Today in New York Weather History: February 8

 

1870 (Tuesday)

A snowfall of eight inches was the only measurable snow in February (until the last day of the month when 1.1" fell).  This was the biggest snow of the winter.

1886 (Monday)

This was the 34th consecutive day with a high temperature colder than 40°.  Twenty-one of these days had highs of 32° or colder.  Nearly 19" of snow fell from six snowfalls during this period.  This would be the longest streak of its kind until 1945 when there was a streak that was one day longer (Jan. 5-Feb. 8).

1933 (Wednesday)

The temperature fell from 60° in the early afternoon to 21° by midnight (on the way down to 12° at daybreak on 2/9).

1958 (Saturday)

Today's high was 32°, the first of twelve days in a row in which the high was 32° or colder (today's high would be the "warmest" reading during the streak).

1963 (Friday)

Arctic air swooped in overnight, dropping the temperature from 25° shortly after midnight to -2° at 9 AM - the coldest reading of the winter.  Winds gusting between 20-30 mph produced  wind chills of 25° below zero. 

1974 (Friday)

Today saw the biggest snowfall of the winter, as six inches fell between 1-10 PM.  This storm followed a bout of sleet and freezing rain over five of the previous six days.  Today's high/low was 25°/20°.

 

 

1979 (Thursday)

Today's high was 34°; it would be the only day between Feb. 5-19 with a temperature above freezing.  Temperatures during these fifteen days were seventeen degrees below average, with an average high/low of 23°/10°.  Additionally, 20.1" of snow fell during this period, which accounted for much of the winter's 28.9" of accumulation.

1994 (Tuesday)

After seeing large amounts of sleet and freezing rain during January, the City finally got a storm that brought snow, as 7.2" fell.  It came down especially heavy between 9 AM-1 PM, but snow that was predicted for the rest of the day didn't materialize, coming down as sleet instead.  After midnight on 2/9 an additional 1.8" of snow fell to bring the 24-hour total to nine inches.

 

 

1997 (Saturday)

2.6" of snow fell during the afternoon and evening, the second largest accumulation in a winter that had just ten inches in total.

2013 (Friday)

An intense winter storm developed off the Delmarva peninsula during the day, and by nightfall near-blizzard conditions were common in New York 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 2/9, 11.4" had piled up.  However, the City's total was manageable compared to Suffolk County and New England, where accumulations of two to two-and-a-half feet were common.  Today's 1.15" of liquid precipitation was a record for the date, and was the first time that an inch or more of precipitation fell on this date.  

 

 

 

2020 (Saturday)

The day's low of 30° was the first time this month the mercury was 32° or colder.  This February joined Feb. 1877 as the only other February with no low of 32° or colder in the first seven days of the month.  A typical February has five of these days in the first week (and more than 40% of the years have had every day with a low of 32° or colder).

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Comments

[Harry]

The 1963 below zero reading was the last subzero in February until Valentine's Day 2016.

[Henry]

The blizzard of February 8-9, 2013, is definitely one of the most memorable snowstorms. My family up in New England told me this was the second worst snowstorm they had experienced behind the snowstorm of October 29, 2011. They measured 28 inches of snow up there, and it took the longest time ever to clean up. They started the cleanup around 8 in the morning, had to take frequent rests, and didn’t finish until 5:30 when it was getting dark.

[William]

2021 - today’s low of 17° was the third, and last, reading that was colder than 20° of the season. this joined 2001-2002 and 2019-2020 as the only three seasons with three or fewer days to have a reading colder than 20°. today’s high of 29° was the third, and last, day that a high temp was in the 20s or colder of the season. this was the tenth season overall (four of which were in this century) with three or fewer days to have a high temp in the twenties or colder.