, the December through February timeframe was the 10th driest on record in Oregon and the 25th driest on record in Washington.

More reports from weather.com

So, where exactly might we have seen La Nina's thumbprint this past winter now that we've shown a couple of examples of where it didn't?

From Texas, La Nina typically brings drier-than average conditions to the immediate Gulf Coast eastward to south Georgia and Florida.  As we emerged from winter into spring, this is where drought conditions had grown considerably.

In late November, only 26 percent of the Sunshine State was in drought (northern Florida).  As of May 1, this figure is now at 89 percent.  Only far south Florida is not experiencing drought conditions.

It's a similar story in Georgia, where drought conditions expanded significantly during the winter.  Almost all of southern and central Georgia is in extreme or exceptional drought (two worst categories).

Here's one more example.

Much of the country east of the Rockies experienced a winter with well above-average temperatures, propelling the United States to its fourth warmest winter on record.  This included the swath from the Mid-Atlantic to the South, which typically sees warmer-than-average temperatures during La Nina winters.

Ironically, it's this same geographical region that actually saw well below-average temperatures the previous winter when La Nina conditions were also present.

As you can see, not all La Ninas/El Ninos are created the same.  There can be other overriding factors in the atmosphere that can mute out or enhance certain aspects of what we typically expect from these climate influences.

We've seen an amazing, historic run of record warmth in March 2012. It's been the talk of towns from Minnesota and Michigan to Tennessee and Georgia for a couple of weeks now.

First, consider the sheer number of daily record highs either tied or broken over the past two weeks. The counts in the table below are courtesy of the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) since Mar. 9. Counts from Mar. 23 are still being tabulated and will be posted later.

If you pull out your calculator and add the numbers up from March 1 through March 22, the total exceeds 6,000! This speaks to the widespread nature and longevity of this warm spell. By the way, there have been only about 250 daily record lows during that same time, a ratio of roughly 24 record highs for every record low.

In a typical March, particularly in the nation's northern tier, you may see, perhaps, one or perhaps two days of record warmth before a sharp cold front brings that spring tease to a screeching halt. Not so in March 2012.

When considering monthly record highs, meaning the warmest temperature on record for the month of March, according to NCDC, there have been 430 such monthly record highs tied or broken!

International Falls, Minn., self-promoted as the "Icebox of the Nation", tied or broke daily record highs 12 of 13 days from Mar. 10-22. This includes a 79-degree reading on March 18, which was the warmest day ever recorded during March in International Falls.

Chicago, Ill., tied or set new daily record highs nine days in a row from March 14-22! In this streak, eight of the days were in the 80s, including an astounding 87-degree high on March 21. The National Weather Service in Chicago recently called the warm spell "historic" and something that is unlikely to be matched in our lifetime.

More top weather stories from weather.com

Wednesday, March 21, both Marquette, Mich., (81 degrees) and Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., (83 degrees) shattered their previous March record highs. In Marquette, it was their earliest-in-season 80+ degree day on record, breaking the old record by 22 days! Despite a shorter period of record in Marquette (records since 1961), that's still an amazing feat.

Thursday, March 22, Detroit, Mich., reached 86 degrees, setting an all-time record high for the month of March. The previous record was set just the day before. Prior to this March 2012 warm spell, the record was 84 degrees set in late March of 1945. If that wasn't enough, their 10-day streak with highs at least in the 70s was their longest such streak so early in the season, topping the previous record by over a month!

Plotted on the interactive map here are the many records set for various cities in this mild March. Zoom in on the map and click on the red locator icons to view the record-breaking information for each location. You will find many cities that have set records for the warmest temperatures so early in the season, monthly records or longest streaks of warm weather so early in the season.

Below is a map of temperature departures from average for the first three weeks of March. Notice the massive swath of much warmer than average air from the Rockies east (brown, red, orange shadings). Many spots are 10 to 15 degrees above average for the month so far!

Chicago, Detroit and Indianapolis are all currently seeing their warmest March on record with only a handful of days to go in the month. Records date back to the 1870s in all of these cities.

NOAA/CPC

This shows temperature departures from average for the first 23 days of March 2012. The brown shadings show where temperatures have been most above average.

More content from msnbc.com and NBC News:

• Sandusky labeled 'likely pedophile' in 1998 report
• Inquiry finds suspect test scores at schools nationwide
• Mega Millions jackpot jumps to $356 million
• Geraldo Rivera blames hoodie for Trayvon's death

Follow US News on msnbc.com on Twitter and Facebook

Darren Abate / AP

Josie Juarez sits in the ruins of her home in Devine, Texas, on Tuesday after a tornado swept through overnight. Juarez' 15-year-old daughter, Jesse, who was the only person home when the tornado hit, survived by taking shelter in the bathroom.

Heavy rain, hail and at least one tornado struck the central U.S. overnight and the forecast on the first day of spring was for more of the same.

Storms rattled Tulsa, Okla., Tuesday morning with thunder so strong that it registered on seismic equipment. Meteorologist Pete Snyder felt his home shake and several concerned residents called the National Weather Service to ask if there had been an earthquake.

"We have seen quite a bit of thunder on all of our seismic stations across the state," said Austin Holland, a research seismologist with the Oklahoma Geological Survey. "We can confidently say there were no earthquakes large enough to be widely felt."

The National Weather Service said a tornado touched down Monday evening about 25 miles southwest of San Antonio, Texas. Eight people were hurt.

"We have multiple homes damaged, several homes were taken by this tornado," said Roy Bermudez, a deputy with the Medina County Sheriff's Office.

Thousands of customers lost power in San Antonio and Dallas-Fort Worth, where strong winds and rain pelted the area, and power outages were reported in Oklahoma City and Tulsa County.

Flights were stopped temporarily Monday night at Love Field airport and some 35 flights were canceled Tuesday at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

Dozens of San Antonio streets were closed by high water from flash flooding or by debris.

The San Antonio Fire Department reported at least two house fires that may have been caused by lightning strikes. A truck driver had to be rescued in San Antonio after a live power line was blown onto his truck by the strong winds, trapping him inside.

The fresh crop of storms comes after two tornadoes damaged homes and railcars in North Platte, Neb., on Sunday. One of the twisters, which injured four people, was measured at EF3, with winds up to 165 mph.

Flooding remains a serious concern across the affected areas.

Eight inches of rain was expected in southeastern Kansas, which has been unusually dry for nearly a year. Forecasters said the Marmaton River at Fort Scott, Kan., would likely exceed flood stage later Tuesday, but drop again Thursday when the rain subsides.

Emergency management officials said they're keeping an eye on the clouds but feel that southeast Kansas can handle several days of rain.

In Arkansas, however, emergency management officials readied teams to respond to flash floods, especially in the western part of the state where the heaviest downpour was expected. The U.S. Forest Service closed campsites preemptively Monday, exercising caution after 20 people died in a flash flood at a remote campground in 2010.

Forecasters in Tulsa said the slow-moving storm was expected to stall over the area, dumping up to 12 inches of rain.

When rain falls in the the hills and valleys, "it's quickly funneled into small rivers and streams," said B.J. Simpson, a National Weather Service meteorologist. "Those are the most dangerous areas."

Still, even flatlands could see the potential for runoff and flash floods if the rain comes too fast for the ground to absorb it.

"There's really no amount of dry ground that can take up to 10 inches of rain in a couple day timeframe," Simpson said.

The rains come at a time when south and central Texas are still in the grips of a drought that began early in 2011. It developed into the state's worst one-year drought ever.

"The more water we can get now the better off we'll be down the road, later on this year," said Roland Ruiz, Assistant General Manager of the Edwards Aquifer Authority, which manages the region's water supply.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

More content from msnbc.com and NBC News:

• Friend describes Trayvon Martin's final phone call
• US joins search for Amelia Earhart after photo clue
• Could this new tower be the future of cities?
• 'Kratom' leaf making presence felt in US emergency rooms
• Wife of Afghan massacre suspect: 'Out of character'

Follow US News on msnbc.com on Twitter and Facebook

Just a day before spring, snow continued to fall across parts of California, Arizona and New Mexico on Monday, causing traffic problems and school closures.

Much of northern Arizona, including Flagstaff, was covered in up to two feet of snow after a big dump on Sunday. Highways in the Flagstaff area were briefly shut down as well, the Arizona Republic reported.

Dozens of travelers were stuck in Flagstaff hotels. Some who tried to leave returned after being stuck in traffic for hours, one hotel clerk told the Arizona Republic.

Joshua Lott / Reuters

The driver of this pickup truck lost control in snow on Interstate 17 in Yavapai County, Ariz., on Sunday.

In California, snow and ice on Monday caused several cars to flip on Interstate 8 in the mountains east of San Diego. The danger led police to shut down a 55-mile stretch of the highway.

Dubbed the "March Miracle," more than a foot of snow at local ski areas over the weekend helped salvage an otherwise mild season, NBCLosAngeles.com reported.

New Mexico was also getting a buildup of snow and ice, forcing school closures in some towns.

More content from msnbc.com and NBC News:

• Fuhgeddaboutit! NJ top state for fighting corruption
• Soldier held in Afghan killings had financial issues
• Tea Party spokesman arrested in sex assault case
• NYC building's floor collapses during party
• Occupy Wall Street activists return to park, get arrested

Follow US News on msnbc.com on Twitter and Facebook 

Severe storms overnight in Nebraska, Texas and Ohio damaged homes and tossed rail cars as well as at least one tractor-trailer, and the threat continued Monday with a large part of the central U.S. on alert.

The greatest damage overnight was just outside North Platte, Neb., where two confirmed tornadoes tore roofs off several homes, downed power lines and injured two people.

One twister crossed Interstate 80, flipping a tractor-trailer in its path. The truck's driver was hospitalized.

A rail yard also was hit, with 15 cars derailed or knocked over, the North Platte Telegraph reported. One worker there was hit by flying debris, treated at a hospital and then released.

In central Ohio, tornado sirens went off as large hail and high winds swept through Sunday night. In Gardendale, Texas, two people were hurt when high winds flipped over their mobile home. No tornadoes were reported in either state.

The mix of warm weather in recent weeks with cold pockets across the Midwest and central U.S. has led to an early start to the tornado season.

"It has been an active season already for tornadoes, and that's part of the reason we've scooched up our siren testing starting in March," Paul Johnson, emergency manager for Douglas County in North Dakota, told KETV.

Tornado watches have been issued for parts of Texas and Oklahoma for Monday, while the rest of the central U.S. is under severe weather warnings that include the possibility of large hail and high winds.

The threat will shift slightly to the east on Tuesday, weather.com reported, with parts of Illinois, Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas seeing the biggest threat.

More content from msnbc.com and NBC News:

• Fuhgeddaboutit! NJ top state for fighting corruption
• Soldier held in Afghan killings had financial issues
• Tea Party spokesman arrested in sex assault case
• NYC building's floor collapses during party
• Occupy Wall Street activists return to park, get arrested

Follow US News on msnbc.com on Twitter and Facebook

Susan Walsh / AP

The recent warm spell across much of the U.S. has included Washington, D.C., where it was 80 degrees on Thursday -- perfect weather for recreating near the Washington Monument.

So now that March feels like May in much of the U.S., what's May going to feel like? The East Coast and South can expect above-normal temperatures, federal forecasters announced Thursday -- a day when Atlanta and Chicago were among the cities that posted new daily highs.

After a brief cooling, the warm spell should continue through the rest of March, especially in the East, and into early summer across the South as well, said Ed O'Lenic, chief of operations at the U.S. Climate Prediction Center.

"It's warming up mighty early," he added.

Signs of a premature spring range from early cherry blossoms in Washington, D.C., to farmers preparing to plant.

"This warm weather will advance crops beyond where they normally are," Reuters quoted meteorologist Joel Burgio of Telvent DTN as saying.

Wheat in the South was ahead of normal, Burgio said, fruit trees are blooming early in the Southeast, and Midwest farmers will be lured into starting spring field work earlier than usual.

"The concern is that if a sudden change to colder weather comes after this very warm interlude, then you could have some crop problems," he said.

But the Climate Prediction Center wasn't expecting that. "Above-average temperatures this spring are most likely from the Desert Southwest through the central and southern Great Plains, the Great Lakes, and the Eastern U.S.," the center said of its three-month outlook, "while the Pacific Northwest and Alaska are favored to be cooler than average."

This week, dozens of cities have seen temperatures above 80 degrees and much of the region has been 30 degrees warmer than normal.

On Thursday, Atlanta saw 82 degrees Fahrenheit, a degree warmer than its previous record for a March 15 back in 1973. Chicago broke its record with 77 degrees, 3 more than in 1995. 

On Wednesday, 307 sites across the country -- the vast majority in the Midwest -- broke their record for the warmest March 14. Ninety-three tied their record.

The same was in store for the rest of the week as well, though a notable exception to the warmth has been the Pacific Northwest where snow, ice and rain have kept winter alive.

This time last year, officials were worried about a heavy winter snowpack and its potential to create massive flooding -- a scenario that played out in many areas.

NOAA

Now, however, the threat isn't snow and flooding but heat and drought.

"What a difference a year makes," Laura Furgione, deputy director of the National Weather Service, told reporters at the agency's annual Spring Outlook news conference.

The drought concerns focus on west Texas and New Mexico -- and more recently Georgia, three-quarters of which is in severe, extreme or exceptional drought.

Drought and dry weather also raise the chances of wildfires.

In the Chicago suburbs, warmer weather was tied to four brush fires in three counties. One destroyed a bar and killed six horses, the Morris Daily Herald reported.

"It does seem like these fires are popping up early," local fire chief Ron Hoehne told the Daily Herald. "I can only assume it's because of a lack of snow or rain so far this year."

So is global warming behind the temperature increase? While "extreme events like we've seen are consistent" with warming, O'Lenic said when asked at the news conference, "it's impossible to connect any single event like this one with climate change." 

D.C. Cherry Blossom Festival blooms early

He also cited two naturally occuring factors: La Nina and what's known as the Arctic Oscillation, a measure of changing atmospheric pressure.

The Arctic Oscillation flipped from last year, when it helped create conditions for heavy snow, O'Lenic noted, so this winter has seen "the other side of the AO coin," with cold Arctic air being blocked from coming down into the U.S.

Last winter also saw a strong La Nina, a cooling of the Pacific Ocean, that lasted through spring and impacted weather globally. La Nina did return this winter, he added, but this time it "is fading fairly rapidly."

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

More content from msnbc.com and NBC News

• Is 14 too young for life in prison? Supreme Court to weigh
• $10 million Degas is latest mystery in Huguette Clarke case
• Debate rages over Mexico 'spillover violence'
• Woman, 88, strangled to death by clothes in escalator
• Teen texts cops: 'I hid the body ... now what?'

Follow US News on msnbc.com on Twitter and Facebook

National Climatic Data Center

Some 400 sites on Wednesday posted record high temperatures for a March 14, according to the National Climatic Data Center -- and most of those were right smack in the Midwest.

Dozens of cities were in the 80s, and the warmth pattern is hardly over: a large swath, from Georgia and Florida to Montana, can expect to see records fall on Thursday, weather.com reported.

On Wednesday, the hottest spots were in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri.

Greensburg, Kan., saw the highest temp -- 88 degrees Fahrenheit, 6 degrees warmer than its previous record for a March 14 set in 1935.

High temperature records have been shattered this week from Florida to the U.S.-Canada border, with the variance from normal highs most pronounced in the Northern Plains, where recent temperatures in the 60s were as much as 30 degrees above normal. 

The warm spell is expected to last into early next week.

The unusually warm air east of the Rocky Mountains was courtesy of a high-pressure system trapping cold air farther north, meteorologists said.

"We have a lot of warm, moist air from the Southwest pulling into our area, causing this pleasant weather," Chicago-area National Weather Service meteorologist Amy Seeley said.

Reuters contributed to this report.

More content from msnbc.com and NBC News

• Is 14 too young for life in prison? Supreme Court to weigh
• $10 million Degas is latest mystery in Huguette Clarke case
• Woman, 88, strangled to death by clothes in escalator
• Teen texts cops: 'I hid the body ... now what?'
• Alleged Manhattan madam changes lawyers

Follow US News on msnbc.com on Twitter and Facebook

It feels like May in March, and that means plenty of temperature records are being broken this week, including 138 sites across the  Midwest and Northeast on Tuesday. Dozens more areas were expected to set records on Wednesday, when temperatures in some places could be 35 degrees above normal.

Records set Tuesday included 85 degrees Fahrenheit in Russell, Kan., 5 degrees warmer than its previous record in 1997 for a March 13, the National Climatic Data Center reported.

St. Louis, Mo., also set a new daily high at 83 degrees, 3 degrees more than in 2007 and the second straight day with a record.

Even Burlington, Vt., got a piece of the action, posting 67 degrees -- 5 degrees higher than its previous record back in 1946.

As for Wednesday, "readings may be as much as 35 degrees above normal," the National Weather Service said in an advisory.

National Climatic Data Center

The service said the warm spell should last into the weekend, while weather.com expected at least 60 cities and towns to post new records on Wednesday.

"It's almost like we skipped winter and now we're going to skip spring too," said Gino Izzi, a senior meteorologist at the National Weather Service's Chicago office.

Izzi said the weather pattern is a random but normal fluctuation. A jet stream moving north to south on the West Coast is pushing an opposite, seesaw effect in the rest of the nation. Atmospheric patterns, including the Pacific phenomenon known as La Nina, have kept cold air bottled up over Canada and contributed to the warmer winter in snow-accustomed parts of the continental U.S.

Tuesday's warm weather raised some concerns, including upping the risk of wildfires. The unusually warm, dry and windy conditions prompted six North Dakota counties to declare fire emergencies and institute burn bans.

In Minnesota, golfers greeted the sunshine at the Eagle Valley Golf Course in suburban St. Paul as it opened Tuesday — weeks earlier than last year.

"We're hoping this is a sign of good things to come," head golf pro Dan Moris said.

In Chicago, the ice rink was empty at iconic Millennium Park.

Nearby, new city residents Katie and Chris Anderson said they were surprised by the weather because of Chicago's legendary cold winters. "I was really nervous about moving here," Katie Anderson said.

"We expected the worst," her husband added.

In downtown Washington, D.C., most of the benches at a local park were filled with people enjoying the weather Tuesday. Taylor Jantz-Sell, a government employee, planned to do some reading.

"This is my favorite time of year, watching the blossoms come out," she said, adding that she had seen daffodils and crocuses, and ran to work Tuesday morning because of the weather.

"It's a sign of good things to come," she said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

More content from msnbc.com and NBC News

• Rutgers spying case: Will jury convict as hate crime?
• Foreign exchange students were molested in US
• Sausage industry blasts 'Hot Dogs Cause Butt Cancer' ad
• Study: Thousands face drinking water pollution risk
• Warm weather records falling across Northeast, Midwest

Follow US News on msnbc.com on Twitter and Facebook

A backcountry ski guide was killed in an avalanche in steep mountains near the southeast Alaska town of Haines, Alaska state troopers said.

Robert Liberman, 35, of Telluride, Colo., was buried by the slide Tuesday morning and died at the scene, the troopers said.

Liberman was among six people helicopter-skiing in an area known as Takhin Ridge. The region has become increasingly popular with skiers paying for helicopter services to reach undeveloped terrain.

Another of the six skiers was also buried and was "clinging to life" after being dug out, Haines radio station KHNS reported in a broadcast monitored by the Anchorage Daily News.

He was transported to a hospital in Seattle, Wash., for medical treatment. The injured person was not identified pending notification of relatives.

Liberman was a guide with Haines-based Alaska Heliskiing. In a profile posted on the company's website, he described himself as a former University of Colorado ski racer and an all-around outdoors enthusiast. "Alaska has always been the mecca and after my first pilgrimage in 2005, I have been returning more appreciative and humbled each year," he wrote.

All of the skiers were wearing avalanche beacons.

Liberman was the first person killed in an Alaska avalanche this winter, according to statistics kept by the Alaska Avalanche Information Center.

Five people died in Alaska avalanches during the 2010-2011 winter and spring season, according to the center. One of those killed was a backcountry skier near Haines, while three were mountain climbers in Denali National Park. The fifth was a hiker on a mountain in the Anchorage area.

Reuters contributed to this report.

More content from msnbc.com and NBC News

• Rutgers spying case: Will jury convict as hate crime?
• Foreign exchange students were molested in US
• Sausage industry blasts 'Hot Dogs Cause Butt Cancer' ad
• Study: Thousands face drinking water pollution risk
• Warm weather records falling across Northeast, Midwest

US News on msnbc.com on Twitter and Facebook

Expect records for high temps to be broken all week across the Northeast and Midwest, a rare event given that we're still in winter.

"We may be seeing about a week where we are going to be possibly breaking or at least coming close to temperature records," said National Weather Service meteorologist Byron Paulson.

It is not unusual to see record high temperatures for a day or two in March, but a week is rare, he said.

"The jet stream, which would normally be cutting across the middle of the country, is way up north into Canada" and keeping the cold weather there, said NBC TODAY show weather anchor Al Roker, leading to warm weather in the U.S.

Forecasts called for records or near-record highs on Wednesday and Thursday in the mid to upper 70s in Chicago. The warmth also brought the threat of thunderstorms to the Chicago area.

In North Dakota and South Dakota, warm and windy conditions prompted widespread warnings that wildfire conditions were ripe for explosive growth if blazes are ignited.

National Climatic Data Service

Yesterday, temperatures soared to record highs in the Northeast.

In Boston, temperatures reached a record 71 degrees Monday afternoon -- eclipsing the former high of 69 degrees for a March 12 set 110 years ago.

The unseasonably warm weather was expected to continue in Boston throughout the week, but likely not with record-setting temperatures, said Bill Simpson, a weather service meteorologist based in Taunton, Mass.

Temperatures also soared Monday afternoon in New York City to 71 degrees in Central Park, tying the record that dates back to 1890, weather.com reported.

Jacquelyn Martin / AP

A woman runs past budding cherry blossom trees along the tidal basin in Washington, D.C., on Monday.

Among the 102 high-temp records broken on Monday were those in Albany, N.Y., Bridgeport, Conn., Buffalo, N.Y., Burlington, Vt., and Newark, N.J. 

St Louis, Mo., tied its record at 84 degrees, while Saline and Russell, both in Kansas, posted record 83 degrees.

In Washington, D.C., above-average temperatures meant cherry trees started blossoming sooner than expected ahead of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which begins on March 20. Florets were extending on Monday, but peak bloom is expected to fall some time from March 24 to 28, still within the original forecast.

Minnesotans accustomed to mid-March snowstorms instead basked in record-high temperatures in the mid-60s last weekend and more records might fall there under an unprecedented, extended warm front.

The high temperature reached 66 degrees on Saturday and Sunday in the Minneapolis and St. Paul area, topping previous records for those dates set in 1878 and 1902, respectively, in records that run back to 1871.

Temperatures could reach close to a record on Tuesday and into the 70s on Wednesday, about 30 degrees above normal, Paulson said. Temperatures were also forecast to reach from the mid-60s into the 70s the rest of the week, he said.

Record high temperature were recorded across the upper Midwest over the weekend with temperatures punching into the 70s in Bismarck, N.D., and across southern Minnesota and eastern Wisconsin.

Reuters contributed to this report.

HENRYVILLE, Ind. -- The search for tornado victims was wrapping up Sunday, but the cleanup was only beginning, especially along a 52-mile-long stretch in Indiana where the scene was best described as "total devastation."

With a light snow and cold temperatures adding to the misery in places like hard-hit Henryville, Indiana officials were able to announce that no one else was still reported missing in the state where 12 died. Kentucky was hardest hit, with 20 deaths.

The next phase -- cleanup and providing security -- is just starting, Indiana State Police Sgt. Jerry Gooden told NBC's TODAY show.

"We’ve got about a four or five county area here, about a 50-mile stretch of area … that's total destruction," he said, referring to the fact that a twister with 175 mph winds was on the ground for 52 miles. A second, smaller twister on Friday in the area added to the destruction. 

Crews worked to move downed power lines and clear debris, and residents began putting tarps over torn apart homes to prevent further damage.

Meanwhile, the more fortunate brought donations including diapers, blankets and food to area churches.

"That's what people do. It's no biggie. It's because we care. They are our neighbors," said Brenda Parson as she brought a carload of donations to the St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Henryville.

In one sign of hope amid the destruction, a 2-year-old girl, orphaned by the tornado, was found alive but badly hurt in a field in southeast Indiana miles from her home after a twister cut through the area.

How to help tornado victims

The toddler, who remained in critical condition in a Kentucky hospital, was with members of her extended family. But her parents, a 2-month-old sister and a 3-year-old brother, were all killed, said Cis Gruebbel, a spokeswoman for Kosair Children's Hospital in Louisville.

The violent storms raised fears that 2012 will be another bad year for tornadoes after 550 deaths were blamed on twisters last year, the deadliest year in nearly a century, according to the National Weather Service.

In the northern Kentucky town of Crittenden, where tornadoes ripped roofs off houses and damaged apartment blocks, low-security prisoners in orange jackets were brought in to help with clean-up efforts.

In another hard-hit Kentucky town, 48-year-old carpenter Kevin Stambaugh described how he survived a twister that killed his two neighbors, who he said were found dead huddled together in their kitchen. He said he also lost 25 horses in the storm.

"The windows were shattered and shards of glass were swirling around near my head," he told Reuters outside a church in the town of Morning View, adding that wind had pushed him down the stairs to his basement and pinned him between a bar and a wall.

Slideshow: Early season tornado outbreak

View images from the destruction.

Launch slideshow

At least 300 people came to the Piner Baptist Church, advertised as a relief center, to volunteer after the storm.

"Being from here, born and raised, the hardest thing is knowing that the houses I grew up seeing every day are gone. There are no words," said volunteer Amy Heeger, 38, who works for a car auction company but headed for the church to help out.

Reuters contributed to this report.

More content from msnbc.com and NBC News

• Limbaugh apologizes to student he called 'slut'
• Toddler found alive in field after twister
• Cops searching for stolen iPads find $34 million in meth
• Man created sculptures from endangered wildlife

Up to a foot of snow was expected across the Upper Midwest on Tuesday, while severe weather in the central Plains could whip up some tornadoes.

Midwest cities expecting the most snow include Fargo, N.D., and Duluth, Minn.

Near-blizzard conditions are possible in parts of Minnesota and the Dakotas, weather.com reported, and Interstates 94, 90, 35, 29 and 39 could be affected

By Wednesday, that system will dump snow in parts of New England, upstate New York and northern Pennsylvania.
Snow estimates for the region were less certain due to the possibility of a second system on Thursday that could compound the snowfall, weather.com stated in a separate report.

"The two days combined could deliver up to a foot of snow to northern New York and northern portions of New England," weather.com reported. "For the Boston metro area, several inches of snow are possible. To date, the city has only seen 7.8 inches for the season! This is more than two feet below average. Last season at this time, Boston had seen more than 70 inches."

New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., won't see much if any snow, weather.com stated, but they will get rain.

Tornadoes and other severe weather are forecast this week starting Tuesday in Kansas, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri and the middle Mississippi Valley, weather.com reported.

On Wednesday, the "severe thunderstorm threat shifts east from the upper-Ohio Valley into portions of the South," weather.com added. "Damaging winds are the main concern, however isolated tornadoes are also possible."

More content from msnbc.com and NBC News

• Report: Ohio shooting suspect from violent family
• 2nd teen confirmed dead in Ohio school shooting
• McJail? Sheriff adds 'served' sign to 'Tent City' jail
• Romney, Santorum court Michigan's key blue collar vote
• Wyoming lawmaker introduces doomsday bill