New York's Top 10 Weather Stories of 2013

 

 

Although 2013 didn't have a headline grabbing weather story like 2012, when Sandy pounded the area; or 2011, which was the wettest year on record; or 2010, with its record hot summer and two 20-inch snowstorms, this year set a number of records for warm low temperatures.  Additionally, it had two extended periods of extreme precipitation, one wet, the other dry.  Here are the ten or so most noteworthy events:

 

• The coldest temperature of the year, 11°, occurred on Jan. 23 - the coldest reading in two years.  The hottest temperature of the year occurred the afternoon of July 18 when the high reached 98°.  This was the same day as 2012's hottest temperature (when it hit 100).

• On Feb. 8-9 a snowstorm dumped 11.4".  As much as this was, the City escaped the 20-30 inches that fell in parts of Long Island and southern New England.  This was New York's twelfth snowstorm of ten inches or more since 2000.

 

 

• March's coldest temperature was 27°, which was the mildest minimum temperature in March since 1973, when the coldest reading was 30°.

• In a little less than two months (May 8 - July 3) 19.55" of rain poured down in the City.  Then in the fall there was a 60-day stretch (Sept. 23 - Nov. 20) in which less than an inch of rain fell - the third longest such streak since 1950.  These two periods more or less cancelled each other out as the year ended up somewhat below average in precipitation.

• The three-day Memorial Day weekend was the second chilliest since Memorial Day became a Monday holiday in 1971.  Saturday was especially chilly, with a high/low of only 54°/45°. 

• On June 7-8 tropical storm Andrea dumped 4.77" of rain over 33 hours.  This was the second earliest tropical system on record to affect the New York metro area.

• A seven-day heat wave between July 14-20 was the longest in 11 years.  It has the distinction of having the warmest mean temperature of any heat wave of seven days or more.  Very sultry low temperatures were responsible as there were eight days in a row between July 16-22 with morning lows of 75° or warmer, another record.

 

  

 

• Just 0.36" of rain fell in October, making it the driest month since August 1995.

• In a 10-day period between Dec. 8-17 temperatures were eight degrees below average and 8.6" of snow fell from four snow "events".

• The temperature soared to 71° on Dec. 22 - just the ninth time a 70-degree reading occurred in December.  Furthermore, the day's low of 61° was the mildest low temperature in December on record.  Then three days later the mercury dropped to 19°, making this the area's coldest Christmas Day since 2000.