So, what did February look like in the pre-industrial period of 1850-1900?

We do have weather data back to the 1870s in the U.S. and can look at Minneapolis to compare:

Check out the cold outlier months of Feb 1875 and Feb 1936 w/average high temperature below 8°F

Feb 1877 and 1878: 41°F and 40°F Feb 2024: 43°F

Taking into account 150-years of global warming of about 2°F, we can see 2024 and 1877 and 1878 are equivalent.

What was happening in 1877 and 1878? A very strong El Niño, just like this recent February.

Also, 1882 was very war, also over 40°F.

https://twitter.com/RyanMaue/status/1765769878009418021

In other words, the ongoing global weather patterns and warmth are exactly what a climate scientist who understands variability would expect. It is easily explainable.