Today in New York Weather History: September 2
1902
Today, with a high of 82°, was the last day to report a high in the 80s (or warmer) this year - the earliest date for this occurrence (a mark that still stands). Typically, the last 80+ reading is during the last week of September.
1924
This, the day after Labor Day, was the seventh, and last, day of a stretch of hot weather, with the last four days in the 90s (today's high was 92°). The average high during this week was 90°, eleven degrees above average. This unseasonable warmth quickly dissipated after a cold front moved through late in the afternoon, dropping the temperature to 60° by midnight.
1927
Today's high of 80° was the first 80+ reading since 8/17.
1932
Today's high of 96° was the hottest temperature of the year, and the year's last reading in the 90s. (The preceding fifteen 90-degree days this summer were 90°, 91° or 92°.) The day, which happened to be the Friday leading into Labor Day weekend, was also uncomfortably humid, with a heat index of 108° reached in the early afternoon.
1953
Today's high of 102° was the hottest reading of the year, and the fourth time the mercury reached triple digits this year - a first (later duplicated in 1966). This was also just the second time a high in the triple digits occurred in September (the first time was on Sept. 7, 1881).
1966
Today was the 35th, and last, day this year with a high of 90° or hotter, nearly double the average number. These hot days fell between June 4 and today. Additionally, there were a dozen days with highs of 88° or 89°. This torrid summer passed 1949's to become the hottest on record, a distinction it would hold until 2010.
1977
Similar to Sept. 2, 1932, today was the Friday leading into Labor Day weekend, and it was a scorcher, with a high/low of 94°/75°, thirteen degrees above average.
1980
The hot summer of 1980 continued as today's high/low was 96°/75°, fourteen degrees above average.
1988
0.33" of rain fell in a 10-minute period between 8:18-8:28 PM.
1991
Today was Labor Day, and the morning low of 53° tied it with 1976 and 1883 as the chilliest reading on the holiday.
1998
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.
2002
Rain fell throughout the morning of Labor Day, finally ending by 3 PM. In total 1.63" fell, just four years after the second rainiest Labor Day (when 2.03" fell from two severe thunderstorms).
2006
The Saturday of Labor Day weekend started off cool and wet as tropical storm Ernesto moved through, dropping 1.24" of rain; the day's high was just 66°, thirteen degrees below average. Sunday and Monday, however, would be very nice, but a bit cooler than average (mid-70s).
2010
Today was the fifth day in a row of 90-degree temperatures, and the 36th such day this year - thirty of them occurring since July 1. The morning low was a steamy 78° (fourteen degrees above average), tying Sept. 6, 1985 and Sept 11, 1983 for the warmest low temperature on record in September in the past 100 years.
2013
For the first time in ten years rain fell on Labor Day. It occurred for a few hours during the middle of the afternoon, but only 0.05" was measured. Afterwards, skies cleared somewhat but the muggy conditions of the weekend prevailed.
2014
Not only was today's high of 92° the hottest reading of the year, the low of 77° was the warmest minimum temperature as well. Today's mean of 84.5° was two degrees warmer than June 18, which had a high/low of 89°/75°. 2014 joined ten other years whose hottest readings were 92° or lower (three were in the past ten years).
2017
Today's cool high/low of 68°/54°, combined with yesterday's 71°/55° to produce the chilliest first two days of September in the years since 1900). The previous chilliest Sept. 1-2 was in 1912.
2019
Although it was a modest amount, the 0.30" of rain that was measured from showers between 10:45 AM and 3 PM was the most to fall on Labor Day since 2003 (more than an inch of rain fell at Newark Airport). Conditions rebounded somewhat once the showers moved out, but dew points in the low 70s made it a bit uncomfortable. However, the temperature got no higher than 74°, which was the coolest high on Labor Day in ten years (when it was also 74°).
I remember the Summer of 1966 well. I had my first full time Summer Job, as a seasonal assistant Mail carrier at the Main Post Office on 8th Avenue. I was out there every day delivering mail, carrying a heavy mail sack on the broiling streets for several miles a day. Since I was just a temp, I got the worst routes too, mostly non-air conditioned tenement buildings on 8th & 9th Avenue. As a weather buff even then, I was aware of the historic nature of that Summer. But it was great pay for a College Student in 1966....$2.47 an hour.
Posted by: Ken K. in NJ | 09/02/2018 at 10:58 PM
Thanks for your anecdote! Did they let mailmen wear shorts back then? I was a little kid back in '66 living in Pittsburgh but I remember this summer because it got so hot at the end of June into early July that we ate dinner down in the basement a few times to keep cool (no AC back then).
Posted by: Rob | 09/03/2018 at 01:44 PM
2021 - a tenth of an inch of rain fell today, bringing the calendar year's precipitation total to 49.16" so far. only 2011 has had more precipitation through this date (50.28") than this year. even if no more rain fell for the rest of the month, this would still be the fourth wettest first nine months of a year on record (behind 1975, 1989 and 2011).
Posted by: William | 09/04/2021 at 03:51 PM