Today in New York Weather History: February 1

 

1878 (Friday)

Today's two-inch snowfall was the last measurable snow of the winter (sleet was also part of the mix).  This would be the earliest date for a winter's last snowfall until 2002 (when it happened on 1/19; then in 2020 it happened  on 1/18).  In total 8.1" of snow fell during the winter of 1878. 

 

1916 (Tuesday) 

This was the fifth day this week with a high in the 60s.  But after today's high of 60°, it would be eight more weeks before the next reading above 60° occurred.  And nearly 40" of snow would fall during this 8-week period.

 

1935 (Friday)

Today, with a high/low of 26°/4°, was the ninth day of the past ten with a sub-freezing high temperature (and seven days had lows in the single digits or colder).  The average high/low during these ten days was 23°/7°, seventeen degrees below average.

 

 

1948 (Sunday)

With a high of 26°, this was the tenth day in a row with a high of 32° or colder.  The average high/low during this streak was 25°/10°, thirteen degrees below average.  Five of the days had lows in the single digits.

 

1957 (Friday)

A quick moving snowstorm dumped 6.3" of snow between 1:00 and 10:00 PM.  This would be the biggest snowfall of the winter.

 

1971 (Monday)

Although Jan. 19 had the coldest reading of the winter (4° above zero), today, with a high/low of 12°/7°, had the year's coldest mean temperature.  There wouldn't be a colder high temperature until the winter of 1985 (9° on 1/21).

 

 

1983 (Tuesday)

The first day of January and February had the same high/low - 47°/35°.  Neither day had any precipitation.

 

1988 (Monday)

The morning low of 50° was more typical of late April.  Combined with an afternoon high of 62°, the day's mean temperature (the average of the high and low) was 24 degrees milder than average.

 

1989 (Wednesday)

Today's high of 67° would be the warmest reading of the month and was a record for the date, breaking the record set just last year (the month's coldest reading would be near the end of the month).  And like last year on this date, today's mean temperature was 24 degrees above average. 

 

 

2003 (Saturday)

Only three degrees separated the day's high and low, 37°/34°.  There was a brief shower shortly before dawn and the rest of the day was overcast.

 

2008 (Friday)

Although rain fell for twelve straight hours (9 AM-9 PM) nearly half of it, 0.77", fell in two hours (5:47-7:47 PM).  Over the course of the storm 1.63" was measured.

 

 

2011 (Tuesday)

The 1.1" of snow/sleet that fell today, mostly before daybreak, was the most to fall on this date in the past 50 years.  The rest of the day was gray and raw, with a high/low of 30°/25°.

 

 

2021 (Monday)

A monster snowstorm that moved in last night (two inches fell), buried the City today, and largely exited by daybreak the following day.  In total, 17.4” of snow was measured, with 14.8” of it piling up today.  The rate of snowfall was greatest from mid-morning thru mid-afternoon.  The temperature rose from 22° just after midnight to 34° in the early evening, when the snow mixed with freezing rain and drizzle, which put a stop to further significant accumulation.  Accumulations of 15” to 24” were common throughout the region.  Besides the snow, high winds were also an issue, gusting between 30-40 mph in Central Park.  

With this snowstorm, the winter became New York’s twelfth with two or more snowfalls of ten inches or more (the first one this winter was on Dec. 16-17, when 10.5” fell).  This was New York’s biggest snowfall in five years (when New York experienced its biggest snowfall of all-time), and tied for fifteenth greatest accumulation on record (tied with Feb. 3-4, 1961).

 

 

2023 (Wednesday)

At long last Central Park had its first measurable snow of the winter as 0.4" accumulated in the pre-dawn hours.  This is the longest NYC had to wait for this event (the previous record was 1/29 during the winter of 1973).   Not only was today the end of the City's record snowless streak, it was also the end of its record 35-day streak with above average mean temperatures.  Today was two degrees colder than average (high/low of 38°/26°).   And, finally, this morning's low was the coldest reading since the day after Christmas (January's coldest low was just 28°).

 

 

 

 

  

 

Save

Save

Save

Save

Comments

[Ken K. in NJ]

Hi Rob. I notice we have a good chance to have highs in the teens, 20's, 30's, 40's and 50's consecutively over the current 5 day period. Has there ever been a similar streak of high temperatures moving up at such an orderly pace?

[Rob]

Hi Ken, I noticed that as well. (We'll see if it actually happens.) And although I don't think I've written about this happening before, I'm sure it has.

[Ken K. in NJ]

Hi Again Rob. The 2/1/57 Snowstorm was at least partially responsible for a plane crashing into Riker's Island after taking off from LaGuardia, resulting in 23 fatalities. I was just a kid then, but I do remember it, being a snow buff already. It also happened to be my Dad's 40th Birthday, and we had several relatives at the house and they were all talking about it when the news broke.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northeast_Airlines_Flight_823

[William]

also in 2021, 14.8” of snow fell today. this became the snowiest first day of any individual calendar month on record. the snowiest last day of any individual calendar month was 9”, which happened on February 28, 1949 and November 30, 1882 (and as much as a foot of snow fell on the penultimate day of December 2000).

[Henry]

The snowstorm at the beginning of February 2021 is perhaps the longest snowstorm I can remember, lasting around 36-42 hours. Have you ever done an analysis on the longest New York snowstorms? I recall reading about a storm on February 4-7, 1920, that lasted around 72 hours (3 full days).

[Rob]

On Twitter, a professor at Hofstra tweeted that last week's 36 consecutive hours of snow was the lengthiest streak of its kind in Central Park in the 1995-2021 period.