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Highlights: New York's biggest snowfall of all time occurred on Jan. 22, 2016 when 27.5" buried the City; 72° on Jan. 6, 2007; Blizzard of '96 dumped 20" in the first week of January; bitter cold readings in 1982, 1985, 1994, and 2004; 13.8" snowstorm on Jan. 22-23, 2005; the 36" of snow that fell in 2011 is the all-time January record, including 19" on Jan. 25-26; NYC recorded its wettest and driest Januarys two years apart (1979, 1981).
1915
This was the sixteenth day this winter to have measurable snow, but just the first to have an inch or more. However, the 1.6" that fell during the first half of the afternoon changed to rain and was washed away. (A more substantial snowfall, of 4.4", would occur two days later.)
1920
In less than 24 hours the temperature dropped from 41°, at 4PM yesterday, to zero degrees this morning at 10AM. Temperatures stayed in the single digits, or colder, for 31 consecutive hours - and they were between +1° and -2° for 17 consecutive hours (on Feb. 1). This was also the tenth day this month to have a low in the single digits or colder - the most of any January (a record which still stands).
1929
This was the seventh day this month (all since 1/13) to have measurable snow, and like all of the other snowfalls, it amounted to less than an inch. (Total snowfall for the month was 2.9".)
1947
The last eight days of the month experienced the quintessential "January thaw" as the average high/low was 57/38, sixteen degrees above average. Today's high was 63°.
1961
Today's high of 29° was the "warmest" temperature during an unprecedented 16-day cold wave that that began on Jan. 19 - and would continue for three more days. Since that date temperatures were 15 degrees below average (high/low of 23/10).
1966
The last week of the month was 11 degrees colder than average, the complete opposite of the first week, which was 12 degrees above average. Today's high/low was 28/14 (by contrast, New Year's Day had a high/low of 62/52).
1971
This morning's low of 10° made it the ninth day since Jan. 16 to have a low colder than 15°.
1974
Today was the tenth day of the past eleven in which temperatures were ten degrees or more above average (the day that wasn't was nine above average). During this unseasonably mild stretch of weather, temperatures were 15 degrees above average. After a high of 60° today, the temperature tumbled to 35° by midnight after passage of a cold front.
1996
The 0.9" of snow that fell today was the most to fall on this date since 1949 (when 1.0" accumulated). 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 since fallen to third).
2004
Although the first five days of January were 15 degrees milder than average, this ended up being the coldest January since 1977. Twenty of the past twenty-five days had high temperatures of freezing or colder; this period was 11 degrees below average. And today was no different, with a high/low of 28/15.
2006
Only three degrees separated today's low and high temperature (42/39).
2007
Today was the fourth day in a row in which measurable snow fell. This has happened only one other time in the 1970-2018 period (Jan. 27-30, 1986). However, snowfall during these four days was more of the "nuisance" variety, with 0.6" falling today, one inch yesterday, 0.1" on 1/29 and 0.4" on 1/28.
2008
Only a trace of snow fell this month, tying 1933 as the second least snowy January on record (no snow fell in January 1890).
2012
This was yet another month with above average temperatures, the tenth in a row and the longest such streak since 1999, when there was one of twelve months (beginning August 1998 through July 1999).
2013
A ferocious rainstorm swept through New York overnight, with wind gusts of 45-60 mph common throughout the region. Besides wind and rain, very mild air surged ahead of a cold front, pushing the temperature up to 61° shortly before 2:30 AM. Although the worst of the storm had moved on by 7AM, high winds continued for the rest of the day, and by evening the temperature had fallen by 25 degrees. The 0.94" of rain that fell in Central Park (0.04" fell last night) was the same amount that fell during Superstorm Sandy back on Oct. 29-30 (but over considerably fewer hours).
2014
This was the 20th day in a row in which no low temperature was duplicated. During these days lows ranged between 5° and 44°.
2017
Light snow fell between 10AM and 2PM, amounting to 1.0" - the first snowfall of an inch or more on this date since 1949. And with a high/low of 34/26, this was the first colder than average day since 1/14; the low was the coldest since 1/10 (when the reading was 21°). During these sixteen days temperatures were nine degrees above average.
2019
Today's frigid high/low of 16/2 was quite a contrast to the first day of the month (New Year's Day), which had a mild high/low of 58/39. Today's low was the coldest reading thus far this winter (and since Feb. 2016) and its mean temperature tied Jan. 21's, which had a high/low of 14/4, (only four other days in the past 25 years have had colder mean temperatures). Finally, today's high temperature matched the high in 1935 for coldest high on this date.
Since 1900 New York has experienced 31 snowstorms of one-foot or more (about once every four years). An additional 22 storms have dumped between 10 and 12 inches. The summary of storms that follows lists not only these big ones but others in the five to ten-inch range, since even these can be debilitating, especially in Manhattan (these smaller storms often produced greater accumulations in the suburbs). The storms, approximately 125 in total, are arranged by calendar date. If you'd like to see a list arranged by each winter, double click here. So, without further adieu, let the the roll-call of snowstorms begin ...
JANUARY
Jan. 1, 1971 - Old Man Winter waited until New Year's Eve revelers returned home before dumping the largest snowfall of the winter. 6.4" of snow accumulated between 4AM-4PM, with much of it falling in the storm's initial three hours. This was the century's largest New Year's Day snowfall (and second all-time after a nine-inch snowstorm way back in 1869).
Jan. 2, 1925 - A blizzard dumped close to a foot of snow (11.5"). Snow began falling around daybreak and lasted until 11PM. In addition to snow there were also periods of heavy sleet in the early afternoon. Temperatures throughout the storm were in the mid-20s, but howling winds gusting between 35-40 mph produced wind chills in the single digits.
Jan. 2-3, 2014 - A sprawling winter storm moved into the area during the evening with snow beginning at 6:30 and continuing into the overnight hours. In total 6.4" fell. Besides snow and gusty winds, there was Arctic cold to contend with as the mercury fell from the upper 20s when the snow started to 18° by midnight (and down to 11° by daybreak on Jan. 3).
Jan. 3-4, 1923 - The biggest snowfall of the winter began this afternoon and continued until daybreak on the 4th, accumulating nine inches. The temperature fell slowly through the storm, dropping from 33° to 29°.
Jan. 4, 1988 - The City woke up to 5.8" of snow that fell overnight (four inches of it today). It was the winter's biggest snowfall. Four days later a steady light snow fell throughout the day, accumulating an additional 5.4".
Jan. 4, 2018 - An intense nor'easter created whiteout conditions late in the morning into the early afternoon, with snow accumulating close to ten inches by the time it ended later in the afternoon. This snowfall easily broke the previous record for snowfall on this date (in 1988) - and today's accumulation of 9.8" was slightly more than last winter's biggest snowfall (9.4" on Feb. 9). Temperatures were in the mid-20s throughout the storm and, combined with winds that gusted close to 35 mph, produced wind chills around 10°. Today was also the tenth consecutive day in which the high was colder than 32°, making it the longest such streak since one of 12 days in January 2003.
Jan. 7-8, 1996 - A crippling blizzard began Sunday afternoon and continued until early afternoon the next day. It immobilized an area from West Virginia through Massachusetts and dumped 20.2" on Central Park, the third greatest snow total in NYC history (13.6" fell on Jan. 7 and 6.6" on Jan. 8, records for the dates). At one point five inches of snow fell between 5-7PM. Wind gusts of 40-50 mph whipped the snow into three and four-foot drifts on many side streets.
Areas west of NYC reported considerably more snow than Central Park: 32" in Staten Island; 28" in Newark; 26" in Allentown, PA; and 31" in Philadelphia. Temperatures were also very cold with a high/low of just 22/12 on the 7th and 23/16 on the 8th.
Jan. 10-12, 1954 - Light snow fell for 39 hours, beginning mid-afternoon on 1/10 and ending in the pre-dawn hours of 1/12. A total of 8.4" piled up, with 2.2" falling on the 10th, 5.4" accumulating on the 11th, and 0.8" falling on the 12th. This was the biggest snowfall in five years.
Jan. 11, 1991 - 5.7" of snow accumulated during the afternoon and evening before changing to rain overnight as the temperature rose into the mid-30s (close to one inch of rain fell). Despite the changeover it was a record amount of snow for the date.
Jan. 11-12, 2011 - Snow began the night of the 11th (three inches fell by midnight) and was over by daybreak, totaling 9.1". The 6.1" that fell during the morning of the 12th was a record for the date.
Jan. 12-13, 1964 - Snow began falling late on the 12th and then continued for almost the entire day on the 13th. 12.5" accumulated by the time the snow ended around 11PM. Temperatures were very cold, ranging between 18° and 22°, then dropping into the frigid low teens in the last hours of the storm. Besides the cold and snow there were also high winds that gusted over 40 mph, producing wind chills around zero degrees. This blast of winter came after a week-and-a-half of mild temperatures to start the month.
Jan. 13, 1939 - Beginning mid-afternoon, a snowfall of 8.8" (1.0" fell on 1/14) tied the Thanksgiving snowstorm of 11/24-25 as the biggest snowfall of the season.
Jan. 13, 1982 - A late afternoon/nighttime snowstorm that dumped 5.8" on NYC was the same winter system that affected Washington, DC earlier in the afternoon when an Air Florida jet crashed into the Potomac River minutes after takeoff, killing 78. The following day an additional 3.5" of snow fell from an "Alberta clipper" that moved through in the evening hours.
Jan. 14, 1910 - The biggest snowfall of the winter blanketed the City with 10" (0.5" of it fell on 1/15). This came three weeks after a snowfall of eight inches (on Christmas Day). Snow began falling shortly after midnight and fell steadily through late afternoon. After the temperature rose to 33° late in the morning it fell steadily until 9PM when it was 20°.
Jan. 14, 1923 - Snow began falling after 10AM and by 5PM 7.8" had accumulated; then it changed to light rain for the next three hours as the temperature rose into the mid-30s.
Jan 14-15, 2004 - Typically, based on a 1:10 water-to-snow conversion ratio, 0.15" of liquid precipitation should produce 1.5 inches of snow. However, because both days were so frigid (high/lows of 17/9 and 18/2), and the air so dry, this amount of precipitation produced 5.7" of fluffy snow. It started falling the night of the 14th and continued until daybreak on the 15th. (Two days earlier a half-inch of snow was produced from a "trace" of liquid.)
Jan. 19, 1936 - A winter storm brought heavy snow, sleet and gusty winds. After beginning as light rain late last night, nine inches of snow piled up in the morning (mostly between 3:00-9:00) and the afternoon saw an onslaught of sleet that was propelled by 25-35 mph winds, producing wind chills in the single digits (the air temperature was in the mid-20s). The sleet accumulated 2.5".
Jan. 19-20, 1961 - This became known as the Kennedy Snowstorm because it occurred the night before JFK was sworn in as president. Snow began late in the afternoon on the 19th and continued until late in the morning the next day. Temperatures fell from the low 20s to mid-teens and winds gusted between 25 and 35 mph. Because of the very cold temperatures, 0.50" of liquid precipitation produced 9.9" of snow (nearly 14 inches piled up in Newark). The storm ushered in an Arctic high pressure system that would stay locked in place over the Northeast for more than two weeks, resulting in an unprecedented 16 days in a row in which the temperature never rose higher than 29° at Central Park.
Jan. 20, 1978 - Snow that began yesterday evening fell at a rate of an inch per hour between 2-7AM, and by 2PM 13.6" had fallen. This was NYC's biggest snowfall since the "Lindsay snowstorm" of February 1969. (However, in less than three weeks this storm would be largely forgotten, overshadowed by the great blizzard of February 1978.)
Jan. 20, 2000 - The largest snowfall of the winter, 5.5", caught forecasters by surprise. The accumulation was held down when sleet and freezing rain mixed in. This storm buried Raleigh, NC with 20.3" of snow, the largest snowfall in that city's history.
Jan. 21, 2001 - A quick-moving snowstorm dumped six inches of snow on Sunday morning, a record for the date. The flakes stopped flying by 8AM.
Jan. 21, 2014 - A wind-driven snow began at around 9AM and fell throughout the day and evening, with 11" on the ground by midnight - a record for the date (an additional 0.5" fell after midnight). Besides wind and snow, the storm was made more fierce by Arctic cold, with temperatures in the teens all day. The storm extended from DC to Boston. Its timing couldn't have been worse for commuters, who had to contend with getting home in the teeth of the storm. Accumulations were even greater on Long Island.
Jan. 22, 1987 - A daytime snowstorm dumped 8.1" of snow on the City while much of Long Island picked up a foot or more. (Virginia, DC, Maryland, Delaware and South Jersey bore the brunt of the storm.) The City's accumulation was held down when sleet mixed in. This was NYC's biggest snowfall in four years and wouldn't be topped until the March 1993 Superstorm.
Jan. 22-23, 1935 - This was a two-stage storm. On 1/22 precipitation began in the morning as rain which changed to snow around mid-day as the temperature fell from the low 40s into the upper 20s; five inches was measured. Then after a 13-hour break, winds shifted from the northwest to northeast and heavy snow returned late on the morning of 1/23. Between 1:00 and 7PM it fell at a rate of an inch or more per hour and accumulated nearly thirteen inches. Flakes fell until the wee hours of the next day. Temperatures fell slowly throughout the day, dropping from 26° to 18° (and they'd continue to fall slowly the following day). This was the first snowstorm of a foot or more in nine years.
Jan. 22-23, 2005 - A weekend snowstorm began early Saturday afternoon and by daybreak Sunday 13.8" had fallen (8.5" fell on Saturday, 5.3" on Sunday). After a very cold morning low of 9° on the 22nd, the days high of 25° was reached at midnight. This was the biggest January snowstorm since the blizzard of 1996.
Jan. 23, 2016 - A blizzard of epic proportions dumped 27.5" of snow and stopped the City in its tracks. Starting late last night (1/22), blinding snow and strong winds lasted for 24 hours (peak gust at Central Park was 43 mph). The storm's total accumulation made it the biggest snowstorm on record, moving it ahead of the snowstorm of Feb. 11-12, 2006 that dumped 26.9" on the City.
The accumulation from today's storm was more than double what had been predicted as the storm's snow shield moved further north than expected (accumulations of 20" to 30" extended from DC northeastward to the NYC metropolitan area). Snow fell at a rate of one to two inches for 14 consecutive hours (4AM-6PM). As a result, the City issued a traffic ban on all streets in the five boroughs; all Broadway shows cancelled their performances. At the time of the storm the accumulation was reported at 26.8", but in late April the National Weather Service revised it upward by 0.7".
Jan. 24-25, 1905 - Snow began falling after 9PM and continued for 24 hours, accumulating 11". It was a fluffy snow with just 0.54" of water content. During the course of the storm the temperature dropped from mid-20s to low teens. Snow fell heaviest between 8AM and noon on the 25th when an Arctic front moved through. Besides the cold and snow, the afternoon also featured gusty winds (25-30 mph).
Jan. 26-27, 2011 - Snow began falling heavily by late afternoon and blizzard conditions developed after nightfall. By midnight close to 13 inches had fallen, and by the time the snow wound down at daybreak on the 27th 19 inches had piled up. (This was just one month after the post-Christmas blizzard socked NYC with 20 inches.) Shortly after midnight I ventured outside to snap photos and found traffic mostly at a standstill on the streets of the West Village, with taxis on Seventh Ave. pointed every which way. The quiet usually associated with a snowfall was broken by the sound of spinning tires. This furious spinning produced an odor of burning rubber that pervaded the air.
The 6.7" of snow that fell before daybreak on the 27th was a record for the date and brought the month's snow total to 36.0" - the most ever in January. (Just one year earlier 36.9" of snow fell in February.) In the past thirty-three days, beginning with the Christmas blizzard, an incredible 52" of snow fell. And for the first time NYC had two snowstorms of 19" or more in one winter.
Jan. 26-27, 2015 - Light snow began falling around daybreak on 1/26 and fell steadily through the daytime hours; by evening close to five inches had accumulated. A dry slot provided a break for about four hours before snow resumed after 11PM, adding and additional five inches. Although a substantial amount, the 9.8" that fell was considered a disappointment after 20"-30" was predicted (the storm's center moved 80 miles further east than models expected; Long Island and southeastern New England, however, received tremendous amounts. Based on the forecast NYC schools were closed on 1/27 and the mayor urged businesses to let employees work from home. Meanwhile the state's governor ordered the City's transit system shut down.
Jan. 27-28, 2004 - Snow moved in after 8PM and by the time it ended early the next morning 10.3" inches of powdery snow had accumulated (six inches of it fell on the 27th). Jan. 27 was the fifth day in a row in which high temperatures were colder than 25°.
Jan. 28, 1943 - The winter's nastiest storm dropped 7.1" of snow and sleet, which was accompanied by northeasterly winds that gusted to 34 mph. Precipitation began at daybreak and continued through early evening.
Jan. 28-29, 1922 - New York was on the northern fringe of a winter storm that became known as the "Knickerbocker Snowstorm", named after a movie theater in Washington, DC whose roof collapsed from the weight of snow the night of 1/28, killing 98 moviegoers. And although NYC escaped the paralyzing amounts of snow that piled up in Virginia, DC, Maryland and southeastern PA (6.5" fell in Central Park, the biggest snowfall of the winter), gale force winds clocked at between 35 and 50 mph howled for nearly 24 hours, beginning mid-day on the 28th. Temperatures throughout the storm were in the 29° to 31° range, with chills in the low teens.
FEBRUARY
February 1, 1957 - A quick-moving snowstorm dumped 6.3" of snow between 1:00 and 10:00 PM. This was the biggest snowfall of the winter.
Feb. 3, 1996 - 7.5" of snow, which was over by daybreak, fell in advance of the coldest air of the winter. This was the the third snowfall of six+ inches this winter (with one more of that magnitude two weeks later). I had flown down to Key West for vacation the day before thinking I had escaped, but a few days later the Arctic cold penetrated all the way down to the Keys and it felt like more like fall.
Feb. 3, 2014 - One day after the high temperature was 56°, eight inches of heavy, wet snow fell during the morning and afternoon as the temperature hovered around the freezing mark. Today's snowfall was a record for the date and was the third accumulation of six inches or more this winter (just the eighth winter since 1960 in which this has occurred). Snow began falling less than nine hours after the Super Bowl, played in northern NJ, had ended.
Feb. 3-4, 1961 - Snow began falling on the evening of 2/3, dumping six inches, and continued through the morning of the 4th, with an additional 11.4" piling up. The snow that fell on 2/4 was heavy and wet and was driven by gale force winds. This was the third major snowstorm of the winter, following 15.4" on Dec. 11-12 and 9.9" on Jan. 19-20. However, those storms were characterized by very cold temperatures while this storm saw temperatures rise from the upper 20s to the mid-30s during the afternoon of the 4th, when the snow changed to rain. This was the second winter in a row to have two snowstorms of one foot or more.
Feb. 4, 1995 - Only 11.8" of snow fell during the winter of 1994-95 and almost all of it fell today as 10.8" of heavy, wet snow fell furiously on a Saturday morning (close to three inches fell between 6-7AM) before changing over to rain at around 9AM. Then the coldest air of the winter moved in overnight.
Feb. 4-5, 1907 - Snow began around noon and continued for nearly 24 hours, accumulating 11". It fell heaviest between 8PM and 4AM. Temperatures stayed in a narrow range of 19° to 22°. This storm followed a snowfall of four inches on the first two days of the month.
Feb. 4-7, 1920 - One of New York's most extended onslaughts of winter weather of all time brought 72 hours of snow, sleet and freezing rain (beginning after 2AM on 2/4 and ending around dawn on 2/7). During this punishing storm, 4.41" of liquid precipitation fell, 17.5" of it in the form of snow (five to six inches of snow fell on 2/4, 2/5 and 2/6); the rest was sleet and freezing rain. For much of the storm temperatures were in the 20s, and winds gusted between 35 and 45 mph, with wind chills in the single digits.
Feb. 5-6, 1908 - The day began bitterly cold with a low of 1° above zero (the coldest reading of the winter). Then the temperature rose all day and was 32° by midnight. Snow began falling in the afternoon and continued into the next day with four inches falling on each day. After 8" had fallen the snow changed to rain as the temperature rose to 40° (it tumbled back to 29° by midnight).
Feb. 6-7, 1978 - Less than three weeks after 13.6" of snow buried the City, an even bigger snowstorm struck. Snow began before dawn and by midnight 15.5" had fallen in Central Park. An additional 2.2" fell the next morning. Snow, drifted by wind gusts of 30-40 mph, fell heaviest between 7PM-1AM, when it fell at a rate of more than an inch per hour.
The storm's 17.7" accumulation made this NYC's biggest snowstorm since Dec. 26-27, 1947, when 26.4" buried the City (later broken in February 2006). This was the first winter in 17 years to have two snowstorms of one foot or more. Snow would be on the ground in Central Park for the next five weeks.
Feb. 7, 1967 - One day after 2.7" of snow fell during the morning, a blizzard buried the City with 12.5" of snow in a 12-hour period (5A-5P). Besides the heavy snow (which fell at a rate of an inch or more for six consecutive hours) what made this Tuesday blizzard even more noteworthy was the extreme cold as the day's high/low was just 16/9 (the day's low occurred at 1PM). Winds gusting between 25-35 mph produced wind chills between -5° and -15°.
Feb. 8-9, 2013 - An intense winter storm developed off the Delmarva peninsula during the day and by nightfall near-blizzard conditions were common in NYC and points north and east. An icy mix of light snow and wind blown sleet began at daybreak and fell throughout the day, becoming steadier and heavier after dark. By midnight, 6.3" had fallen in Central Park; by the time the snow ended shortly before daybreak on Feb. 9, 11.4" had piled up. This was the City's 15th biggest snowfall since 1970. However, this amount was manageable compared to Suffolk County and New England, where accumulations of two to three feet were common.
Feb. 8-9, 1994 - After January saw a large amount of sleet and freezing rain NYC finally got a storm that brought snow as nine inches fell. It came down especially heavy between 9AM-1PM, but the snow predicted for the rest of the day didn't materialize as it came down as sleet. Snow resumed after midnight and an additional 1.8" fell.
Feb. 9, 2017 - The day after a record high of 62°, winter returned with unprecedented vengeance as 9.4" of heavy snow fell during the morning (mostly between 6AM and noon), and temperatures were in the upper 20s. Snow fell at a rate of an inch or more/hour, reducing visibility to less than 1/4 mile for six consecutive hours. By midnight temperatures had fallen to the upper teens. Snowfall was in the 12"-15" range over most of Long Island, the Hudson Valley and Connecticut. This drastic change in conditions exceeded that of Feb. 1-2, 2014 when eight inches of snow fell the day after a high of 56°.
Feb. 9-10, 1969 - A Sunday snowstorm that lasted for 26 hours dumped 15.3" of snow (14.0" today, 1.3" in the wee hours of 2/10). Winds that gusted between 25 and 30 mph created snowdrifts of two to three feet. This storm became forever known as the "Lindsay Snowstorm" after the outer boroughs went unplowed for days, neglect that nearly toppled John Lindsay in his re-election bid as mayor later in the year. Central Park was covered with snow from this storm for the rest of the month.
Feb. 10, 1926 - Less than a week after a fierce blizzard brought 10.4" of snow and sleet (accompanied by wind gusts of 40-45 mph) another snowstorm dumped a foot on the City, much of it falling this morning between 3:00 and 9:00 (light snow began last night and accumulated 1.6"). Winds from this storm gusted between 30 and 35 mph. Temperatures in the morning held steady in the low 20s and then fell slowly during the afternoon, reaching 11° by midnight. (In a similar fashion, two snowstorms of 9.2" and 12.8" occurred just three days apart in early February during the winter of 1994.)
Feb. 10, 2010 - Four days after a monster snowstorm stopped short of NYC's doorstep, another one made its presence known today and dumped 10" of heavy, wet snow. Because the daytime temperature was just above freezing (the high was 34°) it prevented main streets from getting much in the way of accumulation.
Feb. 11, 1933 - In just eight hours (1-9:00 AM) ten inches of snow fell, the biggest snowstorm in seven years. Sleet mixed in during the final few hours even though temperatures were in the low 20s.
Feb. 11, 1983 - A monster snowstorm moved in Friday afternoon and continued until the wee hours of the morning on Saturday. The storm really cranked up between 8-11PM when six inches of snow came down. When the last flakes had fallen 17.6" had piled up. It was the biggest snowfall in NYC since 1978 (when 17.7" fell on Feb. 5-7) and at the time was the sixth biggest snowstorm in NYC history (it's now ranked twelfth).
Feb. 11, 1994 - 12.8" of snow fell during a snowstorm that began shortly before daybreak and continued into Friday evening. This was just three days after a nine-inch snowstorm and was NYC's biggest snowfall since 1983, which happened to occur on this date as well.
Feb. 11-12, 2006 - New York was the bulls-eye for a record-setting amount of snow over the weekend. Beginning the night of the 11th as light snow (2.8" fell by midnight), it turned heavier after midnight and between 4-10AM Sunday morning the snow was falling at a rate of two inches/hour (between 8:25-9:25 nearly four inches piled up).
When it was over 26.9" had fallen, a half-inch more than the City's previous record on Dec. 26-27, 1947. Snowfall totals outside of NYC were also impressive but not nearly as much as what Central Park picked up. This storm accounted for two-thirds of the winter's total snowfall. Only 1.3" of snow fell for the rest of the winter.
Feb. 12, 1975 - A quick-moving winter storm delivered the biggest snowfall of the winter, with 7.8" piling up between 8AM-3PM. Snow fell at the rate of one-inch per hour for five consecutive hours. This was the biggest snowfall of the eight winters from 1970 thru 1977.
Feb. 13-14, 2014 - An intense storm system moved up the East Coast and brought with it high winds, heavy snow in the morning (9.5"), rain in the evening (accompanied by thunder & lightning) and more snow after midnight (3.0"). This was the winter's fourth snowfall of six inches or more, something that's happened in just one other winter since 1950 (in 1958). This snowstorm brought the season's snowfall to 54.0", moving it up to seventh on the all-time list.
Feb. 14, 1940 - It was a wintry day, as wind-blown sleet and snow fell throughout the day, accumulating 7.7" (an additional 1.3" fell overnight). Late in the morning winds gusted to 50 mph. Temperatures fell slowly, from the low-30s in the morning to low-20s by midnight.
Feb. 15-17, 1903 - This was a snow and sleet storm, which began mid-day on the 15th, continued through much of the 16th, and ended mid-day on the 17th. In total 9.8" accumulated (accounting for all of February's snow). During the first two days temperatures ranged between 28° and 30° then fell into the teens around daybreak on the 17th.
Feb. 16-17, 1996 - Snow fell throughout the day and by the time it came to and end shortly after 1AM 10.7" had piled up (9.9" of it fell on the 16th; the rest after midnight), the third snowstorm this winter of eight-inches or more. It was a fluffy snow with just 0.52" of water content.
Feb. 16-17, 2003 - After beginning Sunday night (when 3.5" fell), the brunt of the Presidents' Day blizzard kicked in and dumped an additional 16.3" on Monday, making this NYC's fourth biggest snowfall on record. (Since then three snowstorms during the winters of 2006, 2010 and 2011 have surpassed it.) Ferocious winds gusting over 40 mph created snow drifts of 3-5 feet. And although Monday's temperatures were quite cold (high/low of 26/14), they were a warm-up from Sunday's frigid 15/8.
Feb. 19, 1972 - A nor'easter packing 40 mph winds brought the biggest snowfall of the winter, 5.7", but it was part of a sloppy mix of snow, sleet and rain so there was never more than two to three inches of snow on the ground at any given time. Temperatures didn't go below freezing until evening. In total 1.64" of precipitation was measured.
Feb. 19, 1979 - A fast-moving snowstorm buried the City on Presidents' Day with 12.7" of snow between 4:00AM-noon. However, the storm's deepest snows, of 18-24", fell in Virginia, DC, Maryland and Delaware. The storm came in the midst of a deep freeze that saw fifteen of the past nineteen days with high temperatures at the freezing mark or below, averaging 14 degrees below average. Including today's snowfall, 20.1" of snow fell during these nineteen days. Another President's Day storm with even more snow would strike NYC 24 years later.
Feb. 20, 1921 - The winter's biggest snowfall amounted to 12.5". Beginning shortly after midnight as rain, it quickly changed over to snow after 1AM and continued until early evening; it was a very wet snow, with 2.68" of liquid precipitation measured. The temperature fell slowly through the day, from 35° to 22° (on the way to 14° by daybreak on the 21st). Winds gusted to 41 mph.
Feb. 21, 1929 - More than half of the winter's 13.8" of snow fell today as eight inches accumulated between 5AM and 2PM. Temperatures were in the low-to-mid-twenties during the storm.
Feb. 21, 1947 - Snow that began yesterday evening (accumulating 4.2" by midnight) continued through this morning and piled up an additional 6.5". This 10.7" snowfall was the biggest in six years. Temperatures were very cold, with a high/low of 24/14, sixteen degrees below average.
February 22, 2008 - Six inches of slushy snow fell during the morning into the early afternoon, the biggest snowfall of the winter - and the largest accumulation since NYC's all-time snowstorm two Februarys ago. Today's snow was also a record for the date.
Feb. 25, 1934- On a brutally cold day (high/low of 16/9) light snow began falling mid-afternoon and fell steadily thru the following afternoon, accumulating 9.3". This was the third snowfall of 7.5" or more this month and brought February's total snowfall to 27.9" (the other major snowfalls were on 2/1 and 2/19-20). At the time this was the second snowiest month on record (now ranked sixth) and the snowiest February (since topped by Feb. 2010 and 2014).
February 25-26 2010 - After beginning in the morning as steady rain a changeover to snow occurred in the afternoon and developed into NYC's third major snowstorm of the winter. 9.4" fell by midnight and an additional 11.5" of snow fell on the 26th, ending in the early afternoon, bringing the storm's two-day total to 20.9". This was the fourth largest accumulation in NYC history - and just 0.1" shy of the total from the great blizzard of March 1888.
With this storm February's total snowfall reached 36.9", the most ever measured in any month. (And this was without getting any snow from the big Mid-Atlantic blizzard of Feb. 4-5 that stopped at our doorstep.) This turned out to be the last snowfall of the winter.
February 26, 1991 - A surprise snowstorm dumped 8.9" of wet snow, the biggest accumulation in eight years (since 17.6" buried the City in on Feb. 11-12, 1983 ). Because the temperature was just above freezing for much of the day the snow didn't accumulate much on the streets or sidewalks. This was the winter's third snowfall of five inches or more.
February 28-March 1, 2005 - March came in a like a lion camouflaged as a lamb by all of the snow covering him. 7.7" of snow fell from a storm that began the afternoon of Feb. 28 and ended at daybreak on March 1. It wasn't a cold storm as the temperature rose into the low 40s after the snow ended. This was the third accumulation of five inches+ in the past ten days (five inches fell on 2/20-21 and six inches fell on 2/24-25). Combined, 18.7" fell from these snow events.
MARCH
March 1, 1914- Rain in the morning changed to snow around lunchtime and by midnight 13.5" had accumulated (an additional inch fell after midnight on 3/2). It was a very heavy, wet snow with a high water content (2.65") until around 9PM when Arctic air moved in. This was the century's first snowstorm of a foot or more, and the first since February 1899, when 16 inches piled up. This remains the longest period between snowstorms of 12 inches or more.
March 1-2, 2009 - 8.3" of snow fell from a quick-moving storm that began the night of the 1st (when 1.8" fell), making this the largest accumulation of the winter (and the most to fall in three years). 12-15" fell out on Long Island.
March 3-4, 1960 - A crippling snowstorm that dumped 14.5" of snow moved into the region at daybreak and continued for 24 hours (12.5" fell today). Near blizzard conditions were experienced as winds gusted between 30 and 35 mph. This was the second snowstorm of one foot or more this winter - a first (and it would happen again the following winter). Earlier in the winter 13.7" of snow fell on Dec. 21-22.
March 5, 1981 - A heavy, wet snowfall of 8.6" was the biggest snow of the winter and a record amount for the date. It also has the distinction of being the second largest accumulation in the month of March in the 1970-2015 period.
March 5, 2015 - Rain that fell overnight rain changed to snow at daybreak and fell steadily for the rest of the day, accumulating 7.5" by 6PM. This became the second biggest snowfall of the winter, passing the 4.8" snowfall of March 1. In just the first five days of the month this became the snowiest March since 1967 as 14.1" fell from three storm systems. Today's snowstorm brought the season's total snowfall to 42.5", the eighth time in the past thirteen winters to have more than 40 inches (average is 26 inches). Temperatures fell during the storm, from mid-30s to upper teens by the time the last snowflake fell.
March 5-6, 2001 - Call this the storm that couldn't. The City was put on high alert after 15-24" of snow was predicted during the weekend. City schools and some businesses were closed on Monday and we waited, but it was in vain as the storm never lived up to its billing. The storm strengthened later and further north than predicted. New York received 3.5" as a consolation prize. However, Long Island received significant accumulations.
March 6-7, 1923 - Snow began falling around 10AM and continued light and steady for the next 24 hours, accumulating 7.3" (along with a mix with sleet and freezing rain after 4PM). This was the tenth snowfall of three inches or more this winter. Besides the snow/ice, winds gusted to 30-35 mph, and temperatures were very cold on the 6th, with a high/low of only 25/19.
March 8, 1941 - A fierce winter storm that began late last night brought heavy snow, sleet and high winds during the morning. By 11AM 18.1" of snow had fallen (15.7" of it fell today); the precipitation then changed to light drizzle in the afternoon (the day's high was 33°). At the time this tied with a snowstorm in January 1935 as New York's second biggest snowfall (it's now ranked tenth).
March 8-9, 1984 - Snow moved in the night of the 8th and by daybreak 6.9" had accumulated (5.1" of it on the 9th), making this the biggest snow of the winter. It was a powdery snow with just 0.38" of water content.
March 13, 1993 - The great March Superstorm (also called "Storm of the Century") paralyzed the Eastern third of the nation and dumped 10.6" of snow on NYC. The heavy snow changed to sleet and rain later in the afternoon, a Saturday, reducing the predicted snow total by about six inches. The sound of the sleet lashing against my windows, propelled by 40-60 mph wind gusts, was deafening. All told, 2.37" of precipitation fell. To read a first-person account of the storm double click here.
March 14, 2017 - A much-touted blizzard was a bust as snow that began in the wee hours of the morning changed over to sleet, greatly reducing the 12-18" that had been predicted. (This brought to mind the blizzard that fizzled in late January 2015 and resulted in an apology from the National Weather Service to the mayor because of the advanced closings that took place.) And although there was no blockbuster snowfall today, the 7.6" that fell set a record for the date as did the day's daily precipitation record (1.96" was measured, nearly twice as much as the previous record).
March 16, 2007 - An all-day onslaught of sleet and snow dumped 5.5" of icy precipitation, the biggest snow of the winter. This storm somewhat resembled last month's severe sleet storm on Valentine's Day, but this one had considerably more snow. The total amount of precipitation was 2.07", a record for the date. This was the last snowfall of the winter, a winter in which just 12.4" fell, which was quite a contrast from the previous four winters, all of which had at least forty inches of snow.
March 18, 1956 - Less than 48 hours after a snowfall of 6.7", an even bigger storm moved in during the afternoon. By the time snow stopped falling 24 hours later 11.6" of new snow was on the ground (3.8" of it fell today). And today's high/low was just 30/21, seventeen degrees below average.
March 19, 1992 - The biggest snowfall of the winter occurred today, a sloppy 6.2". This tripled the winter's relatively snowless snow total to 9.4". Just two degrees separated the day's high and low (33/31).
March 20-21, 2018 - On the first full day of spring snow began falling shortly after daybreak and continued for the rest of the day into the wee hours of 3/21. By midnight 8.2" had accumulated, making this one of New York's biggest snowstorms after March 15 (an additional 0.2" fell after midnight). This was the fourth nor'easter that brought heavy snow through the region this month, but the first in which the temperature was 32° or colder in the City (throughout the storm temperatures hovered between 31° and 33°). Once again, Long Island was hammered, with accumulations of 12"-18" common.
March 20-21, 1958 - An intense nor'easter brought winds of 35-45 mph along with heavy, wet snow that began shortly before daybreak and continued thru midday on the 21st. 4.7" fell today and 7.1" the following day. However, today's temperature never got colder than 33°. Philadelphia also picked up nearly a foot of snow from this storm, which buried parts of eastern and central Pennsylvania and upstate New York with 30 to 40 inches of snow.
March 21-22, 1967 - One of New York's latest snowstorms dumped 9.8" thru mid-afternoon on the 22nd (0.8" of it fell late last night). The day's high of 32° was 20 degrees below average. This storm came three days after a morning low of 8°, the latest date on record for a reading in the single digits. Additionally, in the past 45 days (since Feb. 6) 41.0" of snow fell, with snow reported on twelve of the days (including 12.5" on Feb. 7).
March 22, 1998 - It appeared this winter was going to have the least snow on record, as just 0.5" had been measured. Then a surprise five-inch snowfall occurred overnight and the winter of 1997-98 ended up as the second least snowy (behind 1972/73, which had only 2.8"). It would fall to third place four years later when the winter of 2001-02 had just 3.5".
March 29, 1970 - Today was Easter Sunday, and rain that began before sunrise (when temperatures were in the low 40s) changed to sleet and snow after 10AM. When the precipitation ended late in the afternoon, four inches had piled up. This was a record amount for Easter and the only snow that fell this month. (At the time I was a kid living in Pittsburgh, which also had four inches of snow, but it arrived shortly before sunrise. Although we headed out for Easter Mass we turned around and came home because road conditions were so bad.)
APRIL
April 1, 1924 - It was no April Fool's joke as 8.5" of heavy, wet snow fell from mid-afternoon through 9PM. Snow fell mostly with temperatures two or three degrees above freezing. Besides the snow, gale force winds gusted to 35 mph.
April 2, 2018 - A heavy, wet snow fell between 5:00 and 10:00 AM, accumulating 5.5" - the biggest snowfall in April since the blizzard of April 6, 1982 (9.6"). Like the snowfalls of 2/17 (4.4") and 3/9 (3.2"), the temperature during this morning's snowfall remained above freezing. This was the fifth snowfall of four inches or more this season, each occurring in a different month. Today's snow brought the season total to 40.9", making this the ninth season since 2002-03 with 40 inches or more (average snowfall is 25.8").
April 3, 1915- The biggest snowfall of the "winter" blanketed the City on what was Easter Saturday as ten inches of heavy snow fell between 9AM and 11PM (eight inches fell between 11AM and 6PM). During the storm winds from out of the north gusted to 25 mph and temperatures hovered around 30°, producing wind chills in the teens.
April 5, 1944 - Four days before Easter Sunday a late season snowstorm dumped 6.5". Beginning as rain a little after midnight, it changed to snow around 2AM and mixed with sleet around lunchtime before ending in mid-afternoon. The snow came down heaviest between 3-5AM when three inches accumulated. The day's high/low was 34/29.
April 6, 1982 - Just 1.1" of snow had fallen in February and March when a blizzard dumped 9.6" of snow on the City today, less than a week before Easter. More than a foot fell in New Jersey and Westchester County. The storm started as rain in the pre-dawn hours and changed over to snow mid-morning and lasted through late afternoon. By midnight the temperature had fallen to a record low 21°. This was the most snow to fall so late in the season since ten inches fell on April 3, 1915. To read a first-person account click here.
April 6-9, 1938 - This was a sloppy four days of weather, with 6.4" of snow falling on April 6 and 7 (the biggest snowfall of the winter) and 0.95" of rain on April 8 and 9. During these days temperatures were mostly in the 30s. The low of 28° on 4/6 was the only April day in the 1930s with a low in the 20s.
April 7, 2003 - Four inches of snow fell, the biggest April snowfall in twenty-one years. This brought the season's snowfall close to 50 inches.
April 8, 1956 - Rain from yesterday's nor'easter turned to snow after 3AM and by late afternoon 4.2" of snow was on the ground - yet the temperature never got lower than 33°. This was the third significant snowfall in the past four weeks, a period in which 25" of snow fell, an unprecedented amount for so late in the season. Up until mid-March the winter had seen just eight inches. Not surprisingly, this snowy period was also cold, with temperatures 6.4 degrees below average.
April 9, 1917 - One of April's biggest snowstorms dumped 6.5" (0.1" of it fell late last night). This brought the winter's total snowfall to 50.7" for the second year in a row. The snow was over by 7AM and by noon the temperature was in the upper 30s, where it stayed for the remainder of the afternoon. Combined with sunny skies, substantial melting took place and by nightfall there was less than two inches on the ground in Central Park.
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER
October 29, 2011 - An intense nor'easter lashed the area with high winds and outrageously early snowfall. The 2.9" of heavy, wet snow that was measured in Central Park was the most ever to fall in October (5.2" fell in Newark and over a foot buried northern NJ, parts of NY state, Connecticut, western Massachusetts and New Hampshire).
Since the temperature never fell below freezing there was no serious accumulation on City streets (except for slush). However, the day's low of 33°, which occurred in the early afternoon, was the coldest reading in October since 1988. Total liquid precipitation from the storm was two inches. Remarkably, twelve weeks would pass before the next measurable snow (4.3" on Jan. 21, 2012).
November 7, 2012 - Just nine days after the region was raked by hurricane Sandy's high winds and record storm surge, a nor'easter lashed the area. It moved far enough off the coast to pull cold air into the area, changing the rain to snow by 2PM. This was just the fifth snowfall of one-inch+ to occur in November in the past 40 years - and the first since 1997. 4.7" fell (4.3" of it today), making it the earliest 4-inch snowfall on record (the previous record was in 1989 when 4.7" fell on Nov. 22-23). It was also the largest accumulation of the calendar year, topping the 4.3" that fell on Jan 21.
November 15, 2018 - An early snowstorm moved in during early afternoon and by evening 6.4" of heavy, wet snow had piled up, which was much more than was predicted, and the earliest date on record for a snowfall this deep (and just the fifth snowfall of six+ inches in November). When the snow began falling the temperature dropped from 36° to 28°, but then began rising after 7PM and was back at 36° by 10PM. Rush hour traffic was snarled for hours and hundreds of trees lost branches, which snapped from the weight of snow. As the storm exited winds picked up and gusted to 35 mph (and to 45 mph at the area's three airports).
November 22-23, 1989 - A Thanksgiving Day snowstorm along the Mid-Atlantic (which began late the previous night) dumped 4.7" of snow on NYC; however, it was over by the time the Macy's parade began. Although this wasn't officially a wintertime snowfall it was larger than any accumulation during the 1989-90 season. The day's high topped out at just 31°, twenty degrees below average.
Nov. 27, 1938 - Just six weeks after the latest 90-degree reading on record, back-to-back snowstorms dropped nearly 13 inches of snow in four days. The first, on 11/24-25 measured 8.8" (3.9" on Thanksgiving Day, 4.9" the day after) while the snowfall that ended before dawn today (and began late last night) brought an additional four inches. The high/low during these four days was 32/20, which was 18 degrees below average. This was the snowiest month of the winter and the third snowiest November on record (after Nov. 1898 and 1882).
Jan. 13, 1939 - Beginning mid-afternoon, a snowfall of 8.8" (1.0" fell on 1/14) tied the Thanksgiving snowstorm of 11/24-25 as the biggest snowfall of the season.
DECEMBER
Dec. 3-4 , 1957- Snow that started falling late last night continued overnight and after a five-hour break resumed later in the morning and accumulated 8.0". The flakes came down heaviest between 11AM and 2PM when they fell at a rate of an inch per hour. This was the most snow to fall so early in the season since 1938, when 8.8" piled up on Nov. 24-25. And it was the first of six snowfalls of four inches or more this winter.
Dec. 4, 1911 - A morning snowfall of seven inches ended up being the biggest snowfall of the winter. Precipitation began yesterday evening as rain but changed to snow overnight. The day's high/low of 33/19 made this the coldest day of the month.
Dec. 5, 1926 - 7.9" of snow fell on a very cold day, which had a high/low of just 24/11. Snow fell heaviest from 1PM until 7PM. This was the biggest snowfall of the winter and was the snowiest 12/5 until 2003, when 8.0" fell.
Dec. 5, 2002 - One year after record warmth occurred on this date (high of 70°) six inches of snow fell, the biggest snow so early in the season since 1938.
Dec. 5-6, 2003 - Snow fell during the afternoon and lasted into early evening, accumulating eight inches (more than was predicted). This snowfall came one year to the date after six inches fell. It was part of a two-stage storm that brought more significant snowfall the following day. That day, a Saturday, the City was under a blizzard warning for much of the day and an additional six inches of snow fell. The high temperature rose to only 28° after a morning low of 23°. Just a week into the month and this was already the snowiest December since 1960, when 19.8 inches fell.
Dec. 9, 2005 - 9.3" of snow fell in the past six days. The 5.8" of wet snow that fell on this Friday morning was a record for the date.
Dec. 11-12, 1960 - Snow that began late in the afternoon on 12/11 (accumulating 3.6") continued until shortly after 12:00 noon on the 12th, totaling 15.2". Blizzard conditions prevailed during much of the storm, with snow falling most furiously between the hours of 2:00 and 7:00 AM when nearly seven inches piled up. A number of other snowstorms in December have had greater accumulations but this storm produced the largest so early in the season. The snow was also accompanied by wind and Arctic cold as the temperature fell slowly through the day on 12/12, dropping from 21° to 9° by midnight.
Dec. 13, 1917 - The biggest snowfall of the winter began late in the afternoon and by the time the snow ended in the early hours of 12/14 9.5" had accumulated (eight inches fell today). The temperature rose into the mid-30s as midnight approached, making it a very wet snow, with rain mixed in at times.
Dec. 15, 1916 - A snowstorm dumped 12.7" of snow between 7AM-9PM, with nearly ten inches on the ground by mid-afternoon. The snow was very powdery, produced from just 0.59" of water (and by daybreak on 12/16 it had packed down to nine inches on the ground). The day's high was 28°, the first of five days in a row with highs in the 20s.
Dec. 17, 1932 - Snow that began late in the morning continued through the early AM on 12/18 and amounted to 7.2". It was also a very cold day, with a high/low of only 20/11. (The snow was gone by Christmas Day, which had a high of 59°.) The next measurable snowfall wouldn't be for another seven weeks (on 2/4).
Dec. 19, 1945 - An afternoon/evening snowstorm dropped 8.3" (all but 0.3" fell today). This would be the biggest snowfall of the winter (and since March 1941). Besides the snow, temperatures were also quite cold, with a high/low of just 23/20 (fifteen degrees below average).
Dec. 19, 1948 - One year after the record-setting 26.4" snowstorm of Dec. 26 another formidable snowstorm crippled the City with 16.0". At the time this was the shortest length of time between major snowstorms. Since then there have been seven pairs of major snowstorms (of one foot or more) that have occurred with less than 12 months in between (the shortest time between being four weeks in January and February 1978.)
Dec. 19-20, 1995 - Beginning today and continuing into tomorrow NYC experienced its biggest December snowstorm since 1960 as 7.7" fell (10-12" had been predicted). Less than 10 miles away, LaGuardia Airport was buried by 15".
Dec. 19-20, 2009 - This first snow of the winter was a snowstorm that moved in late in the afternoon on a Saturday. By the time it ended at around 4AM on Sunday 10.9" had fallen. Long Island received considerably more, with parts of Suffolk County buried by more than 20".
Dec. 24-25, 1966 - Snow and sleet began falling around noon on 12/24 and by the time it ended in the wee hours of Christmas morning, 7.1" had fallen (6.7" fell on Christmas Eve). There were two heavy periods of snowfall, one between noon and 3PM and the second one between 6:00 and 9PM. Temperatures were quite cold, with a high/low of 26/22. More than a foot of snow fell in eastern PA, western New Jersey and throughout the Hudson Valley in New York.
Dec. 25, 2002 - A sloppy winter storm produced the most precipitation ever measured on Christmas Day (1.30") and the most snow (five inches) since 1909 when seven inches fell (the most ever on 12/25). Morning/afternoon rain changed to snow later in the afternoon. This was the first Christmas snowfall of one inch or more in thirty-three years.
Dec. 25-26, 1969 - Christmas Day started sunny but as an intense winter storm approached clouds moved in during the afternoon and light snow began falling after dark, with 2.1" on the ground by midnight. Temperatures were quite cold, with a high/low of 29/14. The worst of the storm would be on the 26th, with the City getting an additional 4.2" of snow and then a lashing of rain accompanied by winds gusting over 40 mph.
Dec. 26, 1933 - A little more than 24 hours after temperatures were in the mid-50s, a snowstorm swept into the City shortly after daybreak and by early afternoon ten inches had fallen, and temperatures were in the mid-20s. An additional inch of snow fell in the early evening, bringing the day's snowfall total to 11.2". (Much larger accumulations would later fall on this date in 1946 and 2010).
Dec. 26, 1947 - Snow began falling around 3:30 AM on the 26th and fell steadily all day, at times at a rate of two inches per hour (the forecast at daybreak called for a five-inch accumulation). Winds gusted as high as 36 mph during the evening and temperatures hovered around 29° for much of the storm. By midnight 25.5" had piled up and an additional 0.9" fell after midnight, breaking the previous snowfall record of 21" set by the great blizzard of March 1888; it would remain the City's greatest snowfall of all time until 26.9" fell in February 2006 (it now ranks third). This storm came three days after a snowfall of 2.5".
Dec. 26-27, 2010 - Snow began falling during the afternoon and by evening blizzard conditions had developed. When the flakes stopped flying the following morning 20 inches had piled up. The City was largely unprepared for a storm of such intensity (and mayor Bloomberg was on vacation at an undisclosed location).
This was the sixth biggest snowstorm in NYC's history (and it shared its dates with New York's landmark 1947 snowstorm that dumped 26.4"). It was the second 20-inch accumulation of the year - the only year to have two storms of such magnitude (the first was on Feb. 25-26 when 20.9" fell). The blizzard's bulls-eye was west of NYC where most towns in New Jersey were buried by more than two feet of snow (e.g., Newark measured 24.2 inches).
Dec. 28, 1990 - Today's 7.2" snowfall (which began late last night) was the largest accumulation in nearly four years (since January 1987) and the biggest December snowfall since 1960. Snow ended shortly before 11AM.
Dec. 30, 2000 - A foot of snow fell as the year was winding down. It was a record for the date, the most snow since the blizzard of January '96 and the biggest December snowstorm since 1960. This Saturday snowstorm was a fast mover, lasting just eight hours (5AM-1PM).
1933
A trace of snow was reported for the fifth day in a row - the "snowiest" period in a month with no measurable snowfall. Only January 1890 had less snow - 0.0". This January was later joined by January 2008 as the only Januarys with just a trace of snow.
1966
The biggest snowfall of the winter began late last night and continued through early afternoon as a nor'easter moved up the coast. In total, 6.8" fell and winds gusted to 40 mph when snow was falling heaviest this morning. The temperature rose sharply from 25° around daybreak to 38° late in the late morning and dropped sharply a few hours later and was down to 20° by midnight. (NYC got off relatively easy as upstate New York, eastern PA and the Delmarva region had more than a foot of snow.)
1986
This was the fourth day in a row in which measurable snow fell. In the 1970-2018 period, this would happen just one other time (Jan. 28-31, 2007). The snow during these days was more of the "nuisance" variety, though, with just 0.2" falling today, 0.4" yesterday, 1.4" on 1/28 and 0.2" on 1/27.
1999
This was the 15th straight day with above average temperatures. During this stretch temperatures were 10 degrees above normal.
2002
For the fourth day in a row the high temperature soared into the 60s (62°, 60°, 69°, and 61° today). This stretch of days was 25 degrees milder than average, making it feel more like January in Dallas or Atlanta. It was also the ninth consecutive day in which the mean temperature was 10+ degrees above average.
2010
With a high/low of 20/13, today was the coldest day of the winter.
2019
The ferocious cold that descended upon the Midwest, Great Lakes region and Ohio Valley over the past few days made its way east, ushered in by a snow squall mid-afternoon. Once the front passed the temperature dropped from the low 30s to the single digits by 9PM (and down to 2° by daybreak on the 31st). Howling winds produced sub-zero wind chills. The 0.4" of snow that fell during the 15-minute squall brought January's total snowfall to 1.1", keeping it from joining thirteen other Januarys that have had less than an inch of snow.
Temperatures colder than 10° above zero are infrequent in New York. A typical winter averages three such days (in the 21st century the average has fallen to two days per winter.) Not surprisingly, two-thirds of NYC's frigid readings have occurred in January. The sweet spot is between Jan. 16-22, with the peak day being January 18, which has had readings in the single digits nine times. Since 1970 the earliest date for a single-digit reading has been Dec. 3, which occurred in 1976; the latest was on February 28, 2014.
Temperatures of zero or below have been reported just eleven times since 1970, with the coldest reading of 2° below zero occurring on three occasions: Jan. 17, 1977; Jan. 21, 1985; and Jan. 19, 1994. There has been just one sub-zero reading this century and it occurred during the mild winter of 2016, when the mercury dropped to -1° on Valentine's Day. Not only was it a record for the date, it was also the first below zero reading since 1994, the first to occur in February since 1963 and the latest sub-zero reading since 1934. (Previous to 2016's reading, the coldest reading of the 20th century was +1°, which occurred twice in January 2004.)
The winters of 2015, 1979 and 1994 have had the most days with single-digit readings, nine, followed by the winters of 1977, 2004 and 2005, which had eight. The most consecutive winters to have a sub-zero reading is four, 1933 to 1936. And the most consecutive days with single digit temperatures is six, which happened between Feb. 9-14, 1979. By contrast, 13 winters have had no readings below 10 degrees, including six of the past eleven (through the winter of 2018).
Just one day since 1970 has had a high temperature in the single digits. It occurred during the great Arctic outbreak of January 1985. On Jan. 21 the high reached only 9° (after an AM low of -2°). That reading was reached shortly before midnight. During the daytime hours the temperature hovered around 7°. This was the coldest high temperature for New York since Feb. 15, 1943 when the high that day was just 8° (and that was the second time that winter with a high of 8°; the first was on Dec. 20).
Finally, in this century there have been six extended Arctic outbreaks of note. Three were in consecutive years - January 2003, 2004 and 2005. The most recent, during the winter of 2018, featured the third longest streak of highs 32° or colder on record (14 days, two days fewer than 1961's lengthiest streak and one less than a streak during the winter of 1881).
1925
The 1.3" of snow that fell late in the afternoon brought January's snowfall to 27.4", making it the snowiest January and the second snowiest of any month (now ranked third and eighth, respectively). The month had three significant snowfalls: 11.5" on Jan. 2, seven inches on Jan. 20 and 5.1" on Jan. 27-28. All but 2.2" of the winter's snow fell this month.
1934
The temperature at 9AM was 6° above zero, just eighteen hours after the 3PM temperature had reached 58° - one of the greatest temperature drops in less than 24 hours in NYC history. Winds gusting between 20 and 30 mph in the morning produced sub-zero wind chills. This incursion of Arctic air was accompanied by the only measurable snowfall of the month, a measly 0.1". This was the fourth January in a row to have less than an inch of snowfall (the average amount back then was close to 10").
1970
With a high/low of 51/42, today was the first day completely above freezing in nearly seven weeks (since Dec. 14).
1973
Rain changed to snow around daybreak and the 1.8" that accumulated was not only the first measurable snow of the winter (the latest date on record), but the largest accumulation as well.
1990
Although it was just 1.03", today's rainfall was enough to set a record for the date. Only two other dates have had less precipitation for their daily record: 0.91" on April 29, 1909 and 1.02" on June 8, 1890.
1994
This was the only day between Jan. 3 and Feb. 17 that was completely above freezing (high/low of 42/35).
2002
The afternoon high soared to 69°, thirty-one degrees above average, and a record for the date.
2003
In the past four days very cold and dry air produced 2.5" of powder/fluffy snow from just 0.04" of liquid precipitation. Today was the eighth day this month with measurable snowfall, which was notable since only 4.7" of snow fell during the month.
2007
Today was the fifth day this month to have 0.01" of precipitation, the most of any month in the 1970-2018 era. Today's precipitation was in the form of snow as the high/low was 30/21.
1905
With a high of 33°, today was the only day in the two-week period from Jan. 23 to Feb. 5 to have a high above freezing. The average high/low during these two weeks was 25/14, eleven degrees below average.
1916
Yesterday's and today's highs of 69° and 66°, respectively, were new records that are still standing. These unseasonably mild temperatures came less than two weeks after back-to-back days with lows in the single digits.
1922
New York was on the northern fringe of a winter storm that became known as the "Knickerbocker Snowstorm" after the roof a movie theater by that name in Washington, DC collapsed from the weight of 28" of snow, killing 98 moviegoers. And although NYC escaped the paralyzing amounts of snow that piled up in Virginia, DC, Maryland and southeastern PA (6.5" fell in Central Park, the biggest snowfall of the winter), gale force winds clocked at between 35 and 50 mph howled for nearly 24 hours beginning mid-day on the 28th (earlier in the month a nor'easter on 1/11 produced a peak wind gust of 54 mph). Temperatures throughout the storm were in the 29° to 31° range, with wind chills in the low teens.
(60 years later, on Jan. 13, 1982, another DC-based disaster was tied to a winter storm when a plane crashed when it couldn't gain altitude due to the weight of ice on its wings. That storm brought nearly six inches of snow to New York.)
1937
The morning low of 25°, a seasonably cold reading, was the coldest temperature of the month, making it the mildest coldest reading on record for the month of January.
1943
The winter's nastiest storm dropped 7.1" of snow and sleet, which was accompanied by northeasterly winds that gusted to 34 mph. Precipitation began at daybreak and continued through early evening.
1952
Rain in the morning (when temperatures fell from the low 40s through the 30s) changed to snow early in the afternoon, accumulating 5.8" by early morning the next day - the winter's biggest snowfall.
1970
This was the 45th day in a row with a low temperature of 32° or colder, the longest such streak since one of 47 days in 1916.
1977
Today's high of 44° was the mildest reading of this brutally cold month. The last time the temperature was this mild was on Dec. 20. However, this respite was a brief one as another Arctic front pushed through during the afternoon and by midnight the temperature had tumbled to 13°.
1982
Sixteen of the past twenty-one days had high temperatures at or below freezing, averaging 11 degrees below average. 12 inches of snow fell during this three-week period.
1986
The winter's first one-inch snowfall came in the wee hours of the morning; the daylight hours were clear and cold with a high/low of 23/14. (This was also the day the space shuttle Challenger blew up shortly after lift-off at Cape Kennedy.)
1987
The past five days were 13 degrees colder than average, with a high/low during these days of just 25/12.
1994
Today's high temperature leapt to 55° after yesterday's frigid low of zero degrees. In addition, 1.87" of rain fell, a record for the date.
1998
In the past two weeks, eight days had high temperatures of either 38° or 39°.
2003
Fourteen of the past fifteen days had high temperatures that were below freezing. However, despite this cold snap just 2.6" of snow fell.
2005
Although today and yesterday had different highs and lows (yesterday's was 18/9, today's was 22/5), they both had the same mean temperature (13.5), which made them the coldest days of the winter. Today was the eighth day this month with a low temperature in the single digits. All of them occurred in the past eleven days. This was the same number as last January, but this year's were more concentrated.
Between Dec. 26, 2010 and Feb. 2, 2011, a mere 39 days, New York received an incredible 57.6" inches of snow - more than double a typical winter's snowfall. Although the bulk came from two blizzards, 20" on Dec. 26-27, 2010 and 19" on Jan. 26-27, 2011, an additional 17" fell in the four weeks between those storms:
| In Just 39 Days … | |
| Snowfall | |
| Dec 26-27, 2010 | 20.0" |
| Jan 7 2011 | 1.7" |
| Jan 11-12, 2011 | 9.1" |
| Jan 18 2011 | 1.0" |
| Jan 21 2011 | 4.2" |
| Jan 25 2011 | 1.0" |
| Jan 26-27 2011 | 19.0" |
| Feb 1-2 2011 | 1.6" |
| TOTAL | 57.6" |
What's more, in the 12 months between February 2010 (when 36.9" fell, making it the snowiest month on record) and January 2011, a total of 93 inches of snow fell. However, in the following two winters just 20 inches fell (until the snowstorm of Feb. 8-9, 2013 dumped 11.4").
Despite the huge amount of snow that fell in this 5-week period, the winter of 2010-11 didn't become the snowiest on record. With a snowfall total of 61.9" (just 5.8" fell in February and March), it ended up as New York's third snowiest winter, ranking behind 1995-96 (75.6") and 1947-48 (63.2").
In addition to winter 2011's Snowmageddon, here is a list of other major snowy periods, dating back to the winter of 1960. Half of them have occurred since 2005.
| SNOWMAGEDDONS SINCE 1960 | |||
| # of | |||
| Winter | Dates | Days | Snowfall |
| 2011 - | Dec 26 - Jan 27 | 39 | 57.6" |
| 1996 - | Dec 19 - Feb 17 | 61 | 57.0" |
| 1961 - | Dec 11 - Feb 4 | 56 | 53.8" |
| 2014 - | Jan 21 - Feb 18 | 29 | 42.1" |
| 1967 - | Feb 6 - March 22 | 45 | 41.0" |
| 1978 - | Jan 13 - Feb 14 | 33 | 40.2" |
| 2015 - | Jan 24 - March 5 | 41 | 39.4" |
| 2010 - | Feb 10 -26 | 17 | 35.9" |
| 2005 - | Jan 22 - March 1 | 39 | 32.7" |
| 1994 - | Feb 8 - March 3 | 24 | 29.8" |
| Analysis of NOAA's Local Climatological Data | |||
Since 1980 March has been the peak month for strong nor'easters, but they've occurred throughout the year, even in June and July. What follows is a review of nearly two dozen that have made their mark, arranged in chronological order. And although some of New York's big snowstorms may have been nor'easters they aren't included in this analysis. Instead, you can read about them in my post "Snowstorms of New York City'.
1980
March 21 - A nor'easter battered the area with heavy rain and gale force winds. 2.21" fell, a record for the date; an additional 1.04" fell the next day, ending in the early afternoon. The 3.25" of rain that fell during this 36-hour assault was the most since January 1979. The winds were so strong that the 50-story office tower I worked in at 800 3rd Avenue (between 49th and 50th Streets) was swaying noticeably and closed mid-afternoon.
1984
March 28-29 - A developing nor'easter brought a mix of snow and rain during the afternoon that continued through 3/29. 1.5" of snow fell on the 28th, but forecasts had predicted substantially more. However, the temperatures were just a bit too warm to support a snowstorm (high/low was 43/34). Thirty-nine consecutive hours of precipitation ended at midnight on 3/29, totaling 2.60" (2.04" of it fell on the 29th). There was only a two-degree difference between the 3/29's high/low (36/34). Although 3.3" of snow fell during the storm, it was washed away by regular changeovers to rain.
1991
October 31 - An intense nor'easter (made famous by Sebastian Junger's book The Perfect Storm) brought gusty 30-40 mph winds but stayed far enough off the coast that NYC received just a a trace of rain.
1992
December 11 - A vicious nor'easter pounded NYC this Friday a.m. with 50-75 mph winds (Central Park had a 64 mph gust) and heavy rain (2.41", a record for the date). The high winds created a storm surge that flooded New Jersey's PATH stations and pushed the East River up over parts of the FDR Drive during morning rush hour. The winds also caused elevators to malfunction in some office towers and high rise apartment buildings.
1996
October 19 - A nor'easter dumped 4.35" of rain, forcing postponement of Game 1 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium between the Braves and Yankees. Half of the rain came down between 2-5PM with 1.07" falling in the hour between 3-4:00. Not surprisingly, this was a record rainfall for the date.
1997
March 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 on the following day (25" in Boston, 18" in Providence). A few days earlier NYC had been warned of the potential for significant snow accumulation as well, but too much mild air moved in.
July 24 - An out-of-season nor'easter dumped 3.75" of rain, the rainiest 24-hour period on record for the month of July. (Rain that fell after midnight brought the storm's total rainfall to 4.62".) Rain was heaviest between 7:21-8:21PM when 0.94" fell. With winds out of the east/northeast it was also a very cool day; the high of 68/low of 58 was fifteen degrees below average.
2000
June 6 - A rare June nor'easter dumped 2.62" of rain, with 1.10" of it falling between 6:30-9:30AM.
2001
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 (2 inches yesterday, 1.5 inches today). The storm developed further north than was expected, sparing the City and NJ. Long Island's Suffolk County, however, was walloped with 10-15" of snow. The earlier forecast created a panic and many schools and businesses in the City closed yesterday.
March 30 - 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.
2005
March 8 - An Arctic front combined with a rapidly developing nor'easter wreaked havoc during the afternoon and evening. Accompanied by 40-50 mph winds, the temperature dropped like a rock, from 57° to 18°. A burst of snow fell on top of a coating of ice formed when rain-soaked pavements froze. 1.5" of snow fell in NYC while many suburbs had 3-5 inches. Besides making driving difficult, the icy surfaces made walking very challenging, especially with the howling winds.
2006
October 28 - A nor'easter that moved in last night dumped 2.54" by the time it exited around 1:00 this afternoon. Shortly before the last raindrops fell a final rain band dumped 0.33" in a 5-minute period between 12:32-12:37 PM.
2007
April 15 - An intense nor'easter that struck on this Sunday dumped 7.57" of rain, the second greatest 24-hour rainfall in NYC history. Three inches fell between noon-4PM (including 1.19" in one one-hour period); another period of torrential rain dumped an additional 1.70" between 9-11PM. In between these two periods of torrential rain there was a period of calm, even a bit of clearing,somewhat resembling the eye of a hurricane. An additional 0.84" fell overnight thru noon on Monday.
2010
March 13 - On the anniversary of the March Superstorm another ferocious nor'easter dumped close to four inches of rain and was accompanied by 50-75 mph wind gusts. The rainfall was the most ever measured in a 24-hour period in March. Six persons were killed in the metro area by falling trees and hundreds of thousands of homes were left without power.
March 30 - The second strong nor'easter in little more than two weeks buffeted the area. Like the previous one this storm also produced more than four inches of rain. Beginning late on 3/28 (when 0.34" fell) it continued through this afternoon. After 1.58" of rain yesterday, an additional 2.45" fell today (a record for the date, breaking the previous record from the nor'easter of 2001). With today's rainfall the month's total precipitation reached 10.68", making this the wettest March on record.
2011
October 29 - An intense nor'easter lashed the area with high winds and outrageously early snowfall. The 2.9" of heavy, wet snow that was measured in Central Park was the most to ever fall in October (5.2" fell in Newark and over a foot buried northern NJ, parts of NY state, CT, western MA and NH). Since the temperature never fell below freezing there was mostly just slushy accumulation on City streets. However, the day's low of 33°, which occurred in the early afternoon, was the coldest reading in October since 1988. Total liquid precipitation from the storm was two inches. Remarkably, the next measurable snow wouldn't be for another twelve more weeks (4.3" on January 21, 2012).
2012
April 22-23 - A steady light rain during the daytime hours turned heavy after dark and was whipped around by gale force winds as a powerful nor'easter made itself known. The brunt of the storm was felt from 8:00-midnight, with conditions greatly improved by 2AM. The 2.89" of rain that was measured in Central Park was greater than the paltry rainfall of the previous nine weeks. Of the storm's total, 2.45" fell on the 22nd and was a record for the date.
2013
January 31 - A ferocious rainstorm swept through the metro area overnight, with wind gusts of 45-60 mph common throughout the region. Besides wind and rain, very mild air surged ahead of the cold front that fueled this storm, pushing the temperature up to 61° shortly before 2:30 AM. Although the worst of the storm had moved out by 7AM, high winds continued for the rest of the day, and by evening the temperature had fallen by 25 degrees. The 0.94" of rain that fell in Central Park was the same amount that fell during Superstorm Sandy back on Oct. 29-30 (but over considerably fewer hours).
2014
April 30 - Until this year April 30 was one of three dates that had never seen an inch of rain. That more than ended today as nearly five inches flooded the area, with more than half of it falling after 6PM. The 4.97" that fell was the ninth greatest daily rainfall on record. Besides the rain it was also a very raw day with temperatures only in the 40s.
December 9 - A strong nor'easter lashed the City, beginning a few hours before daybreak and continuing thru mid-afternoon. It produced 2.54" of rain, a record for the date; winds gusted between 30-40 mph (and 45-55 mph on Long Island). This storm brought to mind the big nor'easter of Dec. 11, 1992 (which also produced a record amount of rain for the date). However, today's wasn't quite as powerful or disruptive.
2017
January 23-24 - A nor'easter brought winds that gusted between 33-47 mph throughout 1/23, but steady, wind-lashed rain didn't move in until late in the afternoon. By midnight 1.16" had fallen - and an additional 1.18" fell the next day. It was a cold rain, with temperatures in the mid-to-upper 30s; the high winds produced wind chills in the 20s. This storm struck on the one-year anniversary of the blizzard that produced New York's greatest snowfall of all time (27.5"). Interestingly, the 2.34" of rain that fell from this year's storm was 0.02" more than the amount of liquid precipitation from last winter's blizzard.
October 29 -On the five-year anniversary of superstorm Sandy flooding the metro area, an intense nor'easter lashed the area with gusty winds and an all-day rain that amounted to 3.03" (and an additional 0.25" fell after midnight). This was more rain than fell in the past 60 days, and the biggest rainstorm of the year, passing the rainstorm of 5/2 by 0.01".
2018
March 2 - The day after March came in "like a lamb", a fierce nor'easter battered the area. Throughout the day the City was lashed by a wind-driven mix of rain and wet snow that amounted to 2.24" (0.38" of it fell last night). And although Manhattan was spared gale force winds (the peak gust was 34 mph), gusts of 50-70 mph were common at the three major airports as well as on Long Island, along the Jersey shore, and southern New England. For much of the storm temperatures were in the mid-to-upper 30s and wind chills in the upper 20s.
1920
After twelve of the past thirteen day had highs of 32° or colder (average high was 26°), today's high jumped to 51°, which was the first reading of 50° or warmer in six weeks.
1925
The temperature fell through the day, dropping from 42° at midnight to 4° twenty-four hours later (and bottoming out at -2° at daybreak on the 28th). This came a few days after lows of 2° on 1/23 and 1/24.
1927
The morning low was one below zero, a record for the date (that still stands). The next day, however, would have a high of 44°, followed by seven days in a row with highs in the 40s or 50s.
1974
Today's high of 66° was 28 degrees above average (three degrees shy of the record), and came in the midst of an eleven-day stretch (1/21-31) in which temperatures were 15 degrees above average. This followed the first three weeks of the month that were three degrees below average.
1976
Four days after a morning low of one below zero, the temperature at daybreak today was 56°. It was also a rain-soaked day, with nearly two inches falling (the 1.94" that fell was a record for the date). After peaking this morning, the temperature slowly fell throughout the day.
1978
This was the first of twelve days in a row in which the high temperature was 32° or colder. This was the longest such streak during the 1970-1999 period, but it would be topped in the winter of 2001 when there was one of thirteen days.
1982
Today was the seventh day this month with a morning low in the single digits. It was also the sixteenth day of the past twenty to have a high temperature of 32° or colder.
1984
In the six days between 1/22 and today high temperatures climbed from 19° to 57°, with each day warmer than the previous: 19-24-35-43-45-49-57 (today). Today's high was the mildest of the month.
1994
Since Jan. 6 temperatures averaged nine degrees colder than normal, with an average high/low of 30/14 - more typical of January in Chicago.
2004
This was the fifth day in a row in which the high temperature was colder than 25°. The highs on these days were 20°, 23°, 19°, 22° and 24° (today). Snow moved in after 8PM and by the time it ended early the next morning 10.3" inches of powdery snow had accumulated (six inches of it fell tonight).
2005
With a high/low of 18/9, today was the coldest day of the winter (based on mean temperature). It would be equaled the next day when the high/low was 22/5.
2011
The 6.7" of snow that fell before daybreak was a record for the date and brought the month's total to 36.0", the most ever in January. (By coincidence, 36.9" of snow fell in February 2010.) In the past 33 days, beginning with the Christmas blizzard, an incredible 56" of snow fell. And for the first time NYC had two snowstorms of 19" or more in one winter.
2015
The "great" blizzard wasn't to be as just 4.3" of snow fell after midnight, bringing the storm's total to 9.8". As a result, the National Weather Service issued an apology to the City, which had shut schools and the transit system based on a forecast of 18-24 inches. However, just 30 miles east of the City, most towns on Long Island received that amount. The snow ended mid-morning and the day's temperatures stayed in the 20s.
