New York City Weather Archive

Today in New York Weather History: January 29

 

1970

With a high/low of 51/42, today was the first day completely above freezing in nearly seven weeks (since Dec. 14). 

1973

Rain changed to snow around daybreak and the 1.8" that accumulated was not only the first snow of the winter (the latest date on record), but the largest accumulation as well.

1990

Although it was just 1.03", today's rainfall was enough to set a record for the date.  Only five other dates have had less precipitation for their daily record: 0.86" on Jan. 9, 1902; 0.89" on  0.91" on April 29, 1909; 0.91" on Feb. 8, 1890; 1.02" on March 14, 1956; and 1.02" on June 8, 1890.  

 

1994

This was the only day between Jan. 3 and Feb. 17 that was completely above freezing (high/low of 42/35).

2002

The afternoon high soared to 69 degrees, thirty-one degrees above average, and a record for the date.  

2003

In the past four days very cold and dry air produced 2.5" of powder/fluffy snow from just 0.04" of liquid precipitation.  Today was the eighth day this month with measurable snowfall, which was notable since only 4.7" of snow fell during the month.

 

2007

Today was the fifth day this month to have 0.01" of precipitation, the most of any month in the 1970-2014 era.  Today's precipitation was in the form of snow as the high/low was 30/21.

A History of Snowstorms That Fizzled

The great blizzard of Jan. 26-27, 2015 that was predicted to bury New York under 18-24" of snow (even 24-30") brought just under ten inches, making it a big fizzle.  Although this was a significant accumulation (especially in a winter with little snow to speak of before this storm) it was a pittance compared to what had been advertised.  A contrite National Weather Service even issued an apology to New York's mayor, who, based on its forecast, called the storm one of "historic proportions."  He ordered schools closed and urged businesses to let employees work from home.  Meanwhile the governor of New York ordered the City's transit system shut down as well.  You can add this storm to the list of nine other storms since 1980 that were billed as blockbusters but then petered out (or brought rain instead of snow).

 

 

WINTER STORMS THAT DIDN'T DELIVER

Jan. 15, 1983 - A predicted snowstorm failed to materialize as temperatures stayed above freezing (the day's high/low was 36/33).  The combination of drizzle and wet snow (one inch) that fell between mid-morning and mid-afternoon amounted to 0.65" of liquid precipitation in Central Park.  This would have produced about half a foot of snow had the temperature been a few degrees colder.  Although suburbs north and west of the City received significant snowfall, snow lovers in NYC would have to wait another month for a substantial snowfall (the blizzard of Feb. 11-12).

March 28-29, 1984 - A big coastal storm had potential to dump substantial amounts over a number of days.  And while 3.5" did fall, it fell sporadically and was interspersed with periods of rain.

Dec. 17, 1989 - During one of the coldest and driest Decembers on record this was going to be a big snow producer, but the storm moved too far off the coast.  And what precipitation there was fell mostly as rain, and just 0.7" of the white stuff was measured.

March 13, 1993 - Although 10 inches of snow piled up from the ferocious storm billed as the "Storm of the Century", the predicted 15-18" didn't materialize because of a changeover to sleet and then rain in the early evening.

Jan 17, 1994 - This winter storm sucked in more mild air than expected, resulting in a mostly rain event (after starting as a brief period of snow that accumulated 1.3").  1.34" of precipitation fell in total, a record for the date.  The temperature rose from 12 degrees at midnight to 47 by early afternoon and began tumbling later as another Arctic air mass moved in.  

March 31, 1997 - There was early talk of significant snowfall, but the City received only rain (2.32") as the temperature stayed above freezing (winds gusted between 40 and 50 mph).  Boston, meanwhile, was buried by 25 inches of snow on April Fool's Day.

March 6, 2001 - At one point 12-18" of snow was predicted from what the Weather Channel labeled "The March Lion" and City schools were closed before the storm even began as a precautionary measure.  And while parts of Long Island saw a foot or more, Central Park had 3.5" as the storm developed a bit further north than expected.

Feb. 6, 2010 - A huge weekend snowstorm that buried DC, Baltimore, Philly and Pittsburgh with 20-30" of snow came achingly close to NYC, but it stopped at our doorstep.  Although parts of Staten Island picked up 3 inches of snow, Central Park saw just a few snow flurries.

March 3, 2014 - A winter storm that, a few days earlier, was predicted to dump significant amounts of snow on NYC (6-12"), was pushed to the south by an Arctic high and delivered a dusting of 0.1". 

 

 

 

 

 

Warming Trend: A Decade-by-Decade Analysis

Monthly temperatures for New York go back to 1869.  With this nearly century-and-a-half treasure trove of data in front of me I calculated each decades' monthly temperatures.  As I did this a story emerged - New York was noticeably cooler before 1930, and every month's coldest decade occurred in that period.  A second story was that the 1980s and 1990s were the warmest decades for eight months.  (If the second half of the decade we're presently in continues as mild as the first five years it will become the warmest decade on record for the months of March, April, May, June, July and September.)  Other findings:

 

• Comparing pre-1930 decades with 1930 onward shows that March has warmed the most (+3.5 degrees), followed by February (+3.2).  The least warming has occurred in September (+1.4 degrees) and June (+1.5).

• The biggest difference in temperature between a month's coldest and warmest decade has occurred with February and March.  In the 1880s March's mean temperature was 35.4 degrees while it was 42.9 in the 1980s, a warm up of 7.5 degrees.  In February the pre- and post- temperatures were 29.4 and 36.3.

• While March in the years between 1930 and 1999 was 3.5 degrees warmer than the six decades before 1930, in the 21st century it has been 4.8 degrees warmer.  Interestingly, October in the 21st century has been a bit cooler than the years between 1930 and 1999 (but still milder than before 1930).

• The warmest decades for September and October are not recent, as both were in the 1940s.

• In the first two decades of the 20th century February was colder than January by a significant margin (29.9 vs 32.3).

• Worldwide, the first decade of the 21st century has been the warmest on record, but New York's warmest decade was the 1990s. (However, the 2000s had NYC's mildest Aprils and Novembers.)  

 

COLDEST & WARMEST DECADES BY MONTH
	Coldest		Warmest
		Mean		Mean
	Decade	Temp	Decade	Temp
January	1880-89	28.7	1990-99	34.8
February	1900-09	29.4	1990-99	36.3
March	1880-89	35.4	1980-89	42.9
April	1870-79	48.1	2000-09	53.5
May	1870-79	60.1	1980-89	63.6
June	1910-19	69.0	1990-99	72.2
July	1880-89	74.6	1990-99	77.5
August	1880-89	72.0	1970-79	76.0
September	1870-79	65.4	1940-49	68.8
October	1890-99	55.5	1940-49	58.7
November	1870-79	42.0	2000-09	48.6
December	1870-79	32.8	1990-99	39.5
Source: NOAA Local Climatological Data

 

TEMPERATURE TRENDS OVER THREE PERIODS
	Mean Temperature			Degrees Diff
	Before			2000-14 vs
	1930	1930-1999	2000-2014	Before 1930
January	31.0	32.6	33.0	2.0
February	30.9	33.9	35.2	4.3
March	38.3	41.5	43.1	4.8
April	49.5	52.1	53.8	4.3
May	60.7	62.6	62.9	2.2
June	70.1	71.6	71.8	1.7
July	75.2	76.9	76.9	1.7
August	73.3	75.3	75.8	2.5
September	67.0	68.3	68.9	1.9
October	56.0	57.8	57.5	1.5
November	44.0	47.3	48.0	4.0
December	34.4	36.6	38.2	3.8
FULL YEAR	52.6	54.7	55.4	2.8

Biggest January Rainstorms

Not only was the 2.10" deluge on Jan. 18, 2015 a record for the date, it was New York's biggest January rainstorm in sixteen years (since Jan. 3, 1999, when 2.42" fell).  This makes it the biggest January rainstorm of the 21st century.  And in the years between 1999 and 2015 there were four January's that had about this amount of rain for the entire month.  Since 1970 this was the eighth biggest January rainstorm (ranked ninth if snowstorms are added to the mix).  Other findings:

 

• Of the eleven storms in January since 1970 that produced more than two inches of precipitation, two are snowstorms - the blizzard of Jan. 7-8, 1996 and the snowstorm of Jan. 26-27, 2011.

• Among the rainstorms, 2014's had the coldest temperatures, which ranged between 34 and 42.  Seven of the other rainstorms had temperatures rise into the 50s.

• 1979 has two rainstorms on the list, and they occurred just three days apart. 

• Six of the storms occurred between Jan. 23 and Jan. 28.

• 2014's precipitation was concentrated in 13 hours; only the 1999 storm had a shorter duration, 12 hours.  Most of the other storms lasted 18 hours or more.

 

JANUARY STORMS THAT PRODUCED MORE THAN TWO INCHES OF PRECIPITATION (SINCE 1970)
			Temp
Date	Amount	Hours	Range	Comments
Jan 20-21, 1979	3.98"	19	54/27	Began as 0.5" of snow
Jan 26-28, 1976	2.89"	28	56/35
Jan 4, 1982	2.73"	15	58/36
Jan 23-24, 1998	2.65"	20	47/34
Jan 3, 1999	2.42"	12	51/35
Jan 24-25, 1979	2.32"	16	53/35
Jan 25-26, 1978	2.25"	18	58/35
Jan 7-8, 1996	2.16"	25	23/16	All snow 20.2")
Jan 18, 2014	2.10"	13	42/34
Jan 25-26, 1986	2.07"	23	51/38
Jan 26-27, 2011	2.06"	21	32/29	All snow (19.0")
Source: NOAA, Local Climatological Data

 

 

 

Unlike Rest of the World, 2014 Was Far From the Warmest in New York

Scientists at the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported on Friday (1/16) that Earth experienced its warmest year on record in 2014.  However, the story was different in New York City as 2014 was the coolest in five years.  (And in the past 50 years two-thirds of the years were warmer than 2014.)  Seven months last year experienced cooler than average temperatures, with January, February, March and November being especially below average.   And during the summer only eight days saw 90-degree readings (average number is eighteen), with the hottest being just 92 degrees.

 

MONTHLY DEPARTURE FROM AVERAGE: 2014 (DEGREES)
January	-4.0
February	-3.7
March	-4.8
April	-0.7
May	+1.6
June	+1.0
July	-0.4
August	-0.7
September	+1.7
October	+2.7
November	-2.4
December	+3.2
ANNUAL	-0.8

New York's warmest year was 2012 (2.8 degrees warmer than 2014), just 0.1 degree warmer than 1990, 1991 and 1998.  Four of the Earth's ten warmest years are also among New York's top 10.  Despite the overall warming trend, two of our warmest years occurred more than 60 years ago (1949 and 1953).

 

10 WARMEST YEARS IN NEW YORK CITY
	Mean
	Temp
2012	57.3
1998	57.2
1991	57.2
1990	57.2
1953	57.0
1949	56.9
2006	56.8
2010	56.7
1999	56.5
2011	56.4
2002	56.4
30-Year Average	55.3
2014	54.5

Although NYC wasn't as warm as the rest of the world in 2014, it's important to keep in mind that rising ocean levels resulting from the steady warm up will still effect us.  

 

Top 10 Weather Stories of 2014

 

Cold Winter

The coldest temperature of the year was 4 degrees above zero on Jan. 7, which was the coldest reading in New York in ten years.  Then a low of 9 on Feb. 28 was the latest reading in the single digits since 1967.  Finally, in the first three months of the yere there were 27 days with mean temperatures 10 degrees or more below average - the most such days since 1936.

 

 

Snowy Winter

In the 30-day period between Jan. 21 and Feb. 18, 42.1" of snow fell, including three snowstorms of 8 inches or more.

 

 

Super Bowl Miracle

In the midst of the harsh winter, the weather gods delivered springlike conditions when the Super Bowl was played outdoors in northern New Jersey on Feb. 2.  The next day, however, winter returned with a vengeance as the temperature dropped by 25 degrees and eight inches of snow piled up less than 12 hours after the game ended.

Cold But Snowless March

March was the coldest since 1984.  However, just 0.1" of snow fell.  The closest we came to seeing a significant snowfall was at the beginning of the month when a major storm moved south of the region, suppressed by a strong Arctic high pressure system.

April Ends with Huge Rainstorm

4.97" of rain poured down on April 30.  Until this rainstorm this date was one of three that had never recorded an inch of rain.

 

 

Late Arrival of 90-Degree Temperatures

The first 90-degree reading didn't occur until July 2, more than five weeks later than usual, and the latest date since 1985.  (And April had no 80-degree days for the first time in 14 years.)  The hottest period of the summer came at the end of August into early September.  This included the hottest day of the year, Sept. 2, when the high/low was 92/77.  In total there were just eight 90-degree days, well below the average of 18.

 

 

 

Gray Skies Clear in Tme for Fireworks

New York was on the northern fringe of Hurricane Arthur on the 4th of July, creating breezy showery conditions.  However, skies cleared early in the evening and the Macy's fireworks extravaganza went off without a hitch.

Marathon Runners Slowed by High Winds

Winds gusting between 30 and 45 mph were responsible for the slowest winning times in the NYC Marathon in 30 years.  Chilly temperatures (low 40s) felt like they were in the low-to-mid-30s due to the high winds.

 

 

December Nor'easter

A strong nor'easter lashed the area on Dec. 9.  It occurred very close to the date of the even more intense nor'easter of 1992.  Although the amount of rain was half the amount that fell on 4/30, it was a record for the date and was accompanied by gale force winds.

Mild December

December was milder than March.  The coldest reading was 24 degrees.  Since 1970 only two other years had a milder reading for December's coldest temperature.  Christmas Day, with a high of 62 degrees, was two degrees milder than Easter Sunday.  And although just an inch of snow fell, it was more than what fell in snowier cities such as Boston, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Detroit, Grand Rapids and Chicago.

 

If you'd like to read about NYC's top 10 weather stories of 2013, double click here.

 

 

When March is Colder Than December

Typically the month of December is five degrees colder than March, but about every five years (based on records since 1960) March is colder.  2014 was one of these years as March, the coldest in 30 years, was three degrees colder than December.  Of the 33 years (since 1869) in which March was colder than December, the most extreme was in 1984 when it was 7.1 degrees colder.  Here are some other tidbits ...

 

• Of the years in which March has been colder than December, both months had below average temperatures in five of them.  The last time this happened was in 1916.  And in 1982 and 2006, despite March being colder than December, both months were milder than average.

• The most consecutive years in which December was colder than March is fourteen, from 1942 thru 1955.  However, there have never been more than two consecutive years in which March was colder than December. Finally, in the last two decades of the nineteenth century March was colder than December in half of the years. 

• Interestingly, one of the coldest March's on record, in 1960, wasn't colder than that year's December, which was also much below average.

 

LAST 10 YEARS WHEN MARCH
WAS COLDER THAN DECEMBER
	Mean Temp		Difference
	March	Dec.	March v Dec.
Average*	42.5	37.5	5.0
2014	37.7	40.5	-2.8
2011	42.3	43.3	-1.0
2006	43.1	43.6	-0.5
2001	39.6	44.1	-4.5
1996	38.9	41.3	-2.4
1994	40.7	42.2	-1.5
1984	36.7	43.8	-7.1
1982	42.0	42.8	-0.8
1971	40.1	40.8	-0.7
1967	37.6	38.2	-0.6
*1980-2010
GREATEST TEMP DIFFERENCE
(MARCH V DECEMBER)
	Mean Temp		Difference
	March	Dec.	March v Dec.
1984	36.7	43.8	-7.1
1891	35.8	42.3	-6.5
1923	36.8	42.0	-5.2
1885	30.6	35.7	-5.1
1911	34.7	39.4	-4.7
1888	30.0	34.7	-4.7
2001	39.6	44.1	-4.5
1956	37.4	40.9	-3.5

Winter Festival: A Celebration of Snow As Portrayed by Covers of The New Yorker

Before it turns to slush, new-fallen snow in New York brings a blanket of serenity even to the great metropolis.  And wintertime covers of The New Yorker perfectly capture the ineffable beauty of the season.  Here are my favorites (captions are mine)...

 

Snow Beautiful (Jan. 16, 1932)

 

Wintry Tableau (Feb. 27, 1937)

 

Little Siberia (Feb. 2, 1946)

 

The Excitement Builds (Jan. 21, 1950)

 

Eager Anticipation (Jan. 20, 1951)

 

Sisyphus In Winter (Jan. 7, 1956)

 

Hibernation, Manhattan Style (Jan. 21, 1956)

 

Manhattan on Ice (March 2, 1957)

 

Polar Express (Jan. 11, 1958)

 

 

Flight Delay (Jan 8, 1966)

 

Old Man Winter's Calling Card (Jan. 7, 1967)

 

Veil of White (March 2, 1968)

 

Mantle of White (Jan. 4, 1969)

 

A Cold Winter's Night That Was So Deep (Jan. 22, 1979)

 

In Winter's Grip (Jan. 7 1974)

 

Cozy Inside (Jan. 12, 1976)

 

Travel Advisory (Feb. 7, 1977)

 

Snow Day (Jan. 29, 1979)

 

Serenity (Jan. 26, 1981)

 

Rush in Slush (Dec. 13, 1982)

 

Neither Sleet nor Snow ... (Feb. 16, 1987)

 

Winter Gridlock (Jan. 28, 1991)

 

Cold Comfort (March 6, 1995)

 

Fashion Statement (March 1, 2010)

 

Cold Reality (Dec. 20, 2010)

 

50 Shades of Gray (Jan. 23, 2012)

 

Double Duty (March 10, 2014)

 

I've written a similar post about my favorite summertime covers.  Large reproductions of these covers, as well as every New Yorker cover (nearly 5,000), are available for purchase on Conde Nast's website.  (And small versions are sold by street vendors throughout midtown Manhattan.)

So You'd Like to Be a TV Weatherman?

If you have aspirations for becoming a TV weatherman it doesn't hurt to have a catchy meteorological name, e.g., Storm Field or Amy Freeze.  Probably most of us have already used the formula for determining our "porn" name, i.e., taking your middle name and the street you grew up on.  In a similar manner, the revered Old Farmer's Almanac has developed a fun way to derive your weatherman name (unless you have already been blessed with a last name such as Tornado or Polar!).  Simply follow the instructions on the chart below.  My meteorological moniker would be "Alan Foggy" (which, unfortunately, isn't a name I think would inspire great confidence).

 

 

I might also suggest a few other weather terms as worthy candidates: Blizzard; Cumulus; Downpour; Drought; Flurry; Lightning; Puddle; Slush; Stratus; Virga.

 

Of course, a name can only take you so far.  To better assure a career in meteorology you may also want to take some courses in physics, chemistry, calculus and broadcasting.

 

Snow in November

Measurable snow has fallen in November in New York, on average, once every three years.  And Novembers with an inch or more of snow have occurred once every five years.  However, over the years the likelihood of having snow in November has decreased.  Between 1869 and 1912 an inch of snow fell in November once every three years, and in between 1913 and 1955 it fell once every four years, but since 1956 an inch or more of snow has fallen just once every ten years.  Here are some more findings:

 

• Snow in November isn't an indicator of a snowy winter.  In the forty nine winters with November snowfalls just one out of four had snowy winters (40 inches or more).  Of the 18 winters with 50" or more snowfall, ten didn't have measurable snow in November.  And fourteen winters that saw snow in November ended up with less than 20 inches of snow. 

• Three winters had their most snow in November: 1882-83 (14.0"); 1938-39 (12.8") and 1989-90 (4.7").  However, the snowiest November on record, 1898's 19.0", wasn't the snowiest month that winter as 25.3" fell in February.  

• The highest concentration of November snowfalls occurred in the twelve-year span between 1871 and 1882 when measurable snow fell in eight of them.  This was followed closely by the ten years between 1931 and 1940 when snow fell in seven of the years.  By far the longest stretch of years without measurable snow in November was the 15-year period between 1997 and 2011.

• Seven Novembers had more than one snow event; all but one were in the 19th century.  The outlier was November 1938.

• Finally, measurable snow has fallen in October in four years.  In three of those years snow also fell in November.  The only year without a November snowfall was in 2011.

 

LAST 10 NOVEMBERS WITH SNOW
	Snow (in Inches)
	November	Winter Total
2014	0.2	NA
2012	4.7	26.1
1996	0.1	10.0
1995	2.9	75.6
1989	4.7	13.4
1987	1.1	19.1
1978	2.2	29.4
1977	0.2	50.7
1974	0.1	13.1
1967	3.2	19.5

Recap of Each Winter's Snowstorms in New York (1970 - 2015)

 

WINTER OF 1969-70

Dec. 25-26, 1969 - Snow began falling Christmas night and by 6AM on the 26th a half-foot was on the ground.  Then the snow changed to sleet and then to a lashing rain (winds gusted between 35 and 45 mph) as the temperature rose to 37 degrees.  Cold air returned in the afternoon and an additional half-inch of snow fell.  6.8" fell over the course of the entire storm but the rain reduced the amount on the ground to four inches.

Further inland this powerful nor'easter was responsible for huge amounts of snow in Virginia, Maryland, central and eastern Pennsylvania, upstate New York (the storm's bulls-eye) and New England, with accumulations of 20-30" not uncommon.

 

 

WINTER OF 1970-71

Jan. 1, 1971 - Old Man Winter waited until New Year's Eve revelers returned home before delivering the biggest snowfall of the winter.  6.4" of snow accumulated between 4AM-4PM, with much of it falling in the storm's initial three hours.  This was the century's largest New Year's Day snowfall (and second all-time after a nine-inch snowstorm way back in 1869).

 

WINTER OF 1971-72

Feb. 19, 1972 - A nor'easter packing 40 mph winds brought produced 5.7"of wet snow, but it was part of a sloppy mix of snow, sleet and rain so there was never more than two to three inches of snow on the ground at any given time. Temperatures didn't go below freezing until evening.  In total 1.64" of precipitation was measured.

 

WINTER OF 1973-74

Feb. 8, 1974 - The weekend began with a six-inch snowfall that fell between 1-10PM on Friday.  This storm followed a bout of sleet and freezing rain which plagued the area during five of the previous six days.  Today's high/low was 25/20.

 

WINTER OF 1974-75

Feb. 12, 1975 - A quick-moving winter storm delivered the biggest snowfall of the winter, with 7.8" piling up between 8AM-3PM.  Snow fell at the rate of one-inch per hour for five consecutive hours.  This was the biggest snowfall of the eight winters from 1970 thru 1977.

 

WINTER OF 1977-78

Jan. 20, 1978 - Snow that began yesterday evening fell at a rate of an inch per hour between 2-7AM today, and by 2PM 13.6" had fallen.  This was NYC's biggest snowfall since the "Lindsay snowstorm" of February 1969.  (However, in less than three weeks this storm would be largely forgotten.) 

 

 

Feb. 6-7, 1978 - Less than three weeks after 13.6" of snow buried the City, an even bigger snowstorm struck.  Snow began before dawn and by midnight 15.5" had fallen in Central Park.  An additional 2.2" fell the next morning.  Snow, drifted by winds that gusted between 30-40 mph, fell heaviest between 7PM-1AM, when it fell at a rate of more than an inch per hour.   

The storm's 17.7" accumulation made this NYC's biggest snowstorm since December 26-27, 1947, when 26.4" buried the City (later broken in February 2006).  This was the first winter in 17 years to have two snowstorms of one foot or more.  And because of persistent cold temperatures, snow would be on the ground in Central Park for the next five weeks.  

 

 

WINTER OF 1978-79

Feb. 19, 1979 - A fast-moving snowstorm buried the City on Presidents' Day with 12.7" of snow between 4:00AM-noon.  However, the storm's deepest snows, of 18-24", fell in Virginia, DC, Maryland and Delaware.  The storm came in the midst of a deep freeze that saw fifteen of the past nineteen days with high temperatures at the freezing mark or below, averaging 14 degrees below average.  Including today's snowfall, 20.1" of snow fell during these nineteen days.  Another President's Day storm with even more snow would strike NYC 24 years later.

 

WINTER OF 1980-81

March 5, 1981 - A heavy, wet snowfall of 8.6" was a record amount for the date.  This storm also has the distinction of being the second largest accumulation in the month of March in the 1970-2014 period. 

 

WINTER OF 1981-82

Jan. 13, 1982 - A late afternoon/nighttime snowstorm that dumped 5.8" on NYC was the same winter system that affected Washington, DC earlier in the afternoon when an Air Florida jet crashed into the Potomac River minutes after takeoff, killing 78.  The following day an additional 3.5" of snow fell from an "Alberta clipper" that moved through in the evening hours.

April 6, 1982 - Just 1.1" of snow had fallen in February and March when a blizzard dumped 9.6" of snow on the City today, less than a week before Easter.  More than a foot fell in New Jersey and Westchester County.  The storm started as rain in the pre-dawn hours and changed over to snow mid-morning and lasted through late afternoon.  By midnight the temperature had fallen to a record low 21 degrees.  This was the most snow to fall so late in the season since ten inches fell on April 3, 1915.  To read a first-person account click here.

 

 

WINTER OF 1982-83

Feb. 11, 1983 - A monster snowstorm moved in Friday afternoon and continued until the wee hours of the morning on Saturday.  The storm really cranked up between 8-11PM when six inches of snow came down.  When the last flakes had fallen 17.6" had piled up.  It was the biggest snowfall in NYC since 1978 (when 17.7" fell on Feb. 5-7) and at the time was the sixth biggest snowstorm in NYC history (it's now ranked twelfth).

 

WINTER OF 1983-84

March 8-9, 1984 - Snow moved in the night of the 8th and by daybreak 6.9" had accumulated (5.1" of it fell on the 9th).  It was a powdery snow, with just 0.38" of water content.

 

WINTER OF 1984-85

Feb. 5, 1985 - The biggest snow of the winter began this evening and continued through next morning, accumulating 5.7".  3.3" of the snow fell tonight.  This came three days after a snowfall of 4.3".  After this snow just 0.2" fell for the rest of the winter.

 

WINTER OF 1985-86

Feb. 11, 1986 - The second 4.5" snowfall in the past four days occurred today and occurred between daybreak and noontime.  These two small snowstorms accounted for most of the winter's thirteen inches of snow (half of the typical amount).

 

WINTER OF 1986-87

Jan. 22, 1987 - A daytime snowstorm dumped 8.1" of snow on the City while much of Long Island picked up a foot or more.  (Virginia, DC, Maryland, Delaware and South Jersey bore the brunt of the storm.)  The City's accumulation was held down when sleet mixed in.  This was NYC's biggest snowfall in four years and would be the biggest until the March 1993 Superstorm.

 

WINTER OF 1987-88

Jan. 4, 1988 - The City woke up on Monday to 5.8" of snow that fell overnight.  Four days later a steady light snow fell throughout the day, accumulating an additional 5.4". 

 

WINTER OF 1989-90

Nov. 22-23, 1989 - A Thanksgiving Day snowstorm along the Mid-Atlantic (which began late the previous night) dumped 4.7" of snow on NYC; however, it was over by the time the Macy's parade began.  Although this wasn't officially a wintertime snowfall it was larger than any accumulation during the 1989/90 season.  The day's high topped out at just 31, twenty degrees below average.

 

WINTER OF 1990-91

Dec. 28, 1990 - Today's 7.2" snowfall (which began late last night) was the largest accumulation in nearly four years (since January 1987) and the biggest December snowfall since 1960.  Snow ended shortly before 11AM.   

Jan. 11, 1991 - 5.7" of snow accumulated during the afternoon and evening before changing to rain overnight as temperature rose into the mid-30s (close to one inch of rain fell).  Despite the changeover it was a record amount of snow for the date.

Feb. 26, 1991 - A surprise snowstorm dumped 8.9" of wet snow, the biggest accumulation in eight years (since 17.6" buried the City in on Feb. 11-12, 1983 ).  Because the temperature was just above freezing for much of the day the snow didn't accumulate much on the streets or sidewalks.  This was the winter's third snowfall of five inches or more.

 

WINTER OF 1991-92

March 19, 1992 - The biggest snowfall of the winter occurred today, a sloppy 6.2".  This tripled the winter's relatively snowless snow total to 9.4".  Just two degrees separated the day's high and low (33/31).  Three days later 3.2" of snow that fell during the evening played a role in the crash of US Air Flight 405 at La Guardia Airport.  Not de-iced properly, the plane failed to gain altitude and crashed into Long Island Sound, killing 27 on board.

 

WINTER OF 1992-93

March 13, 1993 - The great March Superstorm (also called "Storm of the Century") paralyzed the Eastern third of the nation and dumped 10.6" of snow on NYC.  The heavy snow changed to sleet and rain later in the afternoon, a Saturday, reducing the predicted snow total by about six inches.  The sound of the sleet lashing against the windows of my apartment, propelled by 40-60 mph wind gusts, was deafening.  All told, 2.37" of precipitation was measured.  To read a first-person account of the storm double click here.  

 

Plowing down 7th Ave. South, approaching Bleecker St.

 

WINTER OF 1993-94

Feb. 8-9, 1994 - After January saw a large amount of sleet and freezing rain, NYC finally got a storm that brought snow as nine inches fell.  It came down especially heavy between 9AM-1PM, but the snow predicted for the rest of the day didn't materialize as it came down as sleet.  Snow resumed after midnight and an additional 1.8" fell.

 

 

Feb. 11, 1994 - 12.8" of snow fell during a snowstorm that began shortly before daybreak and continued into Friday evening.  This was just three days after a nine-inch snowstorm and was NYC's biggest snowfall since 1983, which occurred on this date as well. 

 

A nearly deserted 5th Ave. near St. Patrick's Cathedral on the afternoon of Feb. 11, 1994.

 

WINTER OF 1994-95

Feb. 4, 1995 - Only 11.8" of snow fell during this winter and almost all of it fell today as 10.8" of heavy, wet snow fell furiously on a Saturday morning (close to three inches fell between 6-7AM) before changing over to rain at around 9AM.  Then the coldest air of the winter moved in overnight.

 

WINTER OF 1995-96

Dec. 19-20, 1995 - Beginning on Dec. 19 and continuing into tomorrow NYC experienced its biggest December snowstorm since 1960 as 7.7" fell (10-12" had been predicted).  Less than 10 miles away, La Guardia Airport was buried by 15".

Jan. 7-8, 1996 - A crippling blizzard began Sunday afternoon and continued until early afternoon the next day.  It immobilized an area from West Virgina through Massachusetts and dumped 20.2" on Central Park, the third greatest snow total in NYC history (13.6" fell on Jan. 7 and 6.6" on Jan. 8, records for the dates).  At one point five inches of snow fell between 5-7PM.  Wind gusts of 40-50 mph whipped the snow into three and four-foot drifts on many side streets. 

Areas west of New York reported considerably more snow than Central Park: 32" in Staten Island; 28" in Newark; 26" in Allentown, PA; and 31" in Philadelphia.  Temperatures were also very cold with a high/low of just 22/12 on the 7th and 23/16 on the 8th.  

 

Looking west on Greenwich Ave.

 

Feb. 3, 1996 - 7.5" of snow, which was over by daybreak, fell in advance of the coldest air of the winter.  This was the the third snowfall of six+ inches this winter (with one more of that magnitude two weeks later).  I had flown down to Key West for vacation the day before thinking I had escaped, but a few days later the Arctic cold penetrated all the way down to the Keys and it felt like more like fall.

Feb. 16-17, 1996 - Snow fell throughout the day and by the time it came to and end shortly after 1AM 10.7" had piled up (9.9" of it fell on the 16th; the rest after midnight), the third snowstorm this winter of eight-inches or more.  It was a fluffy snow, with just 0.52" of water content.

 

WINTER OF 1996-97

Jan. 11, 1997 - The biggest snowfall of the winter, 3.5", fell in just three hours between 3-6AM on a Saturday as an Arctic moved through.  Most of it came down in just one hour, between 4-5:00.  (Just 10 inches fell for the entire winter.)

 

WINTER OF 1997-98

March 22, 1998 - It appeared this winter was going to have the least snow on record, as just 0.5" had been measured.  Then a surprise five-inch snowfall occurred overnight and the winter of 1997-98 ended up as the second least snowy (behind 1972/73, which had only 2.8").  It would fall to third place four years later when the winter of 2001-02 had just 3.5". 

 

WINTER OF 1999-2000

Jan. 20, 2000 - The largest snowfall of the winter, 5.5", caught forecasters by surprise.  The accumulation was held down when sleet and freezing rain mixed in.  The same storm buried Raleigh, NC with 20.3" of snow, the largest snowfall in that city's history.

 

WINTER OF 2000-01

Dec. 30, 2000 - A foot of snow fell as the year was winding down.  It was a record for the date, the most snow since the blizzard of January '96 and the biggest December snowstorm since 1960.  This Saturday snowstorm was a fast mover, lasting just eight hours (5AM-1PM). 

 

Yours truly in Sheridan Square, just down the street from my apartment in Greenwich Village.

 

Jan. 21, 2001 - A quick-moving snowstorm dumped six inches of snow on Sunday morning, a record for the date.  The flakes stopped flying by 8AM.

March 5-6, 2001 - Call this the storm that couldn't.  The City was put on high alert after 15-24" of snow was predicted.  City schools and some businesses were closed on Monday and we waited, but it was in vain as the storm never lived up to its billing.  The storm strengthened later and further north than predicted.  3.5" fell as a consolation prize.  However, Long Island received significant accumulations. 

 

WINTER OF 2002-03

Dec. 5, 2002 - One year after record warmth occurred on this date (high of 70 degrees) six inches of snow fell, the biggest snow so early in the season since 1938. 

Dec. 25, 2002 - A sloppy winter storm produced the most precipitation ever measured on Christmas Day (1.30") and the most snow (five inches) since 1909 when seven inches fell (the most ever on 12/25).  Morning/afternoon rain changed to snow later in the afternoon.  This was the first Christmas snowfall of one inch or more in thirty-three years.

Feb. 16-17, 2003 - After beginning Sunday night (when 3.5" fell), the brunt of the Presidents' Day blizzard kicked in and dumped an additional 16.3" on Monday, making this NYC's fourth biggest snowfall on record.  (Since then three snowstorms during the winters of 2005/06, 2009/10 and 2010/11 have surpassed it.)  Ferocious winds gusting over 40 mph created snow drifts three to five feet deep.  And although Monday's temperatures were quite cold (high/low of 26/14), they were a warm-up from Sunday's frigid 15/8. 

 

 

April 7, 2003 - Four inches of snow fell, the biggest April snowfall in twenty-one years.  This brought the season's snowfall close to 50 inches.

 

WINTER OF 2003-04

Dec. 5-6, 2003 - Snow fell during the afternoon and lasted into early evening, accumulating eight inches (more than was predicted).  This snowfall came one year to the date after six inches fell and was part of a two-stage storm that brought more significant snowfall the following day.  That day, a Saturday, the City was under a blizzard warning for much of the day and an additional six inches of snow fell.  The high temperature rose to only 28 after a morning low of 23.  Just a week into the month and this was already the snowiest December since 1960 (when 19.8 inches fell).   

 

Waverly Place, on the North side of Washington Square Park.

 

Jan. 27-28, 2004 - Snow moved in after 8PM on the 27th and by the time it ended early the next morning 10.3" inches of powdery snow had accumulated (six inches of it fell on the 27th).  Jan. 27 was the fifth day in a row in which high temperatures were colder than 25 degrees.

 

WINTER OF 2004-05

Jan. 22-23, 2005 - A weekend snowstorm began early Saturday afternoon and by daybreak Sunday 13.8" had fallen (8.5" fell on Saturday, 5.3" on Sunday).  After a very cold morning low of 9 degrees on the 22nd, the high of 25 was reached at midnight.  This was the biggest January snowstorm since the blizzard of 1996.

Feb. 24, 2005 - Snow moved in during the evening and by 3AM six inches had accumulated.

Feb. 28-March 1, 2005 - March came in a like a lion camouflaged as a snow-covered lamb.  7.7" of snow fell from a storm that began the afternoon of Feb. 28 and ended at daybreak on March 1.  It wasn't a cold storm as the temperature rose into the low 40s after the snow ended.  This was the third accumulation of five inches+ in the past ten days.  Combined, 18.7" fell from these snow events.

 

WINTER OF 2005-06

Dec. 9, 2005 - 9.3" of snow fell in the past six days.  The 5.8" of wet snow that fell on this Friday morning was a record for the date.

Feb. 11-12, 2006 - New York was the bulls-eye for a record-setting amount of snow over the weekend.  Beginning the night of the 11th as light snow (2.8" fell by midnight), it turned heavier after midnight and between 4-10AM Sunday morning the snow was falling at a rate of two inches/hour (between 8:25-9:25 nearly four inches piled up). 

When it was over 26.9" had fallen, a half-inch more than the City's previous record on Dec. 26-27, 1947.  Snowfall totals outside of NYC were also impressive but not nearly as much as what Central Park picked up.  This storm accounted for two-thirds of the winter's total snowfall.  Only 1.3" of snow fell for the rest of the winter.

 

Snow-buried benches in Washington Square Park.

 

WINTER OF 2006-07

March 16, 2007 - An all-day onslaught of sleet and snow dumped 5.5" of icy precipitation, the biggest snow of the winter.  This storm somewhat resembled last month's severe sleet storm on Valentine's Day, but this one had considerably more snow.  The total amount of precipitation was 2.07", a record for the date.  This was the last snowfall of the winter, a winter in which just 12.4" fell, quite a contrast from the previous four winters, all of which had at least forty inches of snow.

 

WINTER OF 2007-08

Feb. 22, 2008 - Six inches of slushy snow fell during the morning into the early afternoon, the biggest snowfall of the winter - and the largest accumulation since NYC's all-time snowstorm two Februarys ago.  Today's snow was also a record for the date.

 

WINTER OF 2008-09

March 1-2, 2009 - 8.3" of snow fell from a quick-moving storm that began the night of the 1st (when 1.8" fell), making this the largest accumulation of the winter (and the most to fall in three years).  12-15" fell out on Long Island.

 

 

WINTER OF 2009-10

Dec. 19-20, 2009 - This first snow of the winter was a snowstorm that moved in late on Saturday afternoon.  By the time it ended at around 4AM on Sunday 10.9" had fallen.  Long Island received considerably more, with parts of Suffolk County buried by more than 20".

Feb. 10, 2010 - Four days after a monster snowstorm stopped short of NYC's doorstep, another one made its presence known today and dumped 10" of heavy, wet snow.  Because the daytime temperature was just above freezing (the high was 34 degrees) it prevented main streets from getting much in the way of accumulation.   

Feb. 25-26 2010 - After precipitation began in the morning as steady rain a changeover to snow occurred in the afternoon and developed into NYC's third major snowstorm of the winter.  9.4" was on the ground by midnight and an additional 11.5" of snow fell on the 26th, ending in the early afternoon, bringing the storm's two-day total to 20.9".  This was the fourth largest accumulation in NYC history - and just 0.1" shy of the total from the great blizzard of March 1888. 

With this storm, February's total snowfall reached 36.9", the most ever measured in any month.  (And this was without getting any snow from the big Mid-Atlantic blizzard of Feb. 4-5 that stopped at our doorstep.)  This turned out to be the last snowfall of the winter.  

 

 

WINTER OF 2010-11

Dec. 26-27, 2010 - Snow began falling during the afternoon and by evening blizzard conditions had developed.  When the flakes stopped flying the following morning 20 inches had piled up.  The City was largely unprepared for a storm of such intensity (and mayor Bloomberg was on vacation at an undisclosed location).

This was the sixth biggest snowstorm in NYC's history (and it shared its dates with New York's landmark 1947 snowstorm that dumped 26.4").  It was the second 20-inch accumulation of the year - the only year to have two storms of such magnitude (the first was on Feb. 25-26 when 20.9" fell).  The blizzard's bulls-eye was west of NYC where most towns in New Jersey were buried by more than two feet of snow (e.g., Newark measured 24.2 inches).

 

 

Jan. 11-12, 2011 - Snow began the night of the 11th (three inches fell by midnight) and was over by daybreak, totaling 9.1".  The 6.1" that fell during the morning of the 12th was a record for the date. 

 

Shortly after midnight in Greenwich Village on 7th Ave. South near Sheridan Square.

 

Jan. 26-27, 2011 - Snow began falling heavily by late afternoon and blizzard conditions developed after nightfall.  By midnight close to 13 inches had fallen, and by the time the snow wound down at daybreak on the 27th 19 inches had piled up.  Shortly after midnight I ventured outside to snap photos and found traffic mostly at a standstill on the streets of the West Village, with taxis on Seventh Ave. pointed every which way.  The quiet usually associated with a snowfall was broken by the sound of spinning tires.  This furious spinning produced an odor of burning rubber that pervaded the air.      

The 6.7" of snow that fell before daybreak on the 27th was a record for the date and brought the month's snow total to 36.0" - the most ever in January.  (Just one year earlier 36.9" of snow fell in February.)  In the past thirty-three days, beginning with the Christmas blizzard, an incredible 52" of snow fell.  And for the first time NYC had two snowstorms of 19" or more in one winter.

 

 

WINTER OF 2011-12

Oct. 29, 2011 - An intense nor'easter lashed the area with high winds and outrageously early snowfall.  The 2.9" of heavy, wet snow that was measured in Central Park was the most ever to fall in October (5.2" fell in Newark and over a foot buried northern NJ, parts of NY state, Connecticut, western Massachusetts and New Hampshire). 

Since the temperature never fell below freezing there was no serious accumulation on City streets (except for slush).  However, the day's low of 33, which occurred in the early afternoon, was the coldest reading in October since 1988.  Total liquid precipitation from the storm was two inches.  Remarkably, twelve weeks would pass before the next measurable snow (4.3" on Jan. 21, 2012). 

 

 

WINTER OF 2012-13

Nov. 7, 2012 - Just nine days after the region was raked by hurricane Sandy's high winds and record storm surge, a nor'easter lashed the area.  It moved far enough off the coast to pull cold air into the area, changing the rain to snow by 2PM.  This was just the fifth snowfall of one-inch+ to occur in November in the past 40 years - and the first since 1997.  4.7" fell (4.3" of it today), making it the earliest 4-inch snowfall on record (the previous record was in 1989 when 4.7" fell on Nov. 22-23).  It was also the largest accumulation of the calendar year, topping the 4.3" that fell on Jan 21.

Feb. 8-9, 2013 - An intense winter storm developed off the Delmarva peninsula during the day and by nightfall near-blizzard conditions were common in NYC and points north and east.  An icy mix of light snow and wind blown sleet began at daybreak and fell throughout the day, becoming steadier and heavier after dark.  By midnight, 6.3" had fallen in Central Park; by the time the snow ended shortly before daybreak on Feb. 9, 11.4" had piled up.  This was the City's 15th biggest snowfall since 1970.  However, this amount was manageable compared to Suffolk County and New England, where accumulations of two to three feet were common.  

 

WINTER OF 2013-14

Dec. 14, 2013 - It was a snowy day with five inches on the ground when a changeover to freezing rain occurred at around 9PM, and to all rain by midnight.  The transition occurred as the temperature jumped from 22 degrees at 8:30 PM (the day's low) to 34 at midnight.  The rain continued until shortly before daybreak the next day (when the temperature had risen to 40), bringing the storm's total precipitation to 1.45".  That amount would have made for a monster snowstorm if milder air hadn't been drawn in. 

Jan. 2-3, 2014 - A sprawling winter storm moved into the area during the evening with snow beginning in NYC at 6:30 and continuing into the overnight hours.  In total 6.4" fell.  Besides snow and gusty winds, there was Arctic cold to contend with as the mercury fell from the upper 20s when the snow started to 18 degrees by midnight and down to 11 by daybreak.   

Jan. 21, 2014 - A wind-driven snow began at around 9AM and fell throughout the day and evening, with 11" on the ground by midnight - a record for the date (an additional 0.5" fell after midnight).  Besides wind and snow, the storm was made more fierce by Arctic cold, with temperatures in the teens all day.  The storm extended from DC to Boston.  Its timing couldn't have been worse for commuters, who had to contend with getting home in the teeth of the storm.  Accumulations were even greater on Long Island.

Feb. 3, 2014 - One day after the high temperature reached 56 degrees, eight inches of heavy, wet snow fell during the morning and afternoon as the temperature hovered around the freezing mark.  Today's snowfall was a record for the date and was the third accumulation of six inches or more this winter (just the eighth winter since 1960 in which this has occurred).  Snow began falling less than nine hours after the Super Bowl, played in northern NJ, had ended.

 

 

Feb. 13-14, 2014 - An intense storm system moved up the East Coast and brought with it high winds, heavy snow in the morning (9.5"), rain in the evening (accompanied by thunder & lightning) and more snow after midnight (3.0").  This was the winter's fourth snowfall of 6 inches or more, something that's happened in just one other winter since 1950 (in 1958).  This snowstorm brought the season's snowfall to 54.0", moving it up to 7th on the all-time list. 

 

 

WINTER OF 2014-15

Jan. 26-27, 2015 - Light snow began falling around daybreak on 1/26 and fell steadily through the daytime hours; by evening close to five inches had accumulated.  A dry slot provided a break for about four hours before snow resumed after 11PM, adding and additional five inches.  Although a substantial amount, the 9.8" that fell was considered a disappointment after 20"-30" was predicted (the storm's center moved 80 miles further east than models expected).  Based on the forecast NYC's mayor closed schools on 1/27 and urged businesses to let employees work from home.  Meanwhile the state's governor ordered the City's transit system shut down.  Long Island and southeastern New England, however, received tremendous amounts.