 The extraordinary 1952 Groundhog Day Storm was the only Atlantic tropical cyclone on record in the month of February . First observed in the western Caribbean Sea on February 2 as a non @-@ frontal low , it moved rapidly throughout its duration and struck southwestern Florida early the next day as a gale @-@ force storm . In the state , the winds damaged some crops and power lines , but no serious damage was reported . The system became a tropical storm after emerging over the Atlantic Ocean before quickly transitioning into an extratropical cyclone on February 4 . Strong winds and waves washed a freighter ashore , but no injuries were related to the event . Subsequently , the storm brushed eastern New England , causing minor power outages , before it moved inland near Maine . There were no reported fatalities related to the storm . 
