New York City Weather Archive

Today in New York Weather History: October 25

 

1980

1.76" of rain fell today, with 1.15" of it falling between 10AM-1PM.

1991

Today's high temperature and those of the past two days: 72°-71°-70° (today) - well above the average high of 61°.

2005

In less than three weeks (Oct. 8-25) nearly 17 inches of rain fell, making this the wettest October on record (and, at the time, the second rainiest month overall; it's since dropped to third).  During these two-and-a-half weeks of deluges, seven days received an inch or more of rain.  In stark contrast, September had just 0.48" of rain, making it the driest September since 1963.

 

 

2007

Today's high was 57°, the first day this autumn with a high temperature below 60° - the latest date for this occurrence in the 1970-2020 period (average date is Oct. 7).

2008

Mostly light rain fell between 4-9 PM, but then 0.62" fell in the hour between 9-10 PM.

2011

This was the third day in a row with a morning low of 50°.  Although the high temperatures on these days weren't identical, they were somewhat similar: 59°, 61° and 62°.

 

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September 2020 Weather Recap: Cool & Dry Conditions Sandwiched Between Mild & Wet

September 2020 was a touch milder than average (+0.8 degree), with close to an average amount of rain (3.94").  The month's story can be told by three eight-day periods: Sept. 3-9 was four degrees above average, Sept. 23-30 was six degrees above average, and the middle of the month (Sept. 15-22) was six degrees chillier than average, and rain-free.  Nearly all of the month's nearly four inches of rain was produced by three storm systems: 0.71" on 9/3, 1.20" on 9/10 and 1.61" on 9/29-30. 

 

 

The month's near average rainfall belied a 16-day streak with no measurable rain (Sept. 11-26).  This was the longest dry streak since the fall of 2017.  These dry conditions were largely due to a strong high pressure system that anchored itself over the Northeast for about a week.  It prevented moisture from hurricane Sally and tropical storm Beta from moving into the area and brought chilly air into the region, delivering the City's earliest lows in the 40s in seven years (49° on 9/21, 48° on 9/22).

 

Just seven days had highs of 80° or warmer, joining ten other Septembers since 1970 with this few.  The warmest reading was 85°, occurring on 9/3 and again on 9/4 (a typical September's hottest reading is around 90°).  The month's average high of 75.5° was the coolest since 2009.  And although the month's average temperature was a touch above average, it was the coolest September since 2013.

 

 

Finally, although highs in the 80s/90s and lows in the 70s occasionally occur in October, if 2020's final reading of 80°+ remains at 9/10, it will be one of the earliest dates on record for this occurrence.  Meanwhile, the 58 lows of 70°+ is the third most after 1906 (61) and 2005 (60). 

 

Here are previous September recaps:

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

 

Weather Highlights of the First Decade of the 20th Century (1900-1909)

The decade started with the first back-to-back triple-digit highs (summer of 1901) and ended with the snowiest Christmas Day (1909).  In between were two of New York's coolest summers (1902 and 1903) and two of its coldest winters (1903-04 and 1904-05).  1904 would also gain the distinction of being the fifth coldest year on record (where it remains).  Other highlights included a tropical storm in October 1903 that flooded the area with more than eleven inches of rain (contributing mightily to making 1903 the wettest year on record at the time); unusually warm nights during the summers of 1906 and 1908; and, at the time, the hottest July on record in 1908 (until 1952).  Finally, the 1900s is the only decade that had no snowstorms of a foot or more.  

 

- 1900 -

March 16 - The day after a five-inch snowfall, today saw an onslaught of freezing rain.  0.89" of liquid precipitation fell in temperatures that were mostly at freezing or colder (the day's high/low was 33°/22°).

July 4 - Today's high was 91°, making this the third year in a row with a high in the 90s on the 4th of July - the longest such streak for this holiday.

 

 

September 6 - Today was the 21st day this year with a high in the 90s, twice the average number.  The next time there were this many hot days wouldn't be until 1929.

 

- 1901 -

February 26 - Today's high of 42° was the mildest reading of the month and the mildest since 1/22.

March 21 - Although today's high was just 53°, it was the mildest temperature in March and would be the chilliest reading to be the warmest of any March in the 20th century (a distinction that has continued in the 21st century). 

April 12 - A year after the first reading in the 60s occurred on April 6, this year it occurred six days later - the third latest date for this occurrence (behind 4/15 in 1877 and 4/13 in 1891).

June 23 - This month's paltry 1.00" of rain (today was the last day with rain) was sandwiched between four months that each had more than six inches (April, May, July and August).

July 2 - For the second day in a row the high reached 100°, the first time on record there were back-to-back days in the triple digits.  It would be 25 years before this happened again.  (Since then there have been seventeen occasions with consecutive days, or more, with triple digit readings, with the last time being in 2011).

 

November 28 - Today would have been quite cold even by the standards of mid-winter as the high/low was only 26°/19°, making this the coldest Thanksgiving Day of the 20th century (based on mean temperature). 

 

- 1902 -

July 9 - Today was the only day of the year with a high in the 90s, making this the only summer (going back to 1869) with just one 90-degree reading.  And the mercury went no higher than 90°.

July 28 - An evening thunderstorm between 6:45-8:30 PM flooded the City with 3.08" of rain, with almost all of it (3.00") falling in an hour (and two inches fell in a 30-minute period).  At the time this was Central Park's greatest 60-minute rainfall on record (until a storm on Sept. 5, 1913 that dropped 3.31").

August 6 - Just ten days after a tremendous short-duration deluge flooded the City, another one occurred today at daybreak.  Of the 2.21" of rain that fell from 5:15 to 7:45 AM, almost all of it (1.91") was concentrated in a 30-minute period.

November 29 - Today's low of 34° was the coldest reading of the month, making this the first November whose coldest low wasn't 32° or colder.  (A typical November between 1870 and 1900 averaged eight such lows.)

December 9 - It was a bitterly cold day, with a high/low of only 17°/8°, which was 25 degrees colder than average.

 

- 1903 -

January 1 - This morning's low of 13° was the coldest reading of the winter - the first winter since 1871 not to have any lows in the single digits or colder.  A typical winter's coldest reading has usually been around 2° or 3° above zero.

February 16-17 - A snowfall of 9.5" was the biggest accumulation of the winter - and occurred on the same date as the previous winter's biggest snowfall (10").

June 24 - This was the sixteenth day of the past eighteen to have measurable rain.  Nearly seven inches fell during this period, coming after a 15-day stretch with no rain (and just 0.30" fell in the prior seven-and-a-half weeks).  During these wet days there was also an eight-day streak (6/13-20) in which highs were only in the 60s (highs are typically in the upper 70s).

June 29 - A rainstorm that began at daybreak continued until 1 PM and dumped 2.57" of rain (a record amount for the date).  Much of it (1.90") poured down between 11 AM and 1 PM.

July 3 - This was the 20th day of the past 27 (since 6/7) to report measurable rain, totaling 10.37".

September 16 - A category 1 hurricane made landfall on the Jersey shore in the morning and  brought a brief period of heavy rain to New York between 11 AM-2 PM, with 1.63" measured.

October 8-9 - A stalled hurricane (that weakened to tropical storm status) and a low pressure system that formed along an approaching cold front combined to create a tremendous rainstorm that produced 11.63" over 26 hours.  The deluge started late in the morning of the 8th (4.30" was measured) and continued thru mid-afternoon on the 9th (when 7.33" fell).  Rain fell at a rate of an inch every two hours for a large portion of the storm; at its most intense, 2.54" fell from 9-11 AM on the 9th.  At the time the rainfall on the storm's second day was New York's second greatest daily amount (behind Sept. 23, 1882's 8.28"); it's now ranked fourth.

November 29 - For the fifth day in a row the high was 32° or colder (average high in late November is in the mid-40s).

December 16 - This was the third day in a row with a high of 26°.  Lows on these three days were 21° (12/14), 20° (12/15) and 19° (12/16).

December 20 - Today's rainfall of 1.34" made 1903 New York's wettest year on record, passing 1889 (which had 57.16").  This would remain New York's wettest year until 1972 (it's now fallen to eleventh place).

 

- 1904 -

January 6 - Ten of the past eleven days had highs of 32° or colder.  The average high/low during this time was 25°/13°.  Yesterday had the coldest reading, -4° (the only sub-zero reading of the decade).  And Jan. 2 had eight inches of snow (2.3" of snow accumulated from two other snowfalls in late December).

February 9-19 - One month after an extended cold wave, another one of identical length moved in.  Ten of the eleven days had highs of 32° or colder.  The average high/low during these days was 25°/11°, twelve degrees colder than average.  The coldest reading during this period was 2° on Feb. 16, and two snowfalls produced five inches of snow.

 

August 20 - Today's 3.63" of rain was a record for the date (that still stands), with much of it falling between 1-10 AM and nearly half (1.73") fell in an hour. 

September 9 - Today's rainfall of 0.86" was enough to be a record for the date, a record which still stands.  Only one other record daily rainfall is less than one inch (0.91" on April 29, 1909).

September 13 - Although it was just 0.01", today's rain broke a three-week dry spell.

September 14-15 - After three weeks in which just 0.01" of rain fell, 3.84" poured down from a hurricane that crossed the eastern end of Long Island and tore 19 barges from their moorings in New York Harbor.  The rain was split pretty evenly between the evening of 9/14 and the following morning.

November 3 - Today's high of 60° would be the last high of 60+ for more than four months (until a high of 67° on March 18).

December 17-18 - Six inches of snow fell four days after a snowfall of seven inches.

 

 

December 22 - This was the last day of a two-week period with unseasonably cold weather.  The average high/low of 32°/21° was ten degrees below average.  Eight of the days had highs that were 32° or colder. 

 

- 1905 -

January 25 - Steady snow that began last night continued until 9 PM tonight and accumulated 11 inches, the biggest snowfall since the blizzard of February 1899.  Temperatures fell from the mid-twenties in the early morning to low teens by the time the last flakes fell.  This was the fourth snowstorm of six inches or more since mid-December.

 

 

January 28 - With a high of 33°, today was the only day in the two-week period from Jan. 23 to Feb. 5 to have a high above freezing.

February 21 - Today, with a high/low of 41°/33°, was the mildest day of the month (and the only day with a low above freezing).  Not surprisingly, this would be the third coldest February on record (it's since fallen to fifth).

March 18 - Today's high of 67° was the first above 50° in ten weeks, since Jan. 7.

September 3 - Today was the fifth day in a row in which the temperature was stuck in the 70s. The high/low of these five days: 77°/71° (on 8/30); 78°/70°; 76°/70°; 75°/70°; and 79°/73° (today).  Another feature of today was heavy rain during the morning that amounted to 2.47", with almost all of it falling between 6 AM and noon. 

September 18 - Today's high/low of 77°/72° was the tenth time this summer temperatures were stuck in the 70s for the entire day - the most of any year (a record that still stands).

October 20 - Six of the past seven days had highs in the 70s (warmest reading was 77°) at a time of year when the average high is in the low 60s.  And four of the days had lows in the 60s (warmest was 68° on the 19th, a record that still stands).  Cooler air moved in later today after the exit of a coastal storm that produced 2.33" of rain between last night and noon today.

November 28 - The first significant rain in the past 38 days fell today, a period when just 0.20" was measured.  0.56" fell during the PM hours and continued into the following day, with an additional 1.01" measured.

 

- 1906 -

March 25 - Since March 13 the average high/low was just 35°/24°, twelve degrees below average, with every day's high colder than 40°.  This winter-like cold was accompanied by two significant snowfalls of 6.5" (mostly on the 15th) and 5" (on the 19th).  Before these snowfalls just 9.5" had fallen this winter. 

July 23 - Despite a sultry low of 80° today's high failed to reach 90°, peaking at 87°.  This is the only instance in which an 80-degree low was followed by a high that stayed in the 80s.

September 21 - Today's low of 75° was the 61st day this year with a low of 70° or warmer.   No other year has had more (2010 came close, with 60 such days).  This amount was more than double the average of 30 days.

December 4 - The high/low was a bitingly cold 26°/13°.  This compares to the average high/low in the first week of December of 48°/33°.  Only Christmas Eve day would see colder readings this month (20°/12°).

 

- 1907 -

January 4 - For the second year in a row the first reading in the 60s fell on this date, more than two months earlier than the typical date (March 11).  The day's high in both years was 60°.  (At the time only 1876 had an earlier date for a reading in the 60s; since then, nine years have had first 60s on the first three days of January.)

February 5 - Since Jan. 17, 26" of snow accumulated from seven days with measurable snow.  Nearly half, 11", fell today.  And nearly the same amount would fall in the next two months (thru 4/9).

April 9 - Today's five-inch snowfall was the seventh of four inches or more in the past three months. 

November 10 - Today's high of 61° was the relative chilly mildest reading of the month - and there wouldn't be another reading in the 60s until March 26.

December 31 - On the night of the first ball-drop in Times Square the temperature was in the mid-30s under fair skies.

 

- 1908 -

February 6 - Today's snowfall of eight inches came two weeks after a snowfall of ten inches.

 

 

February 10 - This was the eighth day of the past nine with a high of 32° or colder.  The day with a high warmer than 32°, Feb. 6, had eight inches of snow.  The average high/low during these nine days was 27°/13°.

July 7 - This morning's low was a stifling 84°, close to the average high in mid-July, and the warmest low reading on record.  Another 84° low would occur in mid-August.  It would then be another 87 years before this reading was reached again (and once more in 2011).  Despite such a warm start, the highs on both days this summer reached just 93°.

 

August 2 - This was the only day between July 18 and Aug. 17 not to have a low of 70° or warmer.

September 27 - This was the 21st day in a row with no rain.  (The other nine days of the month had rain on three days, which amounted to 1.91".)

October 16 - Today's high of 80° came five weeks and one day after the previous reading in the 80s (Sept. 11).  If that September date had remained as the year's last 80+ temperature it would have been the earliest date on record for this occurrence.  (1913 holds the record, Sept. 8.)

October 27 - For the fourth day in row lows were in the mid-to-upper 60s, about twenty degrees above average and warmer than the typical high during this time of year (61°).  Two of the days had record-high lows which are still standing (69° on the 25th, 66° on the 27th).

November 18 - The 0.05" of rain that fell today was the last measurable precipitation of the month.  In total just 0.71" fell, tying Nov. 1890 as the driest November on record (they've since fallen to third).  This followed a dry October and September in which just 1.38" and 1.91" of rain fell, respectively.  It would be two-and-a-half weeks before the next measurable precipitation would fall (on 12/6).

December 30 - Today was the last day, and 94th day of the year, with measurable precipitation (0.12" of rain fell) - the fewest number of days on record (later tied in 1941).  The year's total precipitation, 41.01", was slightly below the average of the previous 40 years (43.58").

 

- 1909 -

September 9- Today's rainfall of 0.91" was enough to be a record for the date, a record which still stands.  Only one other daily rainfall record is less than one inch (0.86" on Sept. 9, 1904).

August 16 - 4.80" of rain fell, but it wasn't from a tropical system.  At the time this rainfall was tied for third greatest daily amount (it's now tied for 13th).  Rain on this rainy Monday fell heaviest between 10 AM and 9 PM.

August 21 - After 8.50" of rain had fallen in the first twenty days of the month, there would be no measurable rainfall for the next 15 days.

December 13 - A nor'easter produced 3.03" of rain (and an inch of snow at the onset), a record amount for the date, and the most to fall in one day in the month of December (3.25" fell for the entirety of the storm).  Rain fell for the entire day, but significant amounts fell after 11 AM; more than half of the rain fell between 7-11 PM.  

December 14 - Today's high of 53°, which occurred in the wee hours of the morning, would be the last high in the 50s until Feb. 27. 

December 15 - This was the last day this month with a high above 40°.  (The next time the high rose to 40°+ would be on Jan. 2.)

December 25 - Snow began falling mid-afternoon and by midnight seven inches had accumulated (an additional inch fell after midnight).  After 10 PM winds gusted to 30 mph.  This snowfall exceeded the Christmas Day snowfall of 1902 by half an inch to become the snowiest Christmas on record (which still stands).

 

 

 

To read about weather highlights in other decades:

1910s

1920s

1930s

1940s

1950s

1960s

 

 

 

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August 2020 Weather Recap: A Continuation of Summer's Above Average Temperatures

Like June and July, August was warmer than average, but not to the degree of the two preceding summer months.  It was 1.7 degrees above average and the 23rd hottest August on record.  This followed June, which was 16th hottest (2.3 degrees above average), and July, which was 7th hottest (+3.5 degrees). There were no scorching heat waves, but the number of days with lows in the 70s was above average.  Tropical storm Isaias, which struck on the 4th, was August's weather highlight followed by a thunderstorm on the 12th that was the month's biggest rain maker.  Overall, the month's 5.03" of rain was a touch above average.

 

There were four days in the 90s and six days with highs of 88° or 89°.  Hottest reading of the month was 92°. The two days with the warmest lows (78° on Aug 2 and 77° on Aug 11) failed to have highs of 90+.  There were no heat waves and none of the days in the 90s were back to back.

 

Tropical storm Isaias was largely a wind event, with well under an inch of rain measured.  A gust of close to 50 mph was clocked in Central Park while the area's major airports all had gusts around 70 mph.  By comparison, a severe evening thunderstorm eight days after the tropical storm produced 1.76", more than three times the amount from Isaias (0.55").

 

This was the seventh August in a row with no lows in the 50s (coolest reading was 62°).  There were 19 days with lows in the 70s, which was well above average (13).  Only six Augusts have had more; five others also had 19.  However, the number of days with lows of 75°+ was just slightly more than average, ranking 29th (and tied with six other years).  The fourth longest streak of days with lows of 70+, 20 days, ended on 8/7 (just two shy of the longest streak).

 

Finally, the summer of 2020 was the fourth hottest on record (tied with 1983).  However, it was tied for fourth warmest average low but 18th hottest average high.  Although rainfall was slightly above average it was enough to make 2020 the second wettest of the ten hottest Augusts (just 0.11" behind 1983).

 

 

 

Here are past August recaps:

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

 

 

Spring Awakening - First High Temperature in the 70s (or Warmer)

So far this century the average date for the first reading of 70° or warmer in Central Park has been March 19 (and in the past five years it's been March 5).  This is four weeks earlier than what the average date was during 1869-1899; and during the 20th century this first occurrence was at the end of March.  The earliest date for a 70+ reading has been Jan. 6, which happened in 2007 (joining two other "first 70s" in January, in 1932 and 1950); the latest date is May 9, which happened in 1875 (and it's happened in May in five other years, the last time being in 1940).

 

 

The average high temperature on the day of the first 70+ has been 74°; the average low on that day, 48° (this diurnal variation of 24 degrees is much wider than the typical daily variation of 15 degrees).  The average high of the day before the first 70+ is 60°; the average high on the day following the first 70+ day  is 66°. 

 

11 years' first 70+ reading also served as those years' first 80°+ reading, with the most recent occurrence being in 2003.  And in 1927 the year's first 70+ served not only as the first 80+, but as the year's first reading in the 90s.  Meanwhile 15 other years had their first 80+ come the day after the first 70+ (the last time this happened was in 2013).

 

 

Back-to-back years with very early dates for the first 70+ are 1949 (Feb. 15) and 1950 (Jan. 26), and 2017 (Feb. 21) and 2018 (Feb. 24).  And there have been two periods of three consecutive years with very late dates: 1883 (May 3), 1884 (May 2) and 1885 (April 21); and 1875 (May 9), 1876 (May 6) and 1877 (April 23).

 

The greatest difference in high temperature between the day before and the day of the first 70+ is +34 degrees, in March 1935 (from 43° to 77°), and +33 degrees in April 2001 (from 45° to 78°).  And the biggest decline on the day after occurred in March 1934, -35 degrees (from 71° to 36°), and -34 degrees in Feb. 1874 (from 72° to 38°).  Lastly, the biggest increase on the day after is +14 degrees in 1902 (from 70° to 84°).

 

 

The greatest diurnal variation on the day of the first 70+ is 42 degrees, with a high/low on March 13, 1990 of 85°/43°.  The coldest reading to occur on the day of the first reading of 70+ is 30° on March 18, 1934.  It came after the high of 71° was reached and a cold front moved thru mid-afternoon.  (This is the also the only time a reading of 32° or colder occurred on the same day as the first 70°+.)

 

After a reading of 70°+, the average number of days before the next reading of 70°+ has been 11, with the greatest hiatus being 80 days in 1932 (when the first 70+ was on 1/14).  Not surprisingly, the most days to elapse before the next 70+ high have occurred in Jan/Feb -  with the average hiatus being 43 days.  In about one-third of the years the first 70°+ was followed the very next day by another high of 70+, with the longest streak being eight days, in April 1896 (including highs of 87°, 88° and 90°).  The longest streak in the years since 1900 has been six, set in April 1952.  

 

 

 

An early first 70+ isn't predictive of a hot summer as some very hot summers had their first 70+ at a late date.  This includes the year with the second hottest summer, 1966, which didn't see its first 70+ until April 25.  And the fifth and sixth hottest summers, in 1983 and 1993, didn't have their first 70+ until April 25 and April 19, respectively.

 

About 20% of the dates of the first 70+ reported measurable rain; two-thirds of these years had amounts less than 0.10".  (By contrast, 40% of the days with the first 60+ reading had rain.)  Just one date had more than an inch, on April 6, 1937.  On that day, 1.02" of rain fell before dawn and ushered in mild air (the high reached 72°).

 

And, finally, some more interesting occurrences:

> In 2018, after a high of 78° on Feb. 21 (the warmest reading ever in Jan/Feb), more than seven weeks passed before the mercury rose above the low 60s.

> In 1998 the first 70+ reading was 83° and it was the first of five days in a row in the 80s - at the end of March (March 27-31), when the average high is in the mid-50s. 

> The first high of 70+ in 1988, 76° on 3/24, came just two days after a low of 17°

> The day of 1980's first 70+ followed a big rainstorm of 3.42" the day before.

> In 1967, a week after the first 70+, on March 11, there was a week of harsh winter conditions, with an average high/low of only 31°/20°, including a reading of 8° on 3/19; and three snowfalls produced 15.4" of snow. 

> 1947's first 70+ on 4/6 was the day after nearly two inches of rain fell. 

> In 1929 the first 70+ came three days after a low of 12°.  (In 2009 a low of 12° in March came four days before the year's first 70+.)

> In 1874, two days after a high of 72° on Feb. 23, 7.5" of snow fell. 

 

 

To read an analysis about the first readings of 60+ each year, double click here.

 

 

 

Central Park's Puzzling, Flawed Weather Station

This post has been a long time coming.  New York City, arguably the world's preeminent city, ironically, has a weather station in Central Park (serving as the official measurement site for NYC) that brings to mind that of a third world country.  There are regularly occurring instances of reporting glitches.  Last week, for instance, hourly sky conditions went missing.  (Looking out the window wasn't an option?).  This joined a host of other "irregularities": missing hourly precipitation/temperature reports (often during rainstorms); a five-month period in 2018-19 in which the anemometer was out of commission; a broken rain gauge that resulted in exaggerated amounts of rain for months in 1983; and flawed snowfall measurements in the winters of 2015 and 2016.

 

 

Central Park's weather station at Belvedere Castle

 

The rain gauge fiasco occurred during a year that may have been the wettest on record as 80.56" was reported (16 inches more than the previous wettest year, 1972).  But it turns out that besides rain entering the gauge's calibrated opening, a faulty weld was allowing extra water to seep in.  Because of this malfunction, designating 1983 as the wettest year is questionable.  Although some cities in the mid-Atlantic did report their wettest year in 1983, confidence about 1983's amount in Central Park is lacking.  Like Barry Bonds' home runs, 1983 should have an asterisk placed next to it.  Meanwhile, 2011, which had 72.81", may actually be the legitimate wettest year.   

 

The revision of winter 2016's snowfall came nearly three months after the blizzard of Jan. 23, 2016.  At the time, the National Weather Service reported that 26.8" of snow had accumulated, which made it the City's second biggest snowstorm, 0.1" behind the blizzard of February 2006.  Then, curiously, the amount was revised upward by 0.7" in late April.  The previous winter the NWS revised New York's winter snowfall upward by 3.3" for three snowfalls.  Specifically, snowfall was adjusted on three dates: Jan. 6 (from 0.5" to 1.0"); Jan. 24 (from 2.5" to 3.6"); and Feb. 2 (from 3.3" to 5.0").

 

 

What makes this situation more frustrating is the fact that the metro area's three airports (LaGuardia, Kennedy and Newark Liberty) experienced none of these issues.  So what does this say about the Central Park operation?  A lack of trained employees?  A lack of enthusiasm by those manning the site (perhaps they're hired from the same pool of applicants as the DMV)?  Or, is it due to a lack of funding?  Whatever the reason, a city with the cachet of New York deserves better.

 

 

 

 

 

 

July 2020 Is Seventh Hottest; Drought Eases Up

Following a June that was 2.3 degrees warmer than average, July 2020 was even more above average, +3.5 degrees, with an average high/low of 87.4°/72.6°.  The month's average temperature of 80.0° made it the seventh hottest July on record.  July records were set for mildest reading for coolest low temperature (67°) and the most lows in the 70s/80s (26).  Additionally, it joined eight other Julys with 14 or more highs of 90° or hotter.  Low temperatures were instrumental in placing the month so high in the rankings as it was third warmest in that category while the average high was ranked sixteenth.  Precipitation was also a significant story as the 6.58" that fell made this the wettest month of the year, so far, and the wettest of the 15 hottest Julys (July 2019 previously held that distinction).  Tropical storm Fay contributed a significant portion of the month's rainfall.

 

As mentioned above, July had 14 days with highs in the 90s, the most since 2010.  This included two five-day heat waves.  Despite the large number of hot days the heat wasn't overbearing as only one day had a high of 95° or hotter (96° on 7/6).  This was the fewest of any July among the 10 hottest.  However, there were nine days with lows of 75°+ (tied for fifth most of any July), including two in the 80s (the counterpart to high temperatures in the triple digits).  And of the six days with below average mean temperatures, just one of them had a low temperature that was cooler than average.

 

.

After an exceedingly dry May and June, with both months reporting less than two inches of rain, July had 6.58", making it the wettest month so far this year (nearly double the combined rainfall of the preceding two months).  More than half of the rain was from tropical storm Fay on 7/10 (2.54") and a severe thunderstorm the evening of 7/22 that dumped 1.23" in an hour.  (Newark Airport, just 20 miles to the west, was much rainier, with 11.17" measured - its wettest July on record).

 

 

Finally, June and July 2020 were the seventh warmest June-July combination.  And the number of lows of 70°+ in June and July (37) tied June-July 2010 for the greatest number.  (37 is the  average number for an entire year.)

 

 

Here are previous recaps of July from the past:

July 2019

July 2018

July 2017

July 2016

July 2015

July 2014

 

 

A Look at New York City's Hottest Weekends of All Time

On the one hand, if you work a Monday-Friday schedule and have access to a beach or pool, a hot weekend can be delightful.  On the other, if you don't have access to a body of water hot weather can be brutal, especcially if you have outdoor plans or a wedding to attend.  This summer, the weekend of July 18-19 had highs/lows of 91°/72° and 94°/77°.  Hot, yes, but far from the most torrid weekends of all time in New York.  This analysis looks at conditions in two ways - by mean temperatures and by high temperatures.  In order to qualify, both Saturday and Sunday had to have highs in the 90s or hotter and lows in the 70s or warmer. 

 

Looking at mean temperature, the two hottest weekends were Aug. 13-14, 1988 (highs/lows of 96°/79° and 99°/80°) and Aug. 8-9, 1896 (95°/79°, 98°/82°).   Last summer (2019) had the third hottest weekend, with highs/lows on July 20-21 of 95°/82° on Saturday and 95°/80° on Sunday.  Focusing on high temperatures reveals that the five hottest weekends are different from the top-five based on mean temperature, with the hottest occurring on July 3-4, 1966 (highs of 100° and 103°), followed by July 20-21, 1991 (100° and 102°).  These are the only weekends in which both days saw highs in the triple digits; four other weekends had one day of 100°+.

 

 

And here are a few other findings of note. 

• The earliest and latest scorching hot weekends occurred in the same year - 1895 (in the before-air conditioning era).  On June 1-2 the highs/lows were 96°/77° and 96°/76°; on Sept. 21-22 the highs/lows were 95°/77° and 95°/75°. 
• Besides 1895, 1953 also had two sizzling weekends. The most consecutive summers with a hot weekend were in 1943, 1944 and 1945.

• The weekend of July 20-21 has been very hot in three summers: 1957, 1991 and 2019.
• Finally, the first weekend with lows in the 80s on both days occurred in 2019 (82° and 80°).  However, the weekend of July 23-24, 2011 had the warmest low of these select weekends - 83° on Saturday.

 

 

 

 

Here are other heat-related posts:

Revisiting New York's Hottest Summers

"Super" Heat Waves (95°+)

Hot, Wet New York Summer

Low Temperatures of 70° or Warmer

The Heat is On: New York's "Hell Week"

June 2020: Warm & Dry

June's temperatures rebounded after a chilly April and May (2.7 and 2.1 degrees below average, respectively).  At 2.3 degrees above average it was the warmest June in 10 years (and 16th warmest overall).  Fourteen days were five degrees or more above average.  Besides being warmer than average, June was also on the dry side, with the least rainfall in 21 years (and 22nd driest overall).  The month had 1.76" of rain, which was very similar to May's 1.65" (like June, May was the 22nd driest).  This was just the sixth time (since 1869) that May and June both received less than two inches, and the first time that consecutive months had less than two inches of precipitation since April and May 2016 .  

 

Based on average temperature, June had the biggest warm-up following May since 2008.  And out of all of the years of measurement it was the 12th biggest warm-up after May (tied with two other years).

 

Although the number of days of 80°+ was close to average (18 days, including the final twelve days of the month), it was well above average for days of 85°+.   13 days had highs of 85° or warmer, with 11 between 85° and 89°.  The two other days had highs of 90° (on June 22 and 28).  At one point there was a streak of seven days in a row with highs of 85°+, the longest streak in June since 2010.  Furthermore, the month's 11 days with lows in the 70s was more than double the average for June.  Only three other Junes have had more lows of 70°+ (2010, 2005 and 1943 had 12; June 1895 had the same number as June 2020).

Through 6/26 it appeared the month would easily be among the ten driest Junes as just 0.98" had fallen.  Beginning 6/12 there were 15 days in a row with no measurable rainfall (the longest dry streak since the fall of 2017, which had a streak of 18 days).  Then 0.78" fell in the next three days.  The 0.58" that fell on 6/29 (in less than an hour) made it the rainiest day of June (and a wind gust of 47 mph was the highest of the month). 

 

Finally, the first half of 2020 was the driest since 1995 (16.15" was measured in Central Park, eight inches below average), and among all years it was the 17th driest first half of any year (tied with 1957).

 

 

Below are links for previous June recaps:

2019

2018

2017

2016

 

 

 

 

 

 

May 2020 Weather Recap - Chilly & Dry

May 2020 was 2.1 degrees below average and followed an April that was also cooler than average (-2.7 degrees).  The last time back-to-back months had below average temperatures was in March and April 2018.  This was the chilliest May since 2008.  What made the month cooler than average was the 10-day period between May 5-14, which was nine degrees colder than average.  (The month's other 21 days were slightly above average.) 

 

The brunt of the extended cold period mentioned above was May 9, when the high/low was just 48°/34° (nineteen degrees below average).  The day's low reading was the coldest reported in May since 1891.  Previous to this May, the last one with a reading in the 30s was in 1978 (38°).  Lows were in the 30s for three consecutive days, May 8-10 - just the fourth May with a cold streak of this length, joining 1891, 1923 and 1947.  Besides the chilly air, snow flurries fell before daybreak, tying May 9, 1977 for the latest date with a trace of snow.

 

 

May was also a dry month.  With just 1.65" rain measured this was the driest May since 2005 (and fourth driest since 1970, and 22nd driest among all Mays).  This amount was 60% below average (a deficit of two-and-a-half inches).  The wettest day was the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend when 0.65" was measured, with most of this amount pouring down between 11 AM and noon.  This was the rainiest Memorial Day Saturday since 1982.

 

Before the unseasonable Arctic outbreak of May 5-14, May began on the mild side, with the first four days four degrees above average.  5/1 snapped a 16-day streak of cooler than average temperatures; 5/2's high of 73° was the first reading in the 70s in more than six weeks; and May 3 saw the year's first reading of 80°+ - the first time since 2014 that a year's first 80 didn't occur in April. 

 

May's warmest reading, 84°, came six days after 5/9's frosty reading of 34°.  This was the first May since 2008 to have no readings of 85° or warmer.  (A typical May's warmest reading is in the upper 80s.)  The warmest mean temperature was on 5/29 and 5/30, both with a high/low of 81°/67° (eight degrees above average). 

 

Finally, there were a dozen days with lows cooler than 50°, double the average amount (since 2000) and the most in May since 2008. 

 

Here are recaps of the previous five Mays:

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

 

 

 

April 2020 Weather Review: First Cooler Than Average Month of the Year

April was 2.7 degrees below average, making it the first month this year to be chillier than average.  It was also the fourth chilliest April of the past 40 years.  Even more interesting, this was the first April since 1940 to have no days with highs of 70° or warmer (after three such days in March).  In the years since 2000 the warmest reading in April has averaged 85°, but this April's mildest reading was just 68° .  Despite this cool warmest reading, the nights weren't as cold as might be expected as the coldest reading, 36°, was three degrees milder than a typical April's coldest temperature.  The 32-degree difference between the month's coldest and warmest readings was 20 degrees less than the average difference between the two extremes - the smallest gap of any April on record.

 

The last sixteen days of the month all had below average mean temperatures, the longest below average streak since March 2018's streak of 22 days.  These 16 days were seven degrees below average (seven of the days were ten or more degrees below average).  Before this streak started April had been two degrees milder than average (with April 4-8 seven above average).

 

Although it was the fourth coldest April of the past 40 years, it ranked 63rd among all Aprils going back to 1869.  This was due to the fact that Aprils before 1940 were much chillier.

 

 

Although April's rainfall, at 4.49", was an average amount, it was enough to make it the rainiest month so far this year.  The month also had the year's biggest rainstorm - 1.92" on 4/13 (the day after Easter).

 

A typical April is 10 to 11 degrees warmer than March, but April 2020 was just 2.4 degrees milder - the third closest of any year.  Additionally, April's mildest reading was nine degrees cooler than March's (68° vs. 77°) and its mildest low temperature was one degree cooler than March's (53° vs. 54°).

 

 

2020 is just the seventh year in which April, March and February had more precipitation than the month preceding it. This year April had 4.49"; March, 3.78"; February 2.54"; and January 1.93".

 

Here are April recaps of previous years:

2019

2018

2017

2016