New York Weather Highlights of 2001

JANUARY

3 - Today was the 13th day in a row in which the high temperature failed to rise above freezing.  This was three days fewer than the all-time streak of sixteen days which occurred in January/February 1961. 

4 - Today's high of 34° was the "warmest" reading during the 16 days between Dec. 21 and Jan. 5.

6 - Today's high/low of 40°/30° made this the first day since Dec. 17 (twenty days) with above-average temperatures.

21 - A quick-moving snowstorm dumped six inches of snow this Sunday morning, a record amount for the date.  The snow was over by 8 AM.

 

FEBRUARY

5 - 3.5" of sloppy, wet snow fell.  The day's high/low was 36°/32°.

10 - The temperature plummeted from a record high of 61° to 27°.

12 - The morning low of 16° was the coldest reading of the winter.  Two days earlier the numbers were reversed when the high reached 61°.

22 - 5.5" of snow fell tonight between 5-11 PM, the fourth snowfall of four inches or more this winter.  It was a fluffy snow with just 0.31" of water content.  Today's high/low of 25°/17° tied Christmas Day as the coldest day of the winter (both had the same mean temperature of 21 degrees, but Christmas Day's high/low was 27°/15°).

 

MARCH

6 - 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 (two 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.

13 - 0.74" of rain fell between 1-3 AM.

26 - The 0.3" of snow that fell today was the last measurable snow of the season.  This winter's snowfall of 35 inches was the most in five winters.  Today's high of 37°/low of 27° was fourteen degrees colder than average. This was the ninth winter in which 3/26 was the date of the last measurable snow - the most of any date (none were more than an inch). 

30 - 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°.

 

APRIL

2 - The weather for today's Yankee home opener was very similar to last year's game as the high was a chilly 49° under mostly overcast skies.  This was the ninth day in a row with a high chillier than 50°.

9 - A passing cold front produced a 30-minute downpour in which 0.43" of rain fell between 6:45-7:15 PM.  Earlier in the afternoon the temperature topped out at 78°, the first 70-degree reading of the year and the warmest temperature since Oct. 3.  (The Mets played their home opener this afternoon, but at Shea Stadium temperatures were cooler, in the mid-60s.)  By contrast yesterday's high was just 45°.

22 - Today was the first of 26 days in a row with no measurable rain in Central Park, the second longest stretch of rain-free days in the 1980-2015 period.  The longest dry streak in this period was 35 days set two years earlier.

24 - After soaring to 87° in the early afternoon (the warmest reading of the month) a cold front moved through and by midnight the temperature had fallen to 52°.  The colder air was made even chiller by wind gusts of between 30-40 mph.  This was the third day in a row with 80-degree temperatures and today's high was the warmest in more than eight months (since Aug. 9).

 

MAY

1 - Today's high of 87° was a record for the date, and the first of four consecutive record highs.  The next three days would have highs of 90°, 90°, and 92°, respectively. 

2 - Today's record high of 90° was the first 90-degree day since Aug. 9.  It was also the earliest date of the first 90 in ten years.  (The first 90-degree reading typically occurs at the end of May.)

4 - This was the third day in a row of 90-degree heat and the fourth day in a row with a record high temperature.  This somewhat mirrored an early hot spell last year in early May (5/5-9).

7 - The morning low of 43° came three days after a high of 92°.

12 - The first twelve days of May were twelve degrees warmer than average with no rain, but the rest of the month would experience temperatures four degrees below average with two inches of rain.  

16 - This was the 25th day in a row without precipitation, making it the second longest rain-free streak in the 1980-2015 period, passing two streaks of 24 days in January/February 1980 and August 1995. 

18 - A pre-dawn shower that delivered just 0.07" of rain ended an extended dry spell of twenty-six days.  (Only a 35-day drought that occurred two years earlier in May/June 1999 was longer.)  Then between May 21-29 rain fell on eight of the nine days, amounting to nearly two inches. 

26 - This was the seventh day in a row in which the high temperature failed to reach 70°.  Average high during this week was just 61°, thirteen degrees cooler than average - quite a contrast from the first four days of the month which had an average high of 90°!

27 - Although just 0.08" of rain fell it was the first rain on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend in eleven years.

29 - Including today's 0.18" of rain nearly all of the month's 2.03" of rain fell in the past nine days.

 

JUNE

17 - A lot of rain fell overnight and throughout the morning, totaling 1.53".  This was a record amount for the date (broken ten years later).  And despite this being the rainiest Father's Day of the 1970-2019 period, skies cleared rapidly in the afternoon, salvaging the holiday. 

 

JULY

2 - The morning low was a refreshing 56°, twelve below average, and tying the record set way back in 1888.  It wouldn't be until mid-September that a cooler temperature would be reported (53° on 9/14).

17 - 0.50" of rain fell between 5-6 PM.  This was the biggest rainstorm of the month.

25 - Today's high was 94° after a low of 77°, making it the hottest day of the month.  This was just the fifth (and last) day with above average temperatures this month. 

 

AUGUST

7 - It was a blistering hot day as the temperature soared to 99°.  This happened to be the day the ad agency I worked for held a summer picnic in Central Park.  Most of us spent lots of time in the shade. 

8 - Today was the second day in a row with a high of 99° , a record for the date.

9 - Today's high temperature of 103° was the hottest reading in NYC since 1977 and the first triple-digit reading in August since 1955.  Only Aug. 7, 1918 had a higher reading (104°). 

10 - Today's high of 97° was a "cool-down" from yesterday's searing reading.  It was also the last 90-degree reading of the summer, coming about three weeks earlier than normal; the 15 days of high temperatures in the 90s/100s were three fewer than average.

 

SEPTEMBER

10 - It was a warm and sticky day, but then a passing cold front produced thunderstorms in the late afternoon and evening.  The evening thunderstorm dumped 0.57" of rain between 7:15-7:45 PM; then skies cleared afterward.

11 - Today dawned with bright blue skies, providing a surreal backdrop when terrorists crashed two hijacked planes into the twin towers of the World Trade Center during the morning.  Winds out of the west/northwest kept much of the billowing smoke from the collapsed towers from blowing north over Manhattan.

14 - Three days after the 9-11 attacks 1.90" of rain fell during the morning, hampering rescue and recovery operations down at Ground Zero.  Later that day President Bush visited the site. 

30 - Today had a chilly high/low of 55°/50°.  The afternoon high was 15 degrees cooler than average.  This was the last time a day in September had a high in the 50s (until 2016).

 

OCTOBER

6 - The 0.12" of rain that fell this morning, mostly between 9-10:00, was the last time measurable rain fell on this date until 2019.  This was just one of five days with rain this month, which ended up as the fifth driest October on record (with 0.01" less rain than October 2000).

 

NOVEMBER

2 - This was the 17th day in a row with no rain.  (Just 0.66" fell in October.)  

4 - The only reason to mention the 0.01" of rain that fell tonight between 11:00 and midnight is because it was the first rain on this date in 15 years.

25 - Half of the month's paltry rainfall fell in two hours this evening (6-8 PM) when 0.72" was measured. 

 

DECEMBER

1 - After experiencing the mildest November on record (later tied in 2015), December began with temperatures that were 19 degrees warmer than average.  After a mild morning low of 52° today's high reached a balmy 69° (closer to what's typical for early October).

5 - Today's high was an unseasonably mild 70°, a record for the date, and twenty-three degrees above average.

6 - Today's high was 71° (twenty-five degrees above average), one degree warmer than yesterday, and another record.

16 - This morning had the first low of 32° or colder this season - the second latest date on record for this occurrence.  (The latest date for the first freeze occurred three years earlier, on Dec. 22.)

17 - This was the 18th day in a row in which no low temperature was duplicated.  During these days (beginning on Nov. 30) they ranged between 32° and 58° - all above average.

25 - Today's 0.51" of rain was the last precipitation of the year, the driest year since 1970.  The year's precipitation totaled 35.56", 14 inches below average.  The past three months had just 4.26" of rain, one-third the normal amount. 

27 - This was the first day of this very mild month with colder than average temperatures (high of 34°/low of 26°) - and it was the first cold day in five weeks (since Nov. 21). 

30 - Today was the first day this winter with a high temperature of 32° or colder.  There would be just two other such days for the rest of the winter (the average number is 17).  

31 - Whereas 1989's bitter cold December ended on a mild note, this December, the mildest on record, ended quite cold (high/low of 31°/20°).  It would also be the coldest day of the mild winter of 2001-02.  Five of the past six New Year's Eves had temperatures well below average (the exception being 1999's 43°/34°).

 

 

To read highlights from other years between 1970 and 2023 double click here. 

 

 

Save

Save

New York Weather Highlights of 2000

 

 

JANUARY

3 - Today's high of 64°, twenty-five degrees above average, eclipsed the previous record high set three years ago.  This was the second of three days in a row with readings in the 60s.

13 - After a very mild first half of the month, in which temperatures averaged twelve degrees above average, Arctic air swooped in and the second half of January would be very cold, with temperatures eight degrees below average (high/low of 29°/15°). 

18 - Not only was today the coldest day of the winter (high/low of 19°/3°), it was the coldest day in six years.  This was the sixth winter to have its coldest mean temperature fall on this date, the most of any date.  The other winters were: 1997 (17°/7°); 1982 (15°/0°); 1974 (23°/6°); 1938 (17°/6°); and 1921 (16°/6°).

20 - A very late first snowfall of the winter, as 2.5" fell.  This was two years after the winter of 1998's first snowfall fell on Jan. 18.  Today was also the 20th day in a row in which no low temperature was duplicated.

25 - 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 its history.

 

FEBRUARY

18 - A slushy three inches of snow fell, in addition to freezing rain and sleet.  This was the last significant snow of the winter.

19 - Today's high/low was 32°/29° with freezing rain (0.24" of liquid precipitation).

 

MARCH

10 - This was the 19th day in a row with above-average temperatures.  During these days the average high/low was 55°/39°, nearly 10 degrees above average.  Not only was it mild but dry as well, with just 0.29" of precipitation. 

18 - This morning's low of 22° came two days after a high of 65°.

 

APRIL

9 - One day after the high temperature reached 71°, 1.2" of snow fell during the morning - the final snow of the winter.  The day's low of 30° was the coldest reading of the the month. 

12 - At this afternoon's home opener for the Yankees, the team received their World Series rings in weather that was sunny and breezy, with a chilly high of 50°, nine degrees colder than average.  This kept the attendance (48,487) down from the usual sell-out.   

16 - Today had the mildest reading of the month, 75°.  This was the last April with no days in the 80s until 2014.    

21 - My flight to Pittsburgh, for an Easter visit to see my mother, was delayed six hours due to inclement weather in the Mid-Atlantic states.  1.62" of rain fell, with more than half of it coming down between noon-3 PM.  It was also chilly as the high got up to just 49°, fourteen degrees below average. 

22 - This was the third day in a row with nearly identical, chilly highs and lows: 49°/44°, 50°/44° and 49°/44° (today).

 

MAY

7 - Today's high of 93°, a record for the date, was the hottest reading of the entire year, and more than three weeks earlier than the typical date of the first 90.  It was the first of just seven highs in the 90s in 2000, well below the average of eighteen.   

8 - Today's high was 91°, the second day in a row in which a record was set. 

9 - Today's high was 91°, the third day in a row of 90-degree temperatures.  It was the longest such streak of the year.  There would be only four more 90-degree days for the rest of the year.

10 - After three days in a row with 90-degree highs (and five of 85°+), today saw a return to reality as temperatures fell from 78° shortly after midnight into the mid-50s during the afternoon.  And then rain moved in during the evening, lasting until about 9 PM; 0.56" fell.

18 - 0.66" of rain fell in a 30-minute period (6-6:30 PM) and within that half hour 0.44" fell during the fifteen minutes between 6:15-6:30.

20 - Today's rainy and raw conditions made the five-day heat wave of May 5-9 a distant memory.  Today's high was just 51°, twenty-one degrees colder than average.  By contrast, the high on May 9 was 93°, twenty-four degrees above average.

25 - 0.12" of rain fell between midnight-1AM, making this the eighth day in a row in which rain fell.  3.26" fell during these days.

 

JUNE

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

7 - The morning's low was a chilly 49°, twelve degrees below normal, and would be the last time the temperature fell into the 40s in June until 2023 (on 6/4).

11 - Today's high of 92° was the sixth 90-degree day so far this year.  However, there would be just one more such day for the rest of the summer, two months later on Aug. 9.  Only six other years have had their sixth 90-degree reading by this date (none since 2000) - but all of them had a lot more hot days in the following months.

12 - The temperature this afternoon fell into the low 60s, quite a contrast from yesterday's sizzling high of 92°.  And tomorrow's high would manage to rise to just 60°, eighteen degrees cooler than average.

 

JULY

14 - A strong thunderstorm dumped 0.51" of rain in just fifteen minutes during lunchtime (12:51-1:06 PM).

18 - Although today was just one degree above-average (high/low of 87°/69°) it was the only day with an above average reading in the twenty-two days between July 11 and Aug. 1. 

26 - The biggest rainstorm of the year soaked NYC with 4.37".  Of that amount, 3.24" fell today (a record for the date) and the rest fell on 7/27, ending between 7-8 AM.  Today's high was just 69°, sixteen degrees below average.

30 - The 0.23" of rain that fell today (mostly during a shower in the pre-dawn hours) was the last time rain fell on this date.

31 - One year after the hottest July on record, this July was the coolest since 1914, four degrees below average.

 

AUGUST

1 - Today was the tenth day in a row in which the high temperature failed to reach 80°.  During these days the average high was only 74°, eleven degrees cooler than average, and more typical of late May.

6 - Twenty-nine of the past thirty-two days had cooler than average temperatures.  Twenty days had highs lower than 80° during a time of year when highs are typically in the mid-80s.

9 - Today's high of 90° was the first 90-degree temperature since June 11.  It was also the last day in the 90s this year.  At the time this was the third greatest gap between the last and the next-to-last day in the 90s (now the fourth greatest).   In total, only seven days were in the 90s, well below the average, which is eighteen. 

21 - The high today and the previous three days: 85°-84°-85°-84° (today).

30 - Today's rain amounted to just 0.01", but it was the first to fall on this date in fifteen years.  This was also the seventh day in a row in which the mean temperature was one degree above or below average, tying a streak of similar length three years earlier (the longest such streaks in the 1980-2023 period.)

 

SEPTEMBER

2-4 - Each day of the extended Labor Day holiday had above average temperatures as well as a thunderstorm.  In total, the storms produced nearly two inches of rain.  In the 1979-2019 measurement period, this was the only Labor Day weekend to have rain fall on each day.

5 - After a Labor Day weekend in which every day saw highs between 82° and 84°, Tuesday dawned brisk and quite chilly with a low of only 52° (one degree shy of the 1963 record).  This was 30 degrees colder than yesterday's noontime temperature.

19 - 1.90" of rain fell during the afternoon and evening, with much of it falling between 2-4:30 PM.

20 - Today was the last 80-degree day of the year.  In total, there were just 58 such days, the fewest of any year since 1927, which had 44.  (The average number between 1950-1999 was 87.)

29 - This morning's low of 43° was the chilliest reading in September since 1974 (when it happened on 9/24).

 

OCTOBER

29 - Although it was just 0.01", the rain that fell today was the first on this date since 1984 (when just 0.02" fell). 

 

NOVEMBER

25 - Today was the sixth day in a row with a low of freezing or colder, the longest such streak in November in the years since 1940 (later equaled in November 2008).

 

DECEMBER

6 - Today was the first day of the winter with a high temperature of 32° or colder.  The high of 32° was 14 degrees below average and was the first of thirteen freezing-or-below days in December (the average is four). 

8 - The first snowfall of the season fell late this morning, a dusting of 0.1".  The day was cold and raw with a high/low of 31°/28°.

10 - For the fourth day in a row the morning low was 28°.

17 - Today's high of 62° was a record for the date, just one of five days with above-average temperatures during a December that was quite cold (5.5 degrees below average) - the coldest since 1989. 

22 - Today was the first of thirteen days in a row with high temperatures of 32° or colder - one of New York's longest cold streaks on record.  During mid-afternoon a quick burst of snow amounted to 0.8".

25 - With a high/low of 27°/15°, this was the coldest Christmas Day since 1989.  It was also the coldest day of the winter, later tied by Feb. 22.

30 - A foot of snow fell today.  It was a record for the date, the most snow since the blizzard of January '96, and the biggest December snowstorm since 1960.  The snow came down in just an 8-hour period, between 5 AM-1 PM.

 

 

 

To read highlights from other years between 1970 and 2023 double click here. 

 

 

Save

Save

New York Weather Highlights of 1999

 

 

JANUARY

1 - The year began with a teeth-chattering low of 11°, which occurred shortly before midnight.  This was the third year in a row that started with temperatures that were quite cold (New Year's Day 1998 had a low of 14°, 1997's had a low of 11°). 

2 - Today's high/low of 25°/9° made this the coldest day of the winter - and the coldest of the past two years (since Jan. 19, 1997 when it was 20°/4°). 

3 - The Arctic chill of the past few days was replaced by mild air which accompanied a storm system that produced 2.42" of rain, a record amount for the date.  The rain came down heaviest between 10-11 AM when 0.89" poured down.  Today's high was 51°, the only day between Dec. 31 and Jan. 6 to have a high temperature above freezing.

8 - 2.5" of snow fell.  This would be the winter's largest accumulation until mid-March.  The precipitation started as snow late in the morning, changed to freezing rain late in the afternoon and then to rain overnight.

12 - Today's high of 50° was reached just before midnight and was twice as warm as the bone-chilling temperature 24 hours earlier.

14 - Despite very cold temperatures (high/low of 22°/15°), light snow was mixed with sleet and freezing rain, producing an accumulation of two inches. 

24 -Today was the eighth in a row with temperatures 10 degrees or more above average.  The high/low during these days was 51°/38°, fourteen degrees above average.  Today's high was 60°, with 1.04" of rain during the daytime hours.

30 - This was the 15th straight day with above average temperatures.  During this stretch temperatures were 10 degrees above normal (high/low of 47°/35°).

 

FEBRUARY

12 - The past four weeks were 11 degrees warmer than average.  Today's high of 62° was a record for the date.

 

MARCH

15 - Beginning late last night five inches of wet snow fell, the biggest snowfall of the winter.  The temperature got no lower than 32° and made it up to 41° by afternoon.  This was the last snowfall of a winter in which just 12.7" fell.  By coincidence, last winter's biggest snow was also five inches and occurred around this time (March 22).

16 - This was the winter's last morning with a low temperature of 32° or colder, the earliest date for the last freeze since 1962 (when it occurred on 3/9).  This early date would be tied six years later.  (Average date for the last freezing morning low is March 31.)  

 

APRIL

9 - A steady light rain fell between noon and 6 PM and it resulted in the Yankees home opener being called after seven innings with the Yankees in the lead 12-3.  Not only was it rainy, but cold as the temperature fell all day.  By game time it was down into the mid-40s - quite a change from yesterday's 80-degree weather.

 

MAY

11 - For the past seven days low temperatures were between 54° and 56°, a few degrees milder than average.  Highs, however, were more variable, ranging between 58° and 73°.

23 - Scattered showers that fell throughout the day amounted to 0.30", the first rain on this date in 10 years.

24 - 1.22" of rain fell in three hours between 11 AM-2 PM.

29 - Memorial Day weekend began today and it may have been the nicest one ever as each day featured bright sunshine and high temperatures in the upper 80s (87°-88°-89°).

 

JUNE

7 - Today's high soared to 94°, seventeen degrees above average, and the first 90-degree temperature of the year. 

22 - Low temperatures during the past seven days were between 58° and 60°: 58°-58°-58°-59°-60°-59°-58° (today) - about five degrees cooler than average.  Afternoon highs, however, were more variable and ranged between 66° and 83°.    

 

JULY

1 - The 0.24" of rain that fell today was the most of any day this month and accounted for more than half of the month's total, a record 0.44". 

4 - With a high of 96°, this was the hottest 4th of July in 33 years.  Not only was it hot, but unbearably humid as the dew point in the afternoon was in the low 70s, which produced a heat index of 110°.  Today was the first of eighteen 90-degree days in July (eleven of which were 95°+). 

5 - Not surprisingly today's high of 101° was a record for the date.  It was also the earliest date with a triple-digit temperature since 1966.

6 - For the second day in a row the high reached 101°.  The morning low was just 83°.  This was one of three days with highs of 101° (the others were 7/5 and 7/19) but today's low was the warmest of the three dates, making it the date with the hottest mean temperature of 1999. 

14 - Low temperatures during the past four days were: 61°-62°-63°-64° (today).  The typical low during these days is 69°.

17 - The high temperature soared to 98°.

19 - Today's high temperature soared to 101°, the third day this month with a reading of 101°. 

22 - Between May 25 and today just one inch of rain fell (0.02" fell today).  The typical amount of rain during this period is approximately eight-and-a-half inches.

25 - Today's high of 97° was a record for the date.

28 - This was the eleventh day this month with a high of 95° or hotter.  And at 97° today's high was hot enough to set the record for the date.  

 

AUGUST

1 - This afternoon's high hit 98°, the hottest reading of the month.

2 - This was the last of eleven consecutive days with highs in the 90s, one day shy of New York's all-time streak of twelve days set in August/September of 1953.  During this streak the average high temperature was 94° and ranged between 90° and 98°.   

5 - Today was the last 90-degree day of the summer, one of the earliest dates for this occurrence.  In a typical year the last 90-degree reading usually occurs at the end of  August.  What made it even more surprising is that it was during a summer that had 50% more 90-degree days than average (27 vs. 18).

7 - Today was the sixteenth day in a row in which the high temperature was 87° or higher.  Twelve of the days had temperatures in the 90s, including eleven in a row between July 23 and Aug. 2.  For the entire stretch of days the average high was 92°, eight degrees hotter than average.

19 - Today was the 36th day in a row with a high of 80° or warmer, the longest such streak since 1966, and one day longer than an 80-degree streak last summer.

21 - Unseasonably cool with a high/low of only 64°/59°, thirteen degrees below average.

26 - A torrential two-hour downpour during the morning rush hour paralyzed traffic and caused a system-wide shutdown of the subway.  While 1.53" of rain was measured in Central Park, other parts of the City were flooded by between 2.5 and 4 inches.

27 - Between Aug. 3 and 27, twelve days had morning lows of 68° or 69°.

 

SEPTEMBER

9 - For the fourth time since 1985 the last 70-degree low of the year was on this date (average date of this occurrence is Sept. 11).  Also, during the past four days the low temperatures were: 74°-73°-72°-71° (today).  The average low during these days is 63°.

10 - 0.77" of rain fell between 1:00 and 2:00 AM.  Total rainfall for the day, 1.38", was a record for the date (one of the lowest totals for a daily record, later broken in 2015).

16 - Tropical storm Floyd flooded the area with 5.02" of rain, forcing many businesses to close early and causing service on some subway lines to be suspended because of track flooding.  Today's rainfall, a record for the date (and the most rain to fall on a Thursday), was an inch more than what fell for the entire summer.  More than half of it fell between 8 AM and 1 PM, but an additional 0.76" fell from a final band of heavy rain that moved through between 7-8 PM.   

 

OCTOBER

7 - This morning's low of 39°, a record for the date, was the earliest reading in the chilly 30s in 25 years.

 

NOVEMBER

19 - Today was the 17th day in a row without rain.  November would end with 2.33" of rain, about half of the month's average precipitation. 

27 - Today was the eighth day in a row in which temperatures were 10 degrees or more milder than average.  The average high and low during these day, 63°/52°, was 12 degrees above typical late November temperatures.

 

DECEMBER

13 - In the two weeks ending today, no two days had the same high temperature.

23 - Somewhat similar to this date last year, today was the twenty-first day in a row with above average temperatures.  Temperatures were seven degrees above the norm during this three-week span.

24 - Today's high of 30°, ten degrees colder than average, was the first high temperature of 32° or colder this winter.

25 - Today's high/low of 28°/19° made Christmas Day the coldest day of the month.

 

 

To read highlights from other years between 1970 and 2023 double click here. 

 

Save

Save

Save

New York Weather Highlights of 1998

JANUARY

1 - The morning low of 14° was the coldest reading of the winter.  Today was also one of just two days this winter with a high temperature below freezing (the other day would be March 12).  A typical winter has seventeen such days.

8 - Today's high of 65° was twenty-six degrees above average and a record for the date (it reached 70° in Newark).

11 - While most of eastern Canada was paralyzed by an epic six-day ice storm, NYC was basking in very mild weather.  During the past nine days temperatures were 18 degrees milder than average.  Average high/low during these days was 57°/43°, typical for the first week of April. 

14 - Today was the month's second, and last, day with colder than average temps (high of 33°/low of 23°).

18 - The 0.5" of snow that accumulated during the morning was the first measurable snowfall of the winter, the latest first snow in twenty-five years.  It was also the only snow that fell in January.  (When February saw no snow, this made Jan/Feb the least snowy on record, passing Jan/Feb 1919, which had 0.8").

20 - This was the fifth day in a row in which temperatures were stuck in the 30s.  The average high/low during these days was 38°/32°. 

21 - High temperatures over the past seven days ranged between 37° and 39°.

23 - 2.55" of rain fell, with most of it (two inches) falling between 4-9 PM.  This was a record rainfall for the date.

28 - In the past two weeks eight of the days had high temperatures of either 38° or 39°. 

 

FEBRUARY

5 - A cold rain that began yesterday evening continued thru this evening, amounting to 1.36" (1.07" which fell today).  Just two degrees separated today's high (36°) and low (34°).

13 - Today was the 30th day in a row with above-average temperatures - and 42nd out of the last 43 (beginning Jan. 2).  The mean temperature during this six-week period was nine degrees above average.  Then after two days of below-average temperatures on Feb. 14 and 15, there would be 22 more consecutive days with above-normal readings.

28 - This was the mildest February on record (since passed by Feb. 2012, 2017 and 2018), seven degrees above average).  It also had no snowfall, the only February with this distinction.  This followed an equally mild January which was 8.5 degrees above average.  And today continued the mild trend as it was 11 degrees above average.   

 

MARCH

9 - Beginning yesterday afternoon and continuing through midday today 2.32" of rain fell.  Nearly half, 1.02", came down between 5-7 AM.  Today's rainfall of 1.82" was a record for the date.

11 - This was the first day since New Year's Day with a high of 32° or colder.  And tomorrow would be the third, and last, such day of the winter.

22 - It appeared this winter was going to have the least snow on record, with just 0.5" measured.  Then a surprise five-inch snowfall occurred overnight and the winter of 1998 ended up as the fourth least snowy (behind 1973, 1919 and 1932).  It would fall to fourth place four years later when the winter of 2001-02 had just 3.5".  

27 - Five days after five inches of snow fell an extraordinary five-day warm spell began.  Each day had high temperatures of 80° or higher.  Today's high of 83° was a record.

31 - Today's high was 86°, tying March 29, 1945 as the warmest reading ever recorded in March.  This was the last day of a five-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 half weeks - and it was the last time (thru 2019) that a temperature in the 80s was reported in the month of March.  Today also happened to be the home opener for the New York Mets (which they won in 11 innings over Philadelphia). 

 

APRIL

1 - 1.78" of rain fell today with 1.16" of it coming down in a two-hour period between 6-8 PM.

9 - A nor'easter moved in during mid-afternoon, delivering 1.86" of rain (and 2.15" in total, when counting rain that continued into the wee hours of the following day).  A peak wind gust of 51 mph was clocked in Central Park.  Today's rainfall topped the amount that poured down on 4/1.

11 - The sixteen days between March 27 and today every day had a different high temperature.  They ranged from 48° to 86°.

24 - The 0.03" of rain that fell today, following yesterday's 0.82", duplicated the rainfall of 4/19 (0.82") and 4/20 (0.03").

 

MAY

5 - Yesterday and today had the same high/low of 62°/55°.  However, where today differed was that the afternoon was rainy (0.57" fell) while yesterday was dry.

6 - For the third day in a row with a low of 55°, four degrees above average.

9 - It was a dreary, rainy Mother's Day weekend as 1.42" of rain fell today (Saturday) and 1.94" would fall tomorrow. 

11 - 4.32" of rain fell between May 8-11, which is the typical amount of rain for the entire month of May.  Today's rainfall totaled 0.68".

31 - High temperatures during the past four days: 85°-84°-85°-84° (today).

 

JUNE

7 - One month after there were three days in a row with a low of 55° (May 4-6), today was the third day in a row with a low of 54°.  This compares to an average low of 60°.

13 - 1.31" of rain fell between 10AM-noon.  It came down especially hard in the second hour when 0.85" fell.  This heavy rainfall followed steady rain that fell yesterday that amounted to 1.29".

15 - Today was the fifteenth consecutive day with cooler than average temperatures.  During these days high temperatures ranged between 65° and 73° (average is 77°).  This first half of June was six degrees cooler than average (the second half would be two degrees warmer than average).

16 - After the month of May had ten of them, today was the first 80-degree day in June, as well as the first day with an above-average mean temperature (+ 3 degrees).  This was the latest date for the first 80-degree reading in June since 1916 (when it occurred on June 18).

25 - The year's first 90-degree temperature was today, four days later than last year's, and the latest date of this occurrence since 1985 (the typical date for the first 90-degree reading is May 31). 

 

JULY

18 - Today was the fifth day in a row in which the high topped out at 85°.

22 - Today was the hottest day of the summer as the high topped out at 93° after a very warm low of 78°.

31 - The 0.33" of rain that fell this morning brought the month's paltry total to 1.09".  This followed a very wet first half of the year in which 36 inches of precipitation fell - 60% above average.  (The following July would be even drier, in fact the driest ever, with just 0.44" measured.)

 

AUGUST

6 - Today and the previous two days had similar highs/lows: 87°/70°, 86°/70° and 87°/70° (today).

12 - This was the 35th day in a row with high of 80° or warmer, the longest such streak since one of 40 days in 1966. 

17 - The 2.38" of rain that fell today accounted for almost all of the rain that fell this month (2.78").  1.49" of it fell in just two hours, between 1-3 PM.

 

SEPTEMBER

2 - The 0.69" of rain that fell this evening (between 7-10:00) was the first rain on this date in 13 years (when just 0.01" fell).  The rain forced postponement of the US Open's evening matches. 

6 - Today's high of 90° was the last 90-degree temperature of the year.  In total, there were only eight days in the 90s in 1998, well below the average of seventeen. This was the eighth year this date had the last reading in the 90s, the most of any date (later tied in 2022).

7 - It was Labor Day and the afternoon and evening were marred by severe thunderstorms.  0.64" fell between 1-2 PM and later 1.61" fell between 9 PM-1 AM.  This was the rainiest Sept. 7 on record.   

27 - Today's high/low of 89°/69° was 15 degrees warmer than a typical late September day.

 

OCTOBER

1 - A torrential downpour dumped 0.97" of rain between 2-3 AM.  No additional rain fell for the rest of the day.

 

NOVEMBER

6 - The AM lows of the past six days exhibited the following pattern: 43°-43°-38°-38°-36°-36° (today).  Today and yesterday's readings were the coldest of the month, making this the first November since 1985 not to have a temperature of 32° or colder.  It was also the mildest reading to be the chilliest of any November (later joined by November 2011).

26 - Two-thirds of the month's below-average rainfall fell today (0.97"), mostly between 7 AM-noon. 

 

DECEMBER

3 - Today's high of 69°, twenty-three degrees above average, was a record for the date.

4 - More typical of late May, today's high of 74°, twenty-seven degrees above average, was a new record for the date.  

7 - Today's high of 75° was a whopping twenty-eight degrees above average and set an all-time high for the month of December.  It came just three days after a high of 74° and was the tenth consecutive day in which high temperatures were 60° or warmer.

17 - Today was the 25th day in a row with above-average temperatures.  During this stretch of mild days temperatures were ten degrees above normal.  This would be the mildest December since 1984.

22 - The temperature nosedived from a record high of 63° to 22° by midnight.  This was the first subfreezing temperature of the season, the latest date for this occurrence on record, breaking the old 1948 record by eleven days.  (Central Park was frost-free for nine months this year.)  Between Nov. 29 and today temperatures were 11 degrees above average.

23 - This was the first day since Nov. 22 that had colder than average temperatures - and the first day this winter completely below freezing.  Today's high/low of 29°/18° was in sharp contrast to the 55°/42° averaged in the first three weeks of the month. 

24 - Two inches of snow fell before daybreak, the first snowfall of the winter.  This was only the second colder-than-average day of a very mild December (high/low of 32°/23°).

29 - Only 1.12" of precipitation was measured this month and most of it fell today as 0.71" of rain fell.  The entire second half of 1998 was very dry.  After 36 inches of precipitation fell in the first half only 12.15" fell after July 1.  

31 - Today's high/low of 25°/17° made this the coldest day of the year (and the second coldest day was on 1/1).  The previous two years also ended with very cold morning lows - 17° and 15°.

 

 

To read highlights from other years between 1970 and 2023 double click here. 

 

Save

Save

Save

New York Weather Highlights of 1997

 

 

JANUARY

3 -  An unseasonably mild afternoon high of 62° occurred just two days after a morning low of 11°.

11 - The biggest snowfall of the winter, 3.5", fell in just three hours between 3-6 AM.  (Just ten inches fell for the entire winter.)

19 - Yesterday (high/low of 17°/7°) and today (20°/4°) had the coldest mean temperatures of the winter.

25 - Rain that fell overnight amounted to 1.59" (0.36" from 1/24) and was largely over by 4 AM.

 

FEBRUARY

8 - 2.6" of snow fell during the afternoon and evening.  It was the second largest accumulation in a winter in which just ten inches fell.

11 - Today was the fourth day in a row in which the mean temperature (the average of the high and low) was right at the seasonal average (32°).  Temperatures during these four days: 36°/27°, 39°/24°, 35°/28° and today's 39°/27°.

19 - Today's high of 66° was a record for the date.

22 - Today's springlike high of 69° was a record for the date and three degrees warmer than two days ago when another record high was set.  

27 - Today's high of 72° (twenty-nine degrees above average) was the third record high in the past nine days, but it was just two days after a low of 19°, which was three days after a high of 69°.   (At the time this became the third mildest February on record; it's now ranked ninth).

 

MARCH

6 - Although rain fell on 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 (bringing to mind the Ash Wednesday nor'easter on the same date in 1962).

10 - The half-inch of snow that fell today was the largest accumulation on this date since 1959 (when 0.6" fell).  However, it was quickly washed away by rain as the temperature rose into the low 50s. 

14 - Early in the morning precipitation began as snow, sleet and freezing rain for a few hours before changing over to steady rain after 10 AM which continued for the rest of the day (in total an inch of precipitation fell, just 0.02" shy of the record for the date).  The snow amounted to just 0.2", the final snowfall of the winter.  Total snowfall for the winter was well below average at 10.0", quite a contrast from the previous winter's record setting 75.6".  This was the least snow since the winter of 1988-89 when 8.1" fell. 

31 - 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 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 to make that possible.    

 

APRIL

11 - The Yankees played their home opener on a sunny but quite chilly day, with the afternoon temperature about ten degrees colder than average (upper 40s).  And although the World Champions took a 1-0 lead into the 9th they ended up losing to Oakland in 12 innings.

 

MAY

19 - Today was the only day of the month that warmed into the 80s (high was 83°), the fewest such days since May 1983, which had none.  (2003 and 2005 would also have no 80-degree days.)  This lack of 80-degree temperatures helped make this the chilliest May in thirty years. 

 

JUNE

2 - 0.99" of rain fell today, more than half of the month's total (1.93").

9 - Twenty of the past twenty-one days had below-average temperatures, resulting in temperatures that were six degrees below average.

18 - During a thunderstorm 0.36" of rain fell in five minutes between 11:05-11:10 PM and 0.64" fell in fifteen minutes between 11:04-11:19 PM.

21 - Today's high of 90° was the first 90-degree reading of the year, three weeks later than the typical date for this occurrence - and the latest date since 1985.  This was also the first of five 90-degree days thru 6/29.

 

JULY

15 - Today's high/low 97°/77° made it the hottest day of the summer.  A brief thunderstorm moved through between 5-6:00 PM and dropped 0.17" of rain.

21 - 0.81" of rain fell in a 45-minute period between 11:05-11:50 PM.  (Actually, the rain fell between 12:05-12:50 on 7/22, but the National Weather Service uses Standard Time year-round and doesn't recognize Daylight Saving Time.)   

24 - The remnants of hurricane Danny 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 7:21-8:21 PM 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.

25 - Six inches of rain fell in the past five days, about 50% above July's average rainfall.

27 - Today's 0.09" of rain was the last rainfall during the wettest July (8.36" of rain) since 1975.  (And it would the rainiest July until 2021, when more than ten inches fell.)

 

AUGUST

4 - The low this morning of 65° was the "coolest" reading on this date and the mildest "minimum" temperature for any day of the year (between 1980-2024).  

15 - Today was the seventh in a row in which the mean temperature was one degree above or below average, the longest such streak in the years between 1970-2023 period (tied three years later).  During the past four days the highs/lows were: 81°/71°, 81°/71°, 82°/71° and 82°/70° (today).

17 - Today, with a high of 93°, was the last 90-degree day of the year.  In total, a dozen days reached 90° or higher in 1997, well below the average of eighteen.

24 - This was the seventh day in a row in which lows were in the 60°-62° range, and it followed eight days in a row with lows that were 70°-72° (Aug. 10-17).  By contrast, high temperatures weren't in this narrow, consistent range.  (Average low during these two weeks of August is in the upper 60s.) 

26 - This was the ninth day in a row in which the high temperature was cooler than 80°, one of the lengthiest strings of "cool" days of any summer in the 1970-2024 period.  During these days the average high was 76°, six degrees below average.

29 - 0.83" of rain fell between 11 AM-1 PM.

 

OCTOBER

26 - It was a chilly day (high/low of 50°/38°, ten degrees below average), with rain moving in after 4 PM.  The 0.36" that fell thru midnight was the first rain on this date in 11 years.

27 - The 0.36" of rain that fell before dawn was the last rainfall this month and brought October's total to 2.10" - the exact same amount that fell in September.  This was the fifth time for this type of phenomenon, joining May/June 1917; Nov/Dec 1945; Dec. 1980/Jan. 1981; and June/July 1985.  (And there have been nine instances of back-to-back months being 0.01" apart.)

 

NOVEMBER

2 - 0.46" of rain fell between 3-3:30 this afternoon.

16 - Temperatures today and the past two days were very similar and never got out of the 30s, with highs/lows of: 38°/32°, 37°/32° and 39°/31° (today).  These temperatures were thirteen degrees below average.   

18 - Today was the sixth day in a row with temperatures 10 degrees or more below average.  The high/low during these days was a chilly 41°/30°, twelve degrees colder than what is typical for mid-November and it fell in the middle of a three-week period in which none of the days had above average readings.  By coincidence, last November had a similar six-day stretch of chilly weather ( 11/11-16).  However, this year's was different in that every day had a low of 32° or colder, the longest such streak in November since before 1960.

 

DECEMBER

11 - After drizzle and ice pellets fell overnight, the daylight hours were gray and raw, with just two degrees separating the high (35°) and low (33°).

13 - This was the fourth day in a row with a morning low of 33°, which was at the seasonal average.

16 - Today's high of 54° was the mildest reading of the month, a relatively cool reading for that distinction.

22 - The 0.14" of cold rain that fell this evening after 8 PM was the first precipitation to fall on this date since 1983.

 

 

To read highlights from other years between 1970 and 2023 double click here. 

 

Save

New York Weather Highlights of 1996

JANUARY

2 - Rain changed to sleet and snow during the evening, accumulating 1.7" by midnight.  This was the most snow to fall on Jan. 2 since 1925 (when a blizzard dumped 11.5").

7 - A crippling blizzard began early in the afternoon and continued until noon the next day (Monday).  It immobilized an area from West Virginia through Massachusetts and dumped 20.2" on Central Park, the third greatest snow total in New York history (13.6" fell today and 6.6" the next day, both records for the date).  At one point five inches fell between 5-7 PM.  Besides the snow and wind, it was also quite cold, with a high/low of 22°/12°. 

8 - An additional 6.5" of snow fell on top of the 13.7" that fell yesterday (accompanied by 40-50 mph wind gusts).  The snow finally ended shortly before 10 AM.  Areas west of NYC reported considerably more snow than the 20.2" measured in Central Park: 32" in Staten Island, 28" in Newark, 26" in Allentown, PA and 31" in Philadelphia.  Temperatures remained quite cold, with a high of 23°/low of 16°.

11 - The past nine days, all with sub-freezing high temperatures, were 12 degrees colder than average (high of 25°/low of 14°).

12 - 2.4" of snow fell during lunchtime before it changed to rain, bringing the City's snow total in the past five weeks to 36.7".  (Fifteen years later this would be topped when an incredible 55" fell in a 33-day period during the winter of 2010-11.)  

19 - 0.86" of rain fell during the afternoon, with most of it (0.64") coming down in just an hour (3-4:00 PM).  Rain throughout the Mid-Atlantic states produced disastrous flooding because it fell on top of the deep snow pack left behind from the blizzard of two weeks ago.

31 - Since 1970 an inch or more of snow has never fallen on this date.  The 0.9" that fell today is the most that's fallen.  It fell upon the arrival of an Arctic front that moved through late in the morning.  Today's snow brought the month's total snowfall to 26.1", making it, at the time, the second snowiest January on record (it's now third).  

 

FEBRUARY

3 - 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 6+ 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.

5 - The morning low of 5° was the coldest reading of the winter. (The previous winter's coldest temperature occurred on Feb. 6.)

16 - Snow fell throughout this Friday and 10.7" piled up (9.9" of it today, the rest after midnight) - the fourth snowstorm this winter of 7.5" or more.  It was a fluffy snow with only 0.52" water content.

19 - Morning lows over the past four days were: 22°-21°-22°-21° (today) - eight degrees colder than average.  Then today's high rebounded to 42°, marking the beginning of an extended thaw that would see temperatures average 14 degrees above average between Feb. 20 and 28.

27 - It was a month of wild temperature swings and today was the 17th day in which temperatures were either ten degrees or more above or below average.  Today, with a high of 58°, was the ninth day in a row with temperatures ten degrees or more above average.

 

MARCH

2 - With today's snowfall of 4.6" Central Park set a new winter snowfall record, with 66.3" measured.  It passed the winter of 1947-48 when 63.2" fell (and included, at the time, New York's largest snowfall of all-time).  Even more distance would be created between this and the previous record by an additional ten inches of snow in the next month.

5 - After five days in a row in which high temperatures were between 33° and 35° (10 below average), today's temperature jumped to 61°.

8 - 4.5" of snow fell, pushing the season's snowfall past seventy inches.

9 - It was a very cold day as the high/low was just 24°/11°, twenty-two degrees below average.  The low was a record for the date.

11 - Today was the 17th day in a row (since 2/24) in which no low temperature was duplicated, ranging between 11° and 47°.

19 - 0.46" of rain fell in an hour and 0.75" in two hours (9-11 PM).

29 - Beginning late last night and continuing through this morning, 4.1" of snow fell, the seventh snowfall of four inches+ 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.  

 

APRIL

9 - Hard to believe that today's Yankee home opener wasn't postponed as the temperature was in the upper-30s and wet snow fell throughout the game.  Since the air temperature remained above freezing very little of the snow accumulated (0.3" was measured in Central Park).  Happily, the Yankees beat KC 7-3.

10 - An overnight snowfall of 0.7" was the last snow of the season, bringing the winter's total to a hefty 75.6".  This was 48" above the average winter and came just two years after 53.4" fell.

12 - Yesterday's high temperature was a pleasant 64° and tomorrow's would be a chilly 55°, but today was a brief taste of summer as the high rose to 80° - 20 degrees above average.

16 - 1.04" of rain fell between 1-4 AM and 2.19" overall (including rain from last night that fell after 10 PM).  Most of the rain was over by 9 AM.  This storm's rainfall equaled the amount of precipitation (in liquid form) from the blizzard back on Jan. 7-8.

 

MAY

20 - Today saw the first 90-degree reading of the year.  At 96°, a record for the date, it was also the hottest day of the year.  After today, there would be only two more 90-degree days. 

21 - This was the second day in a row with a record high as the mercury topped out at 93°.  The next 90-degree day wouldn't be for another two months (and it was the only other such day of the summer.)  

 

JUNE

3 - 3.01" of rain fell in a 12-hour period (7 AM-7 PM), more than fell in the entire month of May.  It was also a record for the date and the biggest June rainstorm since 1984.  Today's high was only 61°, fifteen degrees below average.  The AM low of 54° was the third and last day of the month with a low in the 50s - the fewest in June for the period 1970-2023.  This would also be the last low in the 50s until 9/14, the longest period with lows of 60°+ on record.

10 -  Although it was just a spritz of rain, the 0.01" that fell this afternoon was the first measurable rain on this date in 15 years.

30 -  Rain fell throughout the morning until early afternoon.  Then after a three-hour break in mid-afternoon showers moved in again after 8:00.  Rainfall totaled 0.88", but we were spared flooding rains that hit eastern Pennsylvania, Maryland and DC, which received 5-10 inches.  Because of the clouds and rain the high temperature got no higher than 68°. 

 

JULY

13 - Rain and wind from tropical storm Bertha moved in late on July 12 (a Friday) and continued until mid-afternoon today.  About two inches of rain fell and was accompanied by winds of 30-45 mph.  Western New Jersey and the lower Hudson River valley had the heaviest rain, picking up between three and seven inches.   

17 - Although this morning's low of 74° was the mildest low temperature of the year, it tied a few dates in 1976 for the distinction as the "coolest" warmest summertime low in the 1970-2024 period.  Another 74° low would occur on Sept. 10.

26 - 0.46" of rain fell today, mostly in the morning.  This was the tenth time in the past 12 years that rain fell on this date.

31 - Between 9-10 AM 0.56" of rain poured down (and 1.01" fell for the entire day).  The final twelve days of July were all cooler than average, with temperatures six degrees below the norm.

 

AUGUST

4 - Today was the sixteenth day in a row with below average temperatures, the longest such stretch during any summer between 1980-2024.  The mean temperature during these days was close to six degrees cooler than average, with high temperatures ranging between 70° and 81° (normal high is 85°).  This was quite a contrast to the hot conditions of a year ago.

9 - Lunchtime was a soggy one as 0.82" of rain fell between noon-2 PM.  It was the biggest rainstorm of the month.

13 - Most of the month's 1.86" of rain fell in the five days between Aug. 9 and today.

23 - Today's high of 90° was just the third day this summer to have a high in the 90s.  It was also the last 90-degree day this year.  This would be the fewest hot days in a year (going back to 1970) until the summer of 2004, which would have just two.  And this was the last time the temperature got into the 90s on this date (through 2024).

31 - An early forecast caused concern today, the Saturday of Labor Day weekend, when Hurricane Edouard was predicted to make landfall on Long Island.  However, the storm stayed away and the only effect from the hurricane was heavy surf, especially out in the Hamptons.

 

SEPTEMBER

10 -  Today had the last 80-degree reading of the year, the earliest date of this occurrence since 1913, when it happened on Sept. 8 (and in 1966 it occurred on Sept. 11).  The average date for New York's last 80-degree day is Oct. 4 (based on 1970-1995 period).

14 - This morning's low of 57° was the first that was cooler than 60° since June 3 - the longest stretch of days with lows of 60°+ on record.  (This was nine days longer than the previous record of 93 days in 1966.)  Ironically, the summer of 1996 was cooler than average.

17 - 2.04" of rain fell, the second year in a row with more than an inch of rain on this date (1.11" fell last year).  Although rain fell throughout the day, 0.54" poured down between 8-9 PM.

29 - The 0.18" of rain the fell between 1-4:00 AM was the first rain on this date in seventeen years.

 

OCTOBER

8 - 1.89" of rain fell, mostly during the afternoon and evening.

19 - Moving in shortly before daybreak, 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.  Nearly half of the rain came down between 3:30-6:30 PM with 1.07" falling in the hour between 4-5:00.  Not surprisingly, this was a record rainfall for the date.

 

NOVEMBER

8 - Following the 0.06" of rain that fell on the 6th and the 0.07" that fell on the 7th, 0.08" fell today - on the 8th.  Perhaps of greater interest was today's morning low, which at a balmy 62° was nearly twenty degrees warmer than average.

13 - For the 15th day in a row no morning low was duplicated.  During this string of days low temperatures ranged between 30° and 62°.

16 - Today was the sixth day in a row with temperatures 10 degrees or more chillier than average.  Average high of 41°/low of 32° during these days was 13 degrees below normal.  Five days had morning lows of freezing or below.  

26 - 1.91" of rain fell during the morning, a record amount for the date (breaking the previous record from 1900 by 0.01").

28 - A cold, cold day as the temperature stayed below freezing the entire day (high/low of 31°/23°) - the first time it happened in November in seven years.  Additionally, the first measurable snow of the season dusted Central Park with 0.1".  Despite how little fell the next snowfall wouldn't be for another six weeks, on Jan. 9 (when just 0.9" was measured).

 

DECEMBER

2 - In a 30-minute period (2:46-3:16 AM) 0.53" of rain poured down.  This was the parting shot from a rainstorm that began late on Nov. 30 and produced 1.82" of rain over the course of 32 hours. 

14 - On a rainy day (0.89" fell thru mid-afternoon), today's high and low were just one degree apart (40°/39°).  This was just the tenth time a day had a one-degree variance since record keeping began in 1869.  (And the last time through November 2024.)

17 - Light showers through early afternoon amounted to 0.12".  This was the 146th day this year with precipitation, establishing 1996 as the year with the most days of measurable precipitation in the 20th century, passing 1972 (2018 would have 158 days).  And there would be six more days with precipitation before the year ended.  (The average number days of precipitation per year is 121.)

24 - Today's high was a very mild, and un-Christmas-like, 63° a record for the date - and more typical of holiday weather in Atlanta. 

31 - A cold front moved through during the afternoon and by midnight the temperature had plummeted to 15°, with a wind chill near zero degrees when the ball dropped in Times Square.

 

 

To read highlights from other years between 1970 and 2023 double click here. 

 

Save

Save

Save

Save

New York Weather Highlights of 1995

 

 

JANUARY

1 - 0.54" of rain poured down between 2-3 AM.

11 -  Today's 0.2" of snow was the first measurable snow of the winter, the latest occurrence since the winter of 1973.  It was also the only snow to fall in January.  (11.8'' would fall for the entire winter.)

16 - This was the fourth day in a row with temperatures twenty degrees or more above average.  Highs on these four days: 61°-64°-59°-58°.  Today's high of 58° was a record for the date.  

20 - During an afternoon thunderstorm, 0.44" of rain fell in just 30 minutes (10:18-10:48 AM) and 0.76" in an hour (10-11 AM).  The day's total rainfall of 1.41" was a record for the date.  This came near the end of a nine-day period (1/13-21) in which temperatures were 17 degrees above average.

 

FEBRUARY

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

6 - Today's high/low of 20°/6° made this the coldest day of the winter, nineteen degrees below average. 

13 - The past nine days were nine degrees colder than average, with seven having afternoon highs below freezing.  The rest of the month would have slightly above average temperatures.

26 - The last snowfall of the winter fell during the morning when 0.5" accumulated.  This was the earliest date for the final accumulation since the winter of 1985-86 when it occurred on Feb. 15.  (Average date for the last snow is March 16.)

 

MARCH

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

 

APRIL

4 - A vigorous cold front passed through in the early afternoon and the temperature plummeted 40 degrees by midnight, from 68° to 28°.

28 - Partly cloudy and mild with temperatures in the low 70s, a perfect day for the Mets home opener, a game in which they slowly wore down the Cardinals and overtook them late in the game to win 10-8. 

 

MAY

20 - One day after overcast skies and a high of 58°, today was sunny with a balmy high of 80°.

29 - During a severe nighttime thunderstorm on Memorial Day 0.50" of rain fell in just 30 minutes (9:40-10:10 PM).  The storm was also accompanied by hail.  

 

JUNE

12 -  In just fifteen minutes a torrential downpour during a thunderstorm dumped 0.68" of rain between 12:28-12:43 AM.  Showers later that afternoon brought the day's rainfall total to 0.99", which accounted for half of the month's total rainfall.

18 - A sunny and hot Father's Day, the first 90-degree day of the year.  This was the latest date for this occurrence in ten years.

28 - This morning's chilly low of 54° was thirteen degrees below average and a record for the date.  It was the coolest reading since a low of 51° on May 16, more than six weeks earlier.

 

JULY

13 - Today's high was 92°, the fourth year in a row the high reached the nineties on this date.

15 - This was the hottest day of the summer as the high reached 102° after a low of 84° (one of the warmest morning lows on record).  The high was a record for the date.  This intense heat was produced by the same high pressure system that broiled Chicago for five days and resulted in the deaths of 750 residents.

16 - Today cooled down, as the high fell to a seasonably warm 86°.

17 - A torrential rainstorm dumped 3.36" of rain tonight between 10 PM-1 AM.  Incredibly, 2.09" fell in just an hour (10:19-11:19 PM).  I was attending the theater to see Ralph Fiennes in Macbeth when the skies opened up shortly after intermission.  Soon the rain was falling so heavily that it began dripping onto the stage.  When the play was over many of us hesitated going out into the deluge but theater management wouldn't let us linger.  This was the biggest 24-hour rainstorm since 3.20" fell on Aug. 16-17, 1993.

25 - For the third year in a row the high was in the 90s on this date.

 

AUGUST

4 - Eleven of the past twelve days had high temperatures in the 90s, including a stretch of seven days in a row.  The mean temperature during these twelve days was seven degrees above average.  During this streak the highest temperature was 96°, which occurred twice , today being one of them.  The one day that didn't reach into the 90s had a high of 88°. 

5 - Today was the twenty-fourth day in a row in which temperatures were above-average, the longest such stretch during any summer between 1953-2024.  All twenty-four days also had high temperatures of 85° or warmer, tying a similar streak in 1988.  Temperatures were six degrees above average during this span.  Additionally, 0.13" of rain fell today and it ended up being the wettest day of a record-dry August (just 0.18" was measured).

14 - For the third year in a row on this date the high reached into the 90s.  This year the high was 92°.

24 - In the midst of a mostly rainless August, the worst brush fires in sixty years ravaged parts of the Hamptons.

30 - This was the twenty-fourth day in a row with no rain.

 

SEPTEMBER

14 - Today was the last 90-degree day of the year (the high reached 90°).  In total, the year had 29 90-degree days, well above the average of nineteen (1960-1994).  At the time it was the ninth greatest number of hot days on record (now tied for eleventh).

16 - From July 24 thru today, a period of of 55 days, just 0.70" of rain was measured.  This was the longest streak of days with less than an inch of rainfall since one of 61 days in August/September 1964. 

17 - Today's 1.11" rainfall was the first significant rain since July 28, a 50-day period in which only 0.28" fell.   

26 - This was the seventh year in a row that rain fell on this date.  This year's amounted to 0.42" which fell throughout the day.

 

OCTOBER

5 - 1.99" of rain fell, with 0.82" falling between 10 PM-midnight.  It was a record rainfall for the date, the first of three rainfall records this month.  This was also the first of four rainstorms during October that delivered more than an inch of rain.  The month ended with nearly eight inches of rain.  

6 - The day after two inches of rain fell, today's afternoon high was an unseasonably warm 86° (eighteen degrees above average). 

7 - A sharp cool down as today's high was only 62°.

13 - Today's high hit 86°, twenty degrees above the average high for the middle of October.

14 - Much of the evening's 1.76" of rain, a record for the date, fell between 7-11 PM. 

21 - 2.17" of rain fell between 11:00 AM-6:00 PM, but much of it fell in a very short period of time.  A torrential downpour dumped 0.41" in just five minutes (11:41-11:46 AM), and then shortly afterward 0.99" fell in thirty minutes (noon-12:30 PM).  The day's total rainfall was a record for the date - and the third rainfall record set this month. 

28 - 1.21" of rain fell in the morning, the fourth rainfall this month that exceeded one inch.  Each storm occurred about a week apart and delivered a combined 7.13".  0.86" of today's rain came down between 5-6:00 AM.

 

NOVEMBER

7 - The 0.68" of rain that fell between noon and 10 PM was the first rain on this date in 15 years.

11 - Today's rainfall of 1.48" was a record for the date.  At one point 0.58" fell in a 60-minute period between 10:37-11:37 PM.

15 - Rain from yesterday's storm (that amounted to 1.16") continued thru 2 AM today, amounting to 0.09".  This was the first rain to fall on this date in 11 years.

29 - 2.9" of snow fell this morning, the first snowfall of what would be a record-setting 75.6 inches during the upcoming winter.  Today's snow was the last in November of one inch or more until 2012. 

 

DECEMBER

3 - Although the mildest temperature in December is often in the 60s this year it was just 55° and it occurred today.  

10 - With a high of 32° today was the first day of the winter with a maximum temperature of 32° or colder.  The high was reached early in the day and the mercury fell all day, reaching a low of 15° by midnight. 

19 - Beginning today and continuing into tomorrow New York experienced its biggest December snowstorm since 1960 as 7.7" fell (10-12" had been predicted).

 

  

To read highlights from other years between 1970 and 2023 double click here. 

 

 

Save

Save

New York Weather Highlights of 1994

 JANUARY

7 - A frustrating day for snow lovers.  Although today's high was 28° most of the 0.53" of precipitation that fell came down as freezing rain.  (0.9" of sleet/snow was measured at Central Park.)  This was the worst ice storm I can remember in the years I've lived in New York - luckily, the wires for electricity, telephones and cable TV for the City are largely underground.  Freezing rain and sleet were an unusually common occurrence this winter; between Jan. 3 and March 10 this icy precipitation fell on nineteen occasions.

12 - Sleet and snow lashed the area during the day and accumulated 2.9" by 7 PM.

17 - A 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° at midnight to 47° by early afternoon and began tumbling later on as another Arctic air mass moved in.    

19 - The morning low of 2° below zero was the coldest reading of the winter and a record for the date.  This Arctic outbreak ranked with those of December 1989, January 1985, January 1982 and January 1977 for its widespread severity.  

20 - This morning's low was zero degrees, a record for the date, but a two-degree "warm-up" from yesterday's low of minus 2°.

26 - 4.5" of snow fell during the morning, the largest snowfall of the month.  It was followed by Arctic air which dropped the temperature from 32° to 5° by midnight.

27 - Since Jan. 6 temperatures averaged nine degrees colder than normal, with an average high/low of 30°/14° - more typical of January temperatures in Chicago. 

28 - Today's high temperature leapt to 55° after yesterday's frigid low of zero degrees.  1.87" of rain fell, a record for the date.

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

 

FEBRUARY

7 - For the first time since Jan. 3 there was less than an inch of snow on the ground in Central Park, a span of five weeks.  But the ground would lay bare for little more than a day as two snowstorms were on the way.

8 - After January saw a large amount of sleet and freezing rain New York finally got a storm that brought snow as 7.2" fell.  It came down especially heavy between 9 AM-1 PM, but snow predicted for the rest of the day didn't materialize as it came down as sleet instead.  After midnight an additional 1.8" of snow fell to bring the 24-hour total to nine inches.

10 - Today was the 25th day this winter with a high temperature of 32° or colder, one day more than the previous three winters combined.

11 - 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 New York's greatest accumulation since 1983, which also occurred on this date.

23 - Today's snowfall of 2.6" (0.3" of which fell in the wee hours of 2/24) was this winter's tenth snowfall of one inch or more.  The last winter to have this many snowfalls was during 1966-67. 

26 - The 1.4" of snow that fell at around daybreak was the 11th snowfall this winter of one inch or more, the most since the winter of 1963-64.

 

MARCH 

2 - With today's four-inch snowfall (an additional inch fell the next day), New York's total snowfall for the winter passed fifty inches, the most since the winter of 1977-78 (when 50.7" was measured).  Today's snow was the fifth that accumulated four inches or more this winter.

8 - Between Dec. 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.

17 - Today's high was just 37°, thirteen degrees colder than average and the fourth year in a row that was colder than the preceding St. Patrick's Day.

18 - 2.8" of snow fell during during the afternoon, the last snowfall of the winter.  This brought the season's total snowfall to 53.2", making it the snowiest winter since that of of 1960-61.  The day was a cold one, with a high/low of just 33°/25°, fourteen degrees below average.     

 

APRIL

4 - The Yankees' home opener was played under ideal conditions as skies were clear and temperatures slightly milder than average (60°).  And the Bronx Bombers triumphed over Texas, 5-3.

11 - The temperature rebounded from a morning low of 42° to 68° under clear skies (until later in the afternoon when clouds moved in).  This was also the day of the Mets home opener which was played this afternoon.  Unfortunately, they fell behind early (8-1 in the 3rd inning) and lost to the Cubs 9-5. 

27 - 0.41" of rain fell during a twenty-minute thunderstorm later in the afternoon (4:27-4:47 PM).  After a cool start (low of 50°) it turned into a warm day as the high reached 82°.

 

MAY

19 - It was a raw and damp day with a high of only 54°, eighteen degrees below average.  The last time there was a high temperature this chilly was back on April 12 (when a high of 54° was just five degrees below average).

23 - After a low of 56°, the temperature rocketed to 91° under sunny skies - the first 90-degree day of the year.  Today happened to be the funeral of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, which was held in Manhattan. Additionally, this was the tenth day this year with a diurnal temperature variation of 30 degrees or more, the greatest number of such days of any year (breaking a tie with 1939). 

25 - An evening thunderstorm (including hail, a rarity in Manhattan) delayed by three hours my 8:15 flight to Pittsburgh, where I was going to help my family make arrangements for my father's funeral.  (I finally arrived shortly before 1 AM.)

 

JUNE

15 - Today's high reached 96°.  There hasn't been a reading in the 90s on this date since (through 2024).

19 - Not only was this the hottest day of the summer, but also the hottest Father's Day on record, as the high reached 98° (eighteen degrees above average) after a low of 75°.  This tied June 22, 1988 for the highest temperature in June since 1966's 101°.  And today's high broke the previous record (95°) set just last year.  Similar to 6/15, this is the last time a reading in the 90s occurred on this date (through 2024).

24 - 0.70" of rain fell during a torrential downpour between 11:30-midnight.

25 - Tropical conditions through mid-afternoon made the high of 88° feel like mid-90s.  Today was my brother's wedding out in north Jersey and I was his best man, so wearing a tux in this weather was a bit uncomfortable.  However, the poor bridesmaids arrived at the church wilted because the air conditioning in their limo didn't work.  Happily, drier air moved in just as the outdoor reception was getting underway.

29 - Afternoon thunderstorms dumped 0.66" of rain between noon-1 PM and 0.96" between noon-3 PM. 

30 - Today was only the third day this month with below-average temperatures, a month that was the warmest June since 1966.  

 

JULY

7 - One year after a high of 98°, today's high hit 97°.

9 - Today's high was 92°, the fifth year in a row in which the high reached 90°+ on this date.

18 - 0.60" of rain fell during the 30-minute period between 9:55-10:25 AM.  Today was also the only day of the month in which the temperature failed to reach the 80s.  The last time this happened in July was in 1983.

31 -  Today was the 25th day this month with a high of 85° or warmer (average number is 15).  Since then, two other years had 25 (in 2011 and 2022) and two others had 26 (2010 and 2016).

 

AUGUST

7 - For the second morning in a row the low was a chilly 57°, a record for the date, and twelve degrees cooler than is typical in early August.

13 - 0.48" of rain fell in just ten minutes between 4:20-4:30 PM.

14 - Today, with a high of 91°, was the last 90-degree day of the year.  In total, there were nineteen days with highs in the 90s this year, one more than average (and half as many as last year).

17 - For the third year in a row an inch or more of rain fell on this date.  Today's rainfall totaled 1.00".

21 - During a strong thunderstorm 0.51" of rain fell in just fifteen minutes between 4:15-4:30 PM.  Then between 10 PM-midnight an additional 0.52" fell. 

22 - The rain that began yesterday during the late afternoon continued for the entire day today and amounted to 3.02"; 1.85" fell today on top of yesterday's 1.17".  This was New York's biggest rainstorm since last August when 3.20" fell on the 16th and 17th.  It was also the first time rain fell on this date since 1977 (when 1.22" fell).

 

SEPTEMBER

3-5 - This was the coolest Labor Day weekend of the 1970-2023 period (later tied by 2002).  It was also just one of two Labor Day weekends in which each day's morning low was in the 50s (the other was in 1986).  

9 - 0.23" of rain fell in five minutes between 7:04-7:09 PM.  And just 0.10" more fell for the rest of the evening.

 

OCTOBER

3 - This morning's low of 43° was the first reading in the 40s this fall, the latest date for this occurrence since 1982.  This reading was eleven degrees below average.

30 - Today's high of 75° was the warmest reading of the month (and seventeen degrees above average).  The last time it was this warm was five weeks earlier.  

31 - Today's high of 73° made this the warmest Halloween since 1961 (when it was 76°), but it was eight degrees below the record of 81° set in 1946.

 

NOVEMBER

4 - Today's high of 76°/low of 58° was 15 degrees above average.  This was the warmest reading in more than six weeks and came in the midst of a week-and-a-half of unseasonably mild weather (Oct. 30 to Nov. 9) in which temperatures were nine degrees above average.

28 - 1.05" of rain fell today, ending by 5 PM.  This was the fifth time an inch or more of rain fell on this date since 1980.  (It hasn't happened since.)  And on Nov. 28, 1988, also a Monday, 1.05" of rain fell as well.

 

DECEMBER

6 - This was the fourth day in a row with a high in the 60s.  During these days the high averaged 63°, 17 degrees above average, and more typical of mid-October.  The average low was also milder than the typical high for this time of year (49° vs. 46°).

12 - With a high/low of 31°/24°, today was the first day of the winter completely below freezing.  It was the only such day in December. 

25 - Today's high of 59°/low of 41°, fifteen degrees above average, made this the mildest Christmas in twelve years.  The high/low was on-par with this year's Easter Sunday (61°/43°).

29 - For those who get a kick out of numerical patterns, today's and the previous two days' highs were 33°, 44° and 55°.

 

 

To read highlights from other years between 1970 and 2023 double click here.

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

New York Weather Highlights of 1993

JANUARY

5 - Rainy and mild with a high of 64°, tying the record for the date and the mildest reading of the month.  1.42" of rain fell during the morning, with 0.63" falling in sixty minutes between 7:48-8:48 AM.

10 - It was overcast, breezy and cold, with the winter's first snowfall of an inch or more falling after dark; by midnight 1.1" had accumulated.  With a high of 27°, today was the only day this month to have a high of 32° or colder.

 

FEBRUARY

2 - This morning's low of 7° was the coldest reading of the winter.

6 - Arctic air moved in early in the day, dropping the temperature from 46° to 10° by midnight (the high the previous day was 56°).  1.9" of snow fell during the morning.

16 - Today's low temperature of 33° was the only above-freezing low temperature of the month (and between Jan. 25 - Mar. 1).  Still, 1.0" of sleet/snow fell upon passage of a cold front during the evening.

21 - 4.3" of wet snow fell on this Sunday evening, mixing with some freezing rain and then rain near the end as the temperature hovered around the freezing mark.  This was the largest accumulation of the winter so far.

26 - It was cold (mid-20s) and overcast with a touch of snow (0.1" accumulated) when a van with explosives in it was detonated during lunchtime in a parking garage under the North Tower (killing five and injuring more than 1,000).

 

MARCH

13 - The great March Superstorm (also referred to as "Storm of the Century") paralyzed the Eastern third of the nation and dumped 10.4" 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.  This snowfall is the last time a measurable amount of snow fell on this date (through 2024).  

15 - Arctic cold moved in after the departure of the March Superstorm and this morning's low of 14° was twenty-one degrees below average.

17 - The 0.75" of precipitation that fell was the most on this date since 1972, when 1.20" was measured.  Rain changed to snow and 0.8" accumulated, the most snow to fall on St. Patrick's Day since three inches fell in 1967 (the most for the date).  This wintry mix came less than a week after the "Storm of the Century" dumped 10 inches of snow on the City.  This would also be the last snowfall of the winter.

18 - This morning's low of 13° was the coldest reading this month, 23 degrees colder than average.  The last time it was this cold in March was in 1984.

20 - This was the 11th day in a row with a low temperature of 32° or colder (four of the lows were in the teens).  The average low during these days was 23°, 12 below average.

24 - This was the 15th consecutive day with below-average temperatures.  The average high/low during these days was 41°/26°, nine degrees colder than normal.  It was also a very wet period, with precipitation on seven days amounting to 4.66". 

 

APRIL

1 - 0.52" of rain fell in a 60-minute period between 5:53-6:53 AM and 0.87" poured down in the two hours ending at 7:48 AM.

11 - High temperatures in the 61°-65° range occurred today and the previous four days - and all were different: 61° (on 4/7)-64°-63°-62°-65° (today).  All were milder than the average high in the upper-50s.

12 - Today was the 16th day in a row in which no high temperature was duplicated.  They ranged between 41° (15 degrees below average) and 68° (13 above).

 

MAY

4 - Low temperatures of the past four days were: 54°-53°-52°-51° (today), all slightly above average.

5 - For the third day in a row the high temperature was 69°, close to the seasonal average.

9 - Bright sunshine and low humidity propelled the temperature from 55° to 89° on Mother's Day.

11 - After a morning low of 57° the mercury climbed rapidly and topped out at 92°, a record for the date.  This was the first of thirty-nine 90-degree days this year.

31 - Much of the month's meager rainfall (of 1.56") fell today as 0.90" was measured.

 

JUNE

20 - It was a warm and humid Father's Day, with a high of 86°.  Thunderstorms after 9 PM produced 0.50" of rain, making this the rainiest day of a dry June.

 

JULY

1 - This was the twenty-third day in a row with a high temperature in the 80s. 

2 - 0.76" of of rain fell during the PM hours, with two-thirds of it falling between 10-11 PM (which was actually midnight-1 AM on 7/3, but the NWS doesn't recognize Daylight Saving Time; rather, it uses Standard Time year-round for its records). Then just 0.94" fell during the rest of the month. This followed an equally dry May and June in which just 1.56" and 1.49" was measured, respectively.  Today's conditions kept temperatures cool, with a high of only 69° reported (14 degrees below average). 

4 - Today's high reached 95°, the first of twenty days with highs of 90+ this month.  Despite the heat I spent the evening in Central Park with my brother and his family to hear the New York Philharmonic give their 4th of July concert.

7 - The afternoon high was a blazing 98°.

8 - Today's high was a record-setting 100°.  The next day's high would reach 101° followed by 102° the day after that.  This was just the second time that the City experienced three days in a row in the triple digits; the first occurred in 1948 from Aug. 26-28 (103°-101°-100°). 

15 - For the third year in a row the high was in the 90s on this date.

16 - This was the last of ten consecutive days of 90-degree weather (and twelve of the last thirteen), including three days in a row of triple-digit heat.  Average high during these ten days was 96°.

18 - High temperatures were in the 90s or 100s for thirteen of the past fifteen days.

23 - Seven of the past eight days had morning lows of 65° or 66°, four degrees below average.

31 - Today had the month's 20th high of 90°, the most of any month on record.  (The average number in July is eight.)  July's average high was 90.2°, 5.5 degrees above average.

 

AUGUST

17 - 3.20" of rain fell in a 12-hour period that began yesterday evening.  What fell from this storm was comparable to the amount that fell in all of June and July.

22 - For the 16th year in a row no rain fell on this date.  This morning's low of 60° was the coolest reading of the month.  

25 - 0.44" of rain fell in an hour between 5-6 AM.

28 - The 5.41" of rain that fell this month was more than what fell in the previous three months combined.  0.53" fell today, the last rain of the month and it poured down in just one hour, between 4-5 PM.

 

SEPTEMBER

3 - Today's high of 95° marked the last day of a 10-day hot spell in which six days had readings in the nineties.  During this week-and-a-half period the mean temperature was eight degrees hotter than average. 

15 - Today was the year's 39th, and last, day of 90-degree weather, tying 1991 for the most hot days ever in one year.  However, this year's hot days were more concentrated, occurring over a span of 128 days (between May 11 - Sept. 15) while 1991's occurred over the course of 163 days (April 8 - Sept. 17).  And 1993's 90-degree days averaged 93.5° compared to 1991's 92.7°.

20 - The morning low of 44° was a record for the date and the chilliest reading of the month (14 degrees below average).  What made this temperature even more worthy of note was the fact that it was the fifth consecutive September in which the chilliest reading was 44° (but on different dates).    

26 - Beginning 10 PM last night and continuing through 10 AM this morning 1.66" of rain fell.  It came down heaviest between 5:45-7:45 AM when an inch fell.

 

OCTOBER

10 - One day after a balmy high of 78° (warmest temperature of the month), today's afternoon temperatures were only in the low 50s.  However, the cold front that moved through yesterday evening produced no rain and both days were sunny. 

31 - Rain that began yesterday morning continued thru 10 PM tonight.  During this day-and-a-half of inclement weather 1.68" of rain fell, 0.71" of which fell today.  For the entire event the rain came down hardest during the Greenwich Village Halloween Parade as 0.25" fell between 7-8 PM.

 

NOVEMBER

14 - The NYC Marathon was held today, the latest date the race has ever been run.  Despite the late date it was very mild, with a high/low of 72°/54°, which was 15 degrees warmer than average.

15 - Today's high of 80° (twenty-seven degrees above average) was the latest 80-degree reading on record.  This was thirteen days later than the previous "latest 80" record set back on Nov. 2, 1950.

19 - Lows of the past four days: 49°-48°-49°-48° (today).  These were well above the average of 41°.

28 - It rained for most of the morning (3 AM-noon), but well over half of the 1.45" total, 0.89", fell in just an hour (10:09-11:09 AM) - and 0.44" fell in a 15-minute period.

 

DECEMBER

5 - 2.08" of rain fell over the past two days.  Today's 1.28" was a record for the date (a relatively unimpressive amount for a record). 

11 - The first snowfall of the season dropped a surprise 2.9" on Saturday afternoon.  

21 - A hard morning rain dropped 1.65" between midnight and 9 AM.  Near the end 0.66" fell in the hour between 6:49-7:49 AM.

26 - Today was the first day of the winter with a high temperature of 32° or colder.  The day's high/low of 32°/15° was ten degrees below average.   

29 - Four inches of snow fell between 6 PM-2 AM.  It was the largest accumulation of the month, besting the 2.9" that fell on the 11th.

31 - It was a very cold end to the year as the past six days averaged 11 degrees below average (high/low of 27°/16°).  This frigid trend would continue into January.

 

 

To read highlights from other years between 1970 and 2023 double click here. 

 

Save

New York Weather Highlights of 1992

 

 

JANUARY

7 - This was the sixth day in a row in which temperatures were 10 degrees or more above average.

15 - The morning low of 21° was 41 degrees colder than yesterday's afternoon high.

19 - This was the coldest day of a mild winter, with a high/low of 23°/11°.

26 - The winter's first snowfall of an inch or more fell in the wee hours of the morning, accumulating 1.3".  This was the fifth latest date for the first such snowfall.  The daylight hours were mostly sunny but cold, with a high/low of 31°/20°.

 

FEBRUARY

25 - It was a raw and damp day, with just a two-degree difference in the high (35°) and low (33°) - just mild enough to keep the 0.35" of precipitation that fell in liquid form.

27 - Morning lows of the last days were: 36°-35°-34°-33° (today).

29 - After the temperature rose to 50° by midnight the day before (Feb. 28) it plummeted into the 20s this morning and was down to 19° by midnight.  Gusty winds produced below zero wind chills.  This was the first colder-than-average day since Feb. 13.

 

MARCH

1 - One day after the temperature plummeted from 50° to 19°, it rebounded from 19° to 56°.

19 - The biggest snowfall of the winter occurred today, a sloppy 6.2".  This tripled the winter's meager snow total to 9.4".  Just two degrees separated the day's high and low (33°/31°). 

22 - Just three days after 6.2" of snow fell another quick moving system dropped 3.2" during the evening.  These two snow events were responsible for most of the winter's 13 inches of snow.  During this evening's snowfall a USAir jet bound for Cleveland slid off the runway at LaGuardia Airport and landed in the waters of Long Island Sound; 26 passengers died.

25 - Today was the 15th consecutive day with a low of 32° or colder, the longest such streak during March in the 1950-2024 period. 

 

APRIL

10 - Today was the Mets home opener and with a game-time temperature of 71° this was twenty degrees cooler than last season's scorching home opener.  However, today's temperature was still twelve degrees above average -and the first 70-degree day of the year. 

13 - The morning low of 31° was the latest date for freezing temperature since 1980 when it was on April 17.  And no other year until 2014 had it occur later. 

19 - This was the fourth day in a row with nearly identical high/low temperatures:  47°/40°, 46°/41°, 47°/40° and 47°/41° (today).  These chilly highs were sixteen degrees colder than average.

 

MAY

6 - This morning's low of 40° was the chilliest temperature in May since a reading of 38° in 1978.

22 - Today's high of 93° was the first 90-degree reading of the year, twenty degrees hotter than normal.  However, it was bearable because the air was dry (and the morning low was a comfortable 60°).  Just eight more 90-degree days would follow through late August, half the usual number of hot days.

23-25 - It was a real Jekyl & Hyde Memorial Day weekend.  Saturday had mid-summer conditions with a high of 92°.  Then a big change came on Sunday as a strong cold front pushed through in early afternoon and temperatures plummeted from the low 80s to 45° by midnight.  Monday felt more like October with overcast skies and a high of just 61°.  In the course of the weekend highs went from 19 above average to 13 below average.

31 - 1.99" of rain fell between 2 AM-6 PM, the biggest rainstorm since August of last year.  It accounted for half of May's total precipitation.  The rainy conditions and cloud cover resulted in just a two degree difference in the day's high (61°) and low (59°).  Although the low was average for the date, the high was fourteen degrees below average.  This was the third day this year to have a two-degree diurnal temperature variation, the most of any year in the 1970-2023 period.   

 

JUNE

5 - 2.80" of rain fell, most of it during the afternoon and early evening.  Rain came down heaviest between 5-6 PM when 0.60" fell.

8 - During an afternoon thunderstorm 0.41" of rain fell in just five minutes (2:03-2:08 PM).  Overall, 0.77" fell during the entirety of the storm (1:19-2:19 PM). 

19 - For the second year in a row the high/low was stuck in the 60s on this date.  This year, it was 69°/65°; last year it was 66°/62°.  And both days had steady rain from mid-morning to mid-afternoon, with 0.42" measured in 1992, and 0.64" measured in 1991. 

27 - Today and each of the past five days had afternoon highs that were progressively warmer by one degree:  76° on June 23; 77° the next day; 78° on 6/25; 79° yesterday; and 80° today.

 

JULY

9 - 0.50" of rain fell in an hour during the wee hours of the morning (1-2 AM).  Later in the day the high hit 91°, the first ninety-degree reading since May 23.

15 - 0.37" of rain fell in ten minutes during an evening thunderstorm (6:37-6:47 PM).  The storm was triggered by a cold front that brought relief after three 90-degree days; today's high was 92°.  The downpour (which dumped 0.89" over three hours) disrupted the opening of the third evening session of the Democratic Convention held at Madison Square Garden. 

31 - 0.24" of rain fell in a five-minute period ending at 5 PM.

 

AUGUST

17 -  0.62" of rain fell in an hour (10:24-11:24 PM) and 0.92" in a two-hour period (9:42-11:42 PM).  Total rainfall for the day was 1.52".  Not only was it damp, but cool as today's high temperature was just 68°, fifteen degrees below average.  However, this was two degrees above the highs of the previous two days.  This was the third day in a row in which the high and low were stuck in the 60s, just the fifth (and last time) this has happened (through August 2024).

26 - Today's high was 90°, the last 90-degree day of the year.  In total, the year had just eight 90-degree days, the fewest since the summer of 1960.

 

SEPTEMBER

3 - 0.91" of rain fell between 2-3:00 PM.  Rain in the morning and evening added 0.74" more into the Central Park rain gauge.  This was also the third day in a row with a high of 77°.

9 - Today's low of 71° was the last 70-degree low of the year, which was very close to the average date for this occurrence (9/11).  This was just the fourteenth day this year with a low of 70° or milder, the fewest of any year since 1963.  (The average number, between 1930-1991, was 31 days.)

10 - In just five minutes time 0.42" of rain fell between 12:15-12:20 PM, and 1.02" fell in the twenty-minute period between 12:06-12:26 PM.

11 - The 0.07" of rain that fell between 1-4 AM was the first rainfall on this date since 1978.

22 - 0.55'' of rain poured down between 11 PM-midnight.  

30 - For the second year in a row the chilliest reading of the month occurred today, and in both years that temperature was 44° (12 below average).  However, this year's high, 58°, was five degrees cooler.

 

OCTOBER

4 - The morning low of 39° was the earliest reading in the 30s since 1974.

12 - This was fifteenth day in a row in which no low temperature was duplicated.  During these days the lows ranged from 39° (16 degrees below average) to 60° (eight above). 

16 - It appeared this was going to be the fifteenth year in a row with no measurable precipitation on this date, but then a shower produced 0.01" of rain between 11 PM and midnight.  The day itself, with a high of 77°/61°, was the mildest of the month.  The previous time rain fell on this date, in 1978, the amount was also 0.01".  (In reality, the 0.01" fell before midnight in Standard Time, which is what the National Weather Service uses year-round; however, based on Daylight Saving Time, which was in effect on this date, this rain fell after midnight on 10/17 DST).

30 - Two weeks after a 14-year streak was broken, the 0.01" of rain that fell today between 11 PM and midnight was the first measurable rain to fall on this date since 1976.  (It should be noted that the National Weather Service uses Standard Local Time year-round for its records, but this rainfall actually fell between midnight and 1 AM  on 10/31 based on Daylight Saving Time, which was still in effect on this date.)

 

NOVEMBER

2 - With a high/low of 51°/40°, seven degrees below average, today was the chilliest running of the NYC Marathon in ten years.  It was also breezy with winds coming off the ocean. 

3 - This was by far the rainiest presidential Election Day as 2.18" of rain fell during the morning. (The previous Election Day record was in 1920 when 0.77" fell).  Including rain that fell yesterday, total rainfall from the storm system was 2.55".  This was more than double September's rainfall of 1.16" and the biggest rainstorm since June 5 when 2.80" fell.  

 

DECEMBER

11 - A vicious nor'easter pounded NYC this Friday morning 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.

12 - Today was unsettled, but it was nothing like yesterday's nasty conditions.  Periods of wet snow fell thru mid-afternoon and a slushy 0.4" accumulated, the first snowfall of the winter and the only snow of the month.  Meanwhile much of Massachusetts was buried by 20-30" of snow.   

13 - Precipitation fell for forty-nine of the past fifty-six hours (between 8 PM on 12/10 thru 5 AM today), amounting to 3.31".

27 - With a high/low of 31°/18° today was the first day of the winter completely below freezing.  There would be only seven other such days this winter (average number of days is 17).

31 - The temperature rose to a very mild 61°, one degree warmer than last year's New Year's Eve, and the mildest since 1965's record 63°.

 

 

To read highlights from other years between 1970 and 2023 double click here. 

 

Save

Save

Save