Looking Back at New York Weather: June 16

 

1967 (Friday)

With a high of 96°/71°, today would be the hottest day of the year.  The high was one degree shy of the 1891 record.  This was the fifth June in a row to have a high of 95° or hotter - the longest such June streak on record.

 

 

1981 (Tuesday)

Today's high soared to 93°, the first reading in the 90s this year.  This was the latest date for the summer's first 90 since 1963, when it occurred on June 24.  (The typical date is in late May.)  Besides the heat, there was unbearable humidity to contend with as the dew point in the early afternoon reached 80°, producing a heat index of 109°.  In the years since 1950, this dew point is the highest on record for Central Park.

 

1982 (Wednesday)

After a warm and sticky day, with a high/low of 87°/68°, thunderstorms moved in after dark.  The rain came down heaviest between 11 PM-1 AM when 0.58" fell.

 

 

1985 (Sunday)

Today was Father's Day, and rain fell overnight until 7 AM, then a thunderstorm moved through between 7-8 PM.  In total 1.19" of rain fell.

 

1988 (Thursday)

This was the fifth day in a row with temperatures in the 90s, the longest heat wave since one that lasted seven days in July 1983.  The average high during these five days was 93°.

 

 

1989 (Friday)

0.21" of rain fell tonight, bringing the total rainfall in the past eleven days (since June 6) to 7.16".  Additionally, low temperatures between June 9 and today were all in the 58°-60° range; (average low during this is time of the month is in the low 60s).  High temperatures, however, ranged between 61° and 84°.

 

1990 (Saturday)

For the third day in a row the low temperature was 60° (three degrees below average).  High temperatures, however, were very different: 68° on 6/14; 81° on 6/15; and 85° today.

 

1991 (Sunday)

It was a miserably hot and humid Father's Day.  Under hazy sunshine, the day's high/low of 94°/76° was fifteen degrees above average.  There hasn't been a reading in the 90s on this date since (through 2024).

 

 

1998 (Tuesday)

Today was the first 80-degree day of June (after there were ten  in May), as well as the first day this month with an above-average mean temperature (+3 degrees).  This was the latest date for June's first 80-degree reading since 1916 (when it occurred on June 18).

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Comments

[Ken K. in NJ]

So it looks like this year will be the latest date for the first 90 degree day since at least 1963. And if it doesn't get over 90 on Tuesday or Wednesday we may even break that record, since cooler weather is heading in after that.

[Rob]

Yes, this year's first 90 is on the late side but there have been a number of very tardy first 90s well after 1963. Just 11 years ago the first 90 of 2003 fell on 6/24 and in 1998 it occurred on 6/25. And in 1985 it didn't happen until 7/15. 1982 and 1972 also had first 90s in July. I have a feeling we won't hit 90 this week. Whenever the forecast says a high of 90 for NYC all of the towns around us get that hot, but Central Park usually ends up hitting 89!

[Ken K. in NJ]

Oh, OK. Thanks. I mis-read your notation about 6-16-82. Now that I read it again I see you meant that date was the latest first 90 degree temp since 1963, but not the latest ever since then. Thanks for the clarification.

[William]

I don't know if you're aware, but 2017 was the first 6/16 since 1970 where the high temperature failed to reach 70°.

[William]

I always get immensely livid when central park fails to reach 90° especially when we're in heat wave territory, when the low temp is >= mid 70s & when conditions are (near) perfect. i.e. little to no sea breeze, little to no clouds/rain and even then at times NYC still fails to reach 90°. i feel like sometimes mother nature and/or someone(s) at the NWS office is in ultimate control as to whether or not Central Park hits 90°.

[Rob]

Yeah, there's something about us weather "fanboys" who, for whatever reason, become agitated over this, especially when Newark or LaGuardia easily get into the 90s. What I've always posited is that Central Park's temperature rise is hindered because of its grassy surroundings rather than the concrete of airport runways (completely negating the "heat island" effect in the daytime, which seems to be a nighttime phenomenon). What's been interesting so far this year is that there have yet to be any days with highs of 88 or 89. In past years, instead of having six 90-degree reading, we'd have three or four days of 88/89 and two or three days in the 90s.