New York City Weather Archive

Today in New York Weather History: April 15

 

• 1990 - 1.47" of rain fell one year after 1.41" fell on the very same date.

 

• 1991 - A miserable day for the Yankees' home opener, played in a steady, light rain with temperatures hovering around 50 degrees, well below average.  And they lost to the White Sox.  This was quite a contrast to last week's Mets home opener which was played in 90-degree heat.  This was the eighth year out of the past nine to have rain on this date. 

 

• 2007 - An intense Sunday nor'easter dumped 7.57" of rain, the second greatest 24-hour rainfall in NYC history.  Three inches fell between noon-4PM (including 1.19" in one one-hour period); another period of torrential rain dumped an additional 1.70" between 9-11PM.  In between these two periods of torrential rain there was a period of calm, even a bit of clearing, somewhat resembling the eye of a hurricane.  An additional 0.84" fell overnight thru noon on Monday. 

 

• 2010 - Temperatures in the first half of April averaged 11.6 degrees above average.  The second half of the month would see temperatures closer to normal.  

Today in New York Weather History: March 31

In the period 1979-2012 the average date of the final low temperature of freezing or colder is March 31.  It has occurred as early as March 16 (in 1999 and 2005) and as late as April 17 (in 1980). 

 

• 1997 - A nor'easter with 30-45 mph wind gusts dumped 2.32" of rain in New York and record amounts of snow in New England on the following day (25" in Boston, 18" in Providence).  A few days earlier NYC had been warned of the potential for significant snow accumulation as well, but too much mild air moved in.    

 

1998 - Today's high temperature hit 86 degrees, tying March 29, 1945 for the warmest reading ever recorded in March.  This was the last day of a 5-day spring "heat wave".  During this warm spell the average high/low was 82/61, twenty-six degrees above average.  The next 80-degree day wouldn't be for another six-and-a-half weeks (May 15).  Today also happened to be the home opener for the New York Mets (which they won in 11 innings over Philadelphia). 

 

• 2003 - Five years later the Mets weren't as fortunate playing their home opener again on March 31.  Although the game was played under clear skies, the temperature hovered around 40 degrees and a biting wind created a "feels like" temperature of 30 degrees.  No surprise that this was the coldest Opening Day in the 1979-2012 period.  To make it even worse, the Mets were pounded by the Cubs by a score of 15-2.

 

2011 - This was the earliest date for a Yankees home opener and it was played in raw and damp conditions.  The high was only 43 degrees, twelve degrees colder than average.  After morning showers, no rain fell during game time but showers resumed in the evening.

 

• 2012 - Because today was cold (high of 43/low of 38) and rainy, two March records were NOT set.  The month's mean temperature ended up at 50.9 degrees, 0.2 degree below the 1945 record, while the morning's rainfall of 0.26" brought the month's total precipitation to 0.96", preserving March 2006's distinction as driest March on record (0.80").  Still, this was the twelfth month in a row with above average temperatures, matching a 12-month streak in 1998-99.  Furthermore, this was the driest Jan-Feb-March since 1985.       

Today in New York Weather History: March 30

 

• 1987 - The mean temperature over the past eight days was twelve degrees above average, with a high/low of 66/47.  Today was the coolest of these days with a high of 61, six degrees above average.

 

• 1991 - 0.2" of snow fell today, two days after a high of 77 degrees.  This was the only snow to fall in March, and the final snowfall of the winter.  (24.9" in total fell during the winter, the most since 25.4" was measured in the winter of 1983-84.)  Despite the snow, the temperature never fell below freezing.

 

• 2001 - It was a nasty morning as wind and rain from a nor'easter lashed the area.  Moving in last night, 2.16" of rain fell today, a record for the date.  Central Park reported a wind gust of 49 mph.  It was also cold, with a high/low of only 43/37.

 

• 2010 - The second strong nor'easter in little more than two weeks buffeted the area.  Like the previous one, this storm also produced more than four inches of rain.  Beginning late on 3/28 (when 0.34" fell), it continued through this afternoon.  After 1.58" of rain yesterday, an additional 2.45" fell today (a record for the date, breaking the previous record from the nor'easter of 2001).  With today's rainfall the month's total precip reached 10.68", making this the wettest March on record.   

 

• 2013 - It was a very pretty day, the day before Easter, as the temperature topped out at 59 degrees under sunny skies.  This was the mildest reading of the month, the first time since 2001 that the month of March's mildest temperature was below 60 degrees.    

 

Today in New York Weather History: March 29

• 1970 - Today was Easter Sunday, and rain that began before sunrise changed to sleet and snow after 10:00.  When it ended late in the afternoon, four inches had piled up.  This was the only snow that fell in March.  

 

• 1977 - The temperature shot up from 46 to 81 degrees, a rare occurrence in March.

 

• 1984 - 39 consecutive hours of precipitation, which began yesterday morning at 9:00, ended at midnight, totaling 2.60" (2.04" of it fell today).  There was only a two-degree difference between today's high/low (36/34).  3.3" of snow fell during the storm, but it was washed away by regular changeovers to rain. 

 

• 1985 - Today was the third day in a row with much above average temperatures.  And although the sun was filtered through a light overcast, the temperature soared to 82 degrees, twenty-eight degrees warmer than normal.  Not only was it warm but also uncomfortably humid.  However, today's summerlike warmth was four degrees lower than the record for the date set in 1945 (the warmest reading ever reported in March, later equaled on March 31, 1998).  The average high over the past three days was 78 degrees, a reading more typical of the second week of June.

 

• 1996 - Beginning late last night and continuing through this morning, 4.1" of snow fell, the seventh snowfall of four inches or more this winter.  It brought March's snow total to 13.2", making it the snowiest March since 1967.  Besides being snowy it was also a cold month, the coldest March since 1984.  Today's high/low of 41/31 was the ninth day this month that was 10 degrees or more colder than average. 

• 2013 - Today's mean temperature was one degree above average (hi/low of 55/40), the first above-average day since March 13.  This 15-day streak of below average days was 5.6 degrees colder than average and was the longest string of below-average temperatures since a 15-day streak in July 2009.    

 

Today in New York Weather History: March 28

 

• 1984 - A developing nor'easter brought a mix of snow and rain during the afternoon that continued through tomorrow.  1.5" of snow fell today, but forecasts had predicted substantially more.  The temperature in the City was a bit too mild to support a snowstorm (high/low was 43/34).

 

• 1985 - The afternoon temperature topped out at 78, twenty-four degrees warmer than average and more typical for the 2nd week of June (and four degrees warmer than yesterday).  However, this was not a record as there was an even more extraordinary warm spell in 1945. 

 

2005 - My flight back to NYC from Pittsburgh after visiting my mother for Easter took eight hours because of strong thunderstorms in the New York area.  2.98" rain fell, a record for the date.  This was the biggest rain producer in six months, since tropical storm Jeanne dumped 4.66" at the end of September. 

 

• 2012 - Today's high/low of 67/44 was the sixteenth day this month with a daily mean temperature ten degrees or more above average - the most of any month in the 1979-2012 period (passing January 1990's fifteen days).  So far this year, more one-third of the days were ten degrees or more above average.  

Today in New York Weather History: March 21

• 1973 - The morning low of 30 degrees would be the coldest reading in the month of March, the mildest temperature for this distinction in the 1970-2013 period.  (Typically, the coldest reading in March is in the upper teens.) 

• 1980 - An intense nor'easter battered the area with heavy rain and gale force winds.  The 2.21" of rain that fell was a record for the date; an additional 1.04" fell the next day, ending in the early afternoon.  The 3.25" of rain that fell during this 36-hour assault was the most since January 1979.  The winds were so strong that the 40-story office building I worked in at 800 3rd Avenue (between 49th and 50th Streets) was swaying noticeably and the office closed mid-afternoon.   

• 1986 - Today was 16 degrees colder than normal (low of 18) two days after it was 16 degrees milder than average (high of 70). 

• 1995 - The past nine days all had above-average temperatures, with a mean temperature nine degrees above normal.

• 2003 - 0.61" of rain fell this evening, with 0.17" of it pouring down in a 5-minute period between 6:21-6:26 PM.  

Today in New York Weather History: March 13

• 1978 - For the first time since February 5, no snow was on the ground in Central Park. 

 

• 1980 - One last wintry day as sleet and slow lashed the area from 5PM into the wee hours of the next day, accumulating 4.6" (much of it today).  After a morning low of 23 the day's high of 33 degrees was reached at midnight.     

 

• 1984 - 2.02" of rain fell, all of it after 4:00 PM.

 

1990 - Winds shifted to the southwest, lifting the temperature from 43 to 85, which was 36 degrees above average.  This was the earliest date for an 80-degree reading (breaking the previous record from 1945 by a week).

 

• 1993 - The great March Superstorm (also referred to as "Storm of the Century") paralyzed the Eastern third of the nation and dumped 10" of snow on NYC.  The heavy snow changed to sleet and rain later in the afternoon, reducing the predicted snow total by about six inches.  The sound of the sleet lashing against my windows, propelled by 40-60 mph wind gusts, was deafening.  All told, 2.37" of precipitation fell.  For a first-person account of the storm click here.  (Photo taken near corner of 7th Ave. South near Bleecker St.)

 

• 2001 - 0.74" of rain fell between 1-3AM.

 

• 2003 - The past twelve days were 7 degrees colder than average.

 

• 2010 - On the anniversary of the March Superstorm another ferocious nor'easter dumped close to four inches of rain and was accompanied by 50-75 mph wind gusts.  The rainfall was the most ever measured in a 24-hour period in March.  Six persons were killed in the metro area by falling trees and hundreds of thousands of homes were left without power.

 

• 2012 - Today's high of 74 was twenty-five degrees above average and the warmest reading since October 10 of last year.  This was the third 70-degree day in the past week.  At midnight the temperature was still at 67 degrees. 

 

• 2013 - Today was the 5th day in a row with temperatures in the 50's.  Although hardly an eye-popping occurrence (the average high during these days was just 3 degrees above average), it was the longest such streak in nearly four months (Nov. 20-24). 

 

 

 

Today in New York Weather History: March 8

 

• 1987 - Today's high was 76, twenty-nine degrees above average, and a record for the date.

 

• 1994 - Between December 30 and today, a stretch of nearly ten weeks, there was at least one inch of snow on the ground in Central Park on all but three days.

 

• 1996 - 4.5" of snow fell, pushing the season's snowfall past seventy inches.

 

• 2005 - An Arctic front combined with a rapidly developing nor'easter wreaked havoc during the afternoon and evening.  Accompanied by 40-50 mph winds, the temperature dropped like a rock, from 57 to 18 degrees.  A burst of snow fell on top of a coating of ice formed when rain-soaked pavements froze.  1.5" of snow fell in NYC while many suburbs had 3-5 inches.  Besides making driving difficult, the icy surfaces made walking very challenging, especially with the howling winds.  

 

• 2012 - Today's high of 71 was the first 70-degree day of the year, more than two weeks ahead of the norm for the "first-70" (1979-2012 period).  Six years have reached 70 even earlier: Jan. 6, 2007 (72 degrees); Feb. 5, 1991 (70); Feb. 23, 1985 (70); Feb. 27, 1997 (72); March 7, 1987 (71); and March 7, 2009 (70).

 

• 2013 - After being frustrated by yesterday's "junk" snow, I was very surprised to wake up this AM to find a snow-covered scene.  Although the flakes were tiny, they fell at a moderate-to-heavy rate, and by early afternoon four inches had piled up.  Then it began melting immediately as the temperature slowly rose into the upper 30's by evening and stayed there overnight.  This snowfall came one month after NYC's last measurable snow - 11.4" from the blizzard that buried New England with 2-3 feet of snow. 

A Glance Back at New York's Weather: March 6

 

• 1979 - An all-day rain dumped 2.63", a record for the date.

 

• 1989 - An Arctic front passed through in the wee hours of the morning and 2.5" of snow fell during AM rush hour - just the second significant snowfall of the winter.  South Jersey and the Philadelphia metro area got the brunt of the storm.  This would be the last snowfall of the winter.  Just 8.1" fell for the entire winter, about twenty inches below average, the least since 1972-73 when 2.8" was measured (the least ever).  Since then three winters have had lesser amounts.   

 

• 1997 - Although it rained for eight of the past nine days, it amounted to only 1.05".  Today's rainfall was just 0.07", but it was accompanied by ferocious winds, with Central Park recording a wind gust of 52 mph.

 

• 2001 - For the past few days a monster snowstorm (which The Weather Channel labeled "The March Lion") had been forecast, with 12-18" of snow predicted at one point.  However, it turned out to be a bust as only 3.5" fell (2 inches yesterday, 1.5 inches today).  The storm developed further north than was expected, sparing the City and New Jersey.  Long Island's Suffolk County, however, was walloped with 10-15" of snow.  The earlier forecast created a panic and many schools and businesses in the City closed yesterday.

 

• 2002 - Today's high of 59 was one day after a morning low of 19.

 

• 2007 - Bitterly cold, with a high/low of just 21/11, twenty-three degrees colder than average.

 

• 2011 - It was a good Sunday to stay indoors as rain began mid-morning and continued for the rest of the day.  Accompanied by lashing winds, rain fell heaviest between 4-11PM when 1.30" came down; total for the day was 2.02".  Only four degrees separated the day's high and low of 54/50.

 

• 2013 - A raw day with fierce winds under slate gray skies - but no precipitation fell.  Winds gusted between 40-55 mph.  This was part of a storm system to our south that had brought heavy snow to the Midwest earlier in the week and was now producing significant accumulations in WV, MD and VA.  

Memorable Nor'easters That Have Battered New York City (1979 - 2012)

Over the past thirty years March has been the peak time for nor'easters, but they've occurred throughout the year, even in June and July.  Here is a review of sixteen of them.  Although some of New York's big snowstorms may have been nor'easters they aren't included in this post.  Instead, you can read about them in my post "Snowstorms of New York City'.

 

March 21, 1980 - A nor'easter battered the area with heavy rain and gale force winds.  2.21" fell, a record for the date; an additional 1.04" fell the next day, ending in the early afternoon.  The 3.25" of rain that fell during this 36-hour assault was the most since January 1979.  The winds were so strong that the 50-story office tower I worked in at 800 3rd Avenue (between 49th and 50th Streets) was swaying noticeably and closed mid-afternoon.    

 

March 28-29, 1984 - A developing nor'easter brought a mix of snow and rain during the afternoon that continued through 3/29.  1.5" of snow fell on the 28th, but forecasts had predicted substantially more.  However, the temperatures were just a bit too warm to support a snowstorm (high/low was 43/34).  Thirty-nine consecutive hours of precipitation ended at midnight on 3/29, totaling 2.60" (2.04" of it fell on the 29th).  There was only a two-degree difference between the 3/29's high/low (36/34).  Although 3.3" of snow fell during the storm, it was washed away by regular changeovers to rain. 

 

October 31, 1991 - An intense nor'easter (made famous by Sebastian Junger's book The Perfect Storm) brought gusty 30-40 mph winds but stayed far enough off the coast that NYC received just a a trace of rain. 

 

December 11, 1992 - A vicious nor'easter pounded NYC this Friday a.m. with 50-75 mph winds (Central Park had a 64 mph gust) and heavy rain (2.41", a record for the date).  The high winds created a storm surge that flooded New Jersey's PATH stations and pushed the East River up over parts of the FDR Drive during morning rush hour.  The winds also caused elevators to malfunction in some office towers and high rise apartment buildings.

 

October 19, 1996 - A nor'easter dumped 4.35" of rain, forcing postponement of Game 1 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium between the Braves and Yankees.  Half of the rain came down between 2-5PM with 1.07" falling in the hour between 3-4:00.  Not surprisingly, this was a record rainfall for the date.

 

March 31, 1997 - A nor'easter with 30-45 mph wind gusts dumped 2.32" of rain in New York and record amounts of snow in New England on the following day (25" in Boston, 18" in Providence).  A few days earlier NYC had been warned of the potential for significant snow accumulation as well, but too much mild air moved in.    

 

July 24, 1997 - An out-of-season nor'easter dumped 3.75" of rain, the rainiest 24-hour period on record for the month of July.  (Rain that fell after midnight brought the storm's total rainfall to 4.62".)  Rain was heaviest between 7:21-8:21PM when 0.94" fell.  With winds out of the east/northeast it was also a very cool day; the high of 68/low of 58 was fifteen degrees below average.

 

June 6, 2000 - A rare June nor'easter dumped 2.62" of rain, with 1.10" of it falling between 6:30-9:30AM.

 

March 6, 2001 - For the past few days a monster snowstorm (which The Weather Channel labeled "The March Lion") had been forecast with 12-18" predicted at one point.  However, it was a bust as only 3.5" fell (2 inches yesterday, 1.5 inches today).  The storm developed further north than was expected, sparing the City and NJ.  Long Island's Suffolk County, however, was walloped with 10-15" of snow.  The earlier forecast created a panic and many schools and businesses in the City closed yesterday.

 

March 30, 2001 - It was a nasty morning as wind and rain from a nor'easter lashed the area.  Moving in last night, 2.16" of rain fell today, a record for the date.  Central Park reported a wind gust of 49 mph.  It was also cold, with a high/low of only 43/37.

 

March 8, 2005 - An Arctic front combined with a rapidly developing nor'easter wreaked havoc during the afternoon and evening.  Accompanied by 40-50 mph winds, the temperature dropped like a rock, from 57 to 18 degrees.  A burst of snow fell on top of a coating of ice formed when rain-soaked pavements froze.  1.5" of snow fell in NYC while many suburbs had 3-5 inches.  Besides making driving difficult, the icy surfaces made walking very challenging, especially with the howling winds.  

 

October 28, 2006 - A nor'easter that moved in last night dumped 2.54" by the time it exited around 1:00 this afternoon.  Shortly before the last raindrops fell a final rain band dumped 0.33" in a 5-minute period between 12:32-12:37 PM.

 

April 15, 2007 - An intense nor'easter that struck on this Sunday dumped 7.57" of rain, the second greatest 24-hour rainfall in NYC history.  Three inches fell between noon-4PM (including 1.19" in one one-hour period); another period of torrential rain dumped an additional 1.70" between 9-11PM.  In between these two periods of torrential rain there was a period of calm, even a bit of clearing,somewhat resembling the eye of a hurricane.  An additional 0.84" fell overnight thru noon on Monday. 

 

March 13, 2010 - On the anniversary of the March Superstorm another ferocious nor'easter dumped close to four inches of rain and was accompanied by 50-75 mph wind gusts.  The rainfall was the most ever measured in a 24-hour period in March.  Six persons were killed in the metro area by falling trees and hundreds of thousands of homes were left without power.

 

October 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 to ever fall in October (5.2" fell in Newark and over a foot buried northern NJ, parts of NY state, CT, western MA and NH).  Since the temperature never fell below freezing there was mostly just slushy accumulation on City streets.  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, the next measurable snow wouldn't be for another twelve more weeks(4.3" on January 21, 2012).  

 

April 22-23, 2012 - A steady light rain during the daytime hours turned heavy after dark and was whipped around by gale force winds as a powerful nor'easter made itself known.  The brunt of the storm was felt from 8:00-midnight, but conditions greatly improved by 2AM.  The 2.89" of rain that was measured in Central Park was greater than the paltry rainfall of the previous nine weeks.  Of the storm's total, 2.45" fell on the 22nd and was a record for the date.