Recap of Each Winter's Snowstorms in New York (1950 - 2022)
WINTER OF 1953-54
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.
WINTER OF 1955-56
March 18-19, 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.
April 8, 1956 - Rain from yesterday's nor'easter turned to snow after 3 AM 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.
WINTER OF 1956-57
Feb. 1, 1957 - A quick-moving system dumped 6.3" of snow between 1:00 and 10:00 PM. This was the biggest snowfall of the winter.
WINTER OF 1957-58
Dec. 4 , 1957- Snow that started falling late last night continued overnight, and after a five-hour break resumed later in the morning, accumulating 8.0". The flakes came down heaviest between 11 AM and 2 PM, 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.
Feb. 15-16, 1958 - Snow that began falling yesterday evening continued through this evening, totaling 7.9” (2.1” yesterday, 5.8” yesterday). It was a wind-blown snow produced by an intense winter storm that was fueled by Arctic air overtaking the northeast as it moved up the coast. (By midnight, the temperature had fallen to 10°.) While gusty winds of 25-35 mph buffeted Central Park, LaGuardia Airport (which reported 10.1” of snow) had winds that gusted between 50-65 mph. South of the City, DC had more than a foot of snow, while to the north, Boston was buried by two feet. This storm’s accumulation just missed tying the snowfall on 12/4 as the winter’s biggest accumulation, (but both would be topped by the snowstorm of March 20-21.)
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, 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.
WINTER OF 1959-60
Dec. 21-22, 1959 - Snow that began late in the afternoon on the 21st continued thru 9 AM on the 22nd, adding 10.3" to yesterday's 3.4" for a total accumulation of 13.7". (By contrast, La Guardia Airport picked up just 5.6".) Snow fell heaviest between 1-6:00 AM on 12/22 when six inches accumulated. The 22nd had temperatures that were well below average, with a high/low of 28°/17°.
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 on March 3). 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).
WINTER OF 1960-61
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 steadily through the day on 12/12, dropping from 21° to 9° by midnight.
Jan. 19-20, 1961 - This became known as the Kennedy Inaugural 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 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.
Feb. 3-4, 1961 - Snow began falling on the evening of Feb. 3, dumping six inches, and continued through the morning of the 4th, with an additional 11.4" piling up (for a total of 17.4"). The snow that fell on Feb. 4 was heavy and wet and was driven by gale force winds. This was the third major snowstorm of the winter. 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 mixed with sleet and rain. This was the second winter in a row to have two snowstorms of one foot or more.
WINTER OF 1963-64
Jan. 12-13, 1964 - Snow began falling late on the 12th and continued for almost the entire day on the 13th. 12.5" accumulated by the time the snow ended around 11 PM. 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.
WINTER OF 1965-66
Jan. 30, 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. (New York got off relatively easy as upstate New York, eastern PA, and the Delmarva region had more than a foot of snow.)
WINTER OF 1966-67
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 accumulated (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 9:00 PM. 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.
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 (5 AM-5 PM). 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 1 PM). Winds gusting between 25-35 mph produced wind chills between -5° and -15°.
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).
WINTER OF 1968-69
Feb. 9-10, 1969 - A Sunday snowstorm that lasted for 26 hours dumped 15.3" of snow (14.0" on Feb. 9, 1.3" in the wee hours of the next day). 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 streets in the borough of Queens were left 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.
WINTER OF 1969-70
Dec. 25-27, 1969 - Snow began falling Christmas night and by 6 AM on the 26th a half-foot was on the ground. Then the snow changed to sleet and then to a lashing rain (winds gusted between 35 and 45 mph) as the temperature rose to 37°. Cold air returned in the afternoon and an additional half-inch of snow fell. 6.8" fell over the course of the entire storm, but the rain reduced the amount on the ground to four inches.
Further inland this powerful nor'easter was responsible for huge amounts of snow in Virginia, Maryland, central and eastern Pennsylvania, upstate New York (the storm's bulls-eye) and New England, with accumulations of 20"-30" common.
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 10 AM. 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.)
WINTER OF 1970-71
Jan. 1, 1971 - Old Man Winter waited until New Year's Eve revelers returned home before delivering the biggest snowfall of the winter. 6.4" of snow accumulated between 4 AM-4 PM, 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).
WINTER OF 1971-72
Feb. 19, 1972 - A nor'easter packing 40 mph winds brought produced 5.7"of wet snow, 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.
WINTER OF 1973-74
Feb. 8, 1974 - The weekend began with a six-inch snowfall that fell between 1-10 PM on Friday. This storm followed a bout of sleet and freezing rain which plagued the area during five of the previous six days. Today's high/low was 25°/20°.
WINTER OF 1974-75
Feb. 12, 1975 - A quick-moving winter storm delivered the biggest snowfall of the winter, with 7.8" piling up between 8 AM-3 PM. 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. The day's high/low was 31°/19°.
WINTER OF 1977-78
Jan. 19-20, 1978 - Snow that began falling the evening of Jan. 19 fell at a rate of an inch per hour the morning of the 20th between 2-7 AM, and by 2:00 PM 13.6" had fallen. This was New York's biggest snowfall since the "Lindsay snowstorm" of February 1969. (However, in less than three weeks this storm would be largely forgotten.)
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, and an additional 2.2" fell the morning of Feb. 7. Snow, drifted by winds that gusted between 30-40 mph, fell heaviest between 7 PM-1 AM, when it fell at a rate of more than an inch per hour.
The storm's 17.7" accumulation made this New York's biggest snowstorm since Dec. 26-27, 1947, when 26.4" buried the City. This was the first winter in 17 years to have two snowstorms of one foot or more. And because of persistent cold temperatures, snow would be on the ground in Central Park for the next five weeks.
WINTER OF 1978-79
Feb. 19, 1979 - A fast-moving snowstorm buried the City on Presidents' Day, with 12.7" of snow falling between 4 AM-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 in which fifteen of the past nineteen days had 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 bury the City 24 years later.)
WINTER OF 1980-81
March 5, 1981 - A heavy, wet snowfall of 8.6" was a record amount for the date. This storm also has the distinction of being the second largest accumulation in the month of March in the 1970-2020 period.
WINTER OF 1981-82
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.
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.
WINTER OF 1982-83
Feb. 11-12, 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 8-11 PM when six inches of snow came down. When the last flakes had fallen 17.6" had piled up. It was the biggest snowfall in New York since 1978 (when 17.7" fell on Feb. 5-7); at the time it was the sixth biggest snowstorm in NYC history (it's now ranked twelfth).
WINTER OF 1983-84
March 8-9, 1984 - Snow moved in the night of the 8th and by daybreak 6.9" had accumulated (5.1" of it fell on the 9th). It was a powdery snow, with just 0.38" of water content.
WINTER OF 1984-85
Feb. 5, 1985 - The biggest snow of the winter began this evening and continued through next morning, accumulating 5.7". 3.3" of the snow fell tonight. This came three days after a snowfall of 4.3". After this snow just 0.2" fell for the rest of the winter.
WINTER OF 1985-86
Feb. 11, 1986 - The second 4.5" snowfall in the past four days occurred today and occurred between daybreak and noontime. These two small snowstorms accounted for most of the winter's thirteen inches of snow (half of the typical amount).
WINTER OF 1986-87
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 would be the biggest until the March 1993 Superstorm.
WINTER OF 1987-88
Jan. 4, 1988 - The City woke up on Monday to 5.8" of snow that fell overnight. Four days later a steady light snow fell throughout the day, accumulating an additional 5.4".
WINTER OF 1989-90
Nov. 22-23, 1989 - A Thanksgiving Day snowstorm along the Mid-Atlantic (which began late the night of the 22nd) dumped 4.7" of snow on Central Park; 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.
WINTER OF 1990-91
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 11 AM.
Jan. 11, 1991 - 5.7" of snow accumulated during the afternoon and evening before changing to rain overnight as 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.
Feb. 26, 1991 - A surprise snowstorm dumped 8.9" of wet snow, the biggest accumulation in eight years (since 17.6" buried the City 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.
WINTER OF 1991-92
March 19, 1992 - This was the biggest snowfall of the winter, a sloppy 6.2". It tripled the winter's relatively meager snow total to 9.4". Just two degrees separated the day's high and low (33/31). Three days later 3.2" of snow that fell during the evening played a role in the crash of US Air Flight 405 at La Guardia Airport. Not de-iced properly, the plane failed to gain altitude and crashed into Long Island Sound, killing 27 passengers.
WINTER OF 1992-93
March 13, 1993 - The March Superstorm (also called "Storm of the Century") paralyzed the Eastern third of the nation and dumped 10.6" of snow on Central Park. 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 the windows of my apartment, propelled by 40-60 mph wind gusts, was deafening. All told, 2.37" of precipitation was measured. To read a first-person account of the storm double click here.
WINTER OF 1993-94
Feb. 8-9, 1994 - After January saw a large amount of sleet and freezing rain, the City finally got a storm that brought snow as nine inches fell. It came down especially heavy between 9 AM-1 PM, 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. 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 Central Park's biggest snowfall since 1983, which occurred on this date as well.
WINTER OF 1994-95
Feb. 4, 1995 - Only 11.8" of snow fell during this winter 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 9 AM. Then the coldest air of the winter moved in overnight, flash-freezing the slush.
WINTER OF 1995-96
Dec. 19-20, 1995 - Beginning on Dec. 19 and continuing into tomorrow New York experienced its biggest December snowstorm since 1960 as 7.7" fell (10-12" had been predicted).
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 New York's 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 5-7:00 PM on Jan. 7. Wind gusts of 40-50 mph whipped the snow into three and four-foot drifts on side streets.
Areas west of New York 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.
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. 16-17, 1996 - Snow fell throughout the day and by the time it came to and end shortly after 1:00 AM 10.7" had piled up (9.9" of it fell on the 16th; the rest after midnight). This was the third snowstorm this winter of eight-inches or more. It was a fluffy snow, with just 0.52" of water content.
WINTER OF 1996-97
Jan. 11, 1997 - The biggest snowfall of the winter, 3.5", fell in just three hours between 3-6 AM on a Saturday as an Arctic moved through. Most of it came down in just one hour, between 4-5:00. (Just 10 inches fell for the entire winter.)
WINTER OF 1997-98
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".
WINTER OF 1999-2000
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, but many areas of New Jersey picked up 10-12". The same storm buried Raleigh, NC with 20.3" of snow, the largest snowfall in that city's history.
WINTER OF 2000-01
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 1996 and the biggest December snowstorm since 1960. This Saturday snowstorm was a fast mover, lasting just eight hours (5 AM-1 PM).
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 8 AM.
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 (the Weather Channel labeled the storm "The March Lion"). 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. 3.5" fell as a consolation prize. However, Long Island received significant accumulations.
WINTER OF 2002-03
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. 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.
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 Central Park's fourth biggest snowfall on record. (Since then three snowstorms during the winters of 2006, 2010 and 2011 have surpassed it.) Ferocious winds gusting to over 40 mph created snow drifts three to five feet deep. And although Monday's temperatures were quite cold (high/low of 26°/14°), they were a warm-up from Sunday's frigid 15°/8°.
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.
WINTER OF 2003-04
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 and 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" fell).
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/low 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. 27-28, 2004 - Snow moved in after 8 PM on the 27th and by the time it ended early the next morning 10.3" 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°.
WINTER OF 2004-05
Jan. 22-23, 2005 - A weekend snowstorm began early Saturday afternoon and by daybreak Sunday 13.8" had piled up (8.5" fell on Saturday, 5.3" on Sunday). After a very cold morning low of 9° on the 22nd, the high of 25° was reached at midnight. This was the biggest January snowstorm since the blizzard of 1996.
Feb. 24-25, 2005 - Snow moved in during the evening and by 3 AM on the 25th six inches had accumulated.
Feb. 28-March 1, 2005 - March came in a like a lion camouflaged as a snow-covered lamb. 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. Combined, 18.7" fell from these snow events.
WINTER OF 2005-06
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.
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 4-10 AM 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. (This storm ceded its #1 ranking ten years later when 27.5" fell on Jan. 23, 2016.)
WINTER OF 2006-07
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, quite a contrast from the previous four winters, all of which had at least forty inches of snow.
WINTER OF 2007-08
Feb. 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 the City's all-time snowstorm two Februarys ago. Today's snow was also a record for the date.
WINTER OF 2008-09
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.
WINTER OF 2009-10
Dec. 19-20, 2009 - This first snow of the winter was a snowstorm that moved in late on Saturday afternoon. By the time it ended at around 4:00 AM on Sunday 10.9" had fallen. Long Island received considerably more, with parts of Suffolk County buried by more than 20".
Feb. 10, 2010 - Four days after a monster snowstorm stopped short of New York'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. 25-26 2010 - After precipitation began in the morning as steady rain a changeover to snow occurred in the afternoon and developed into Central Park's third major snowstorm of the winter. 9.4" was on the ground 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.
WINTER OF 2010-11
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 New York'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 this 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").
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. 26-27, 2011 - Snow began falling heavily by late afternoon and blizzard conditions developed after nightfall. By midnight more than a foot of snow had fallen, and by the time the snow wound down at daybreak on the 27th 19 inches had piled up. 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.
WINTER OF 2011-12
Oct. 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).
WINTER OF 2012-13
Nov. 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 2 PM. 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.
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 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 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.
WINTER OF 2013-14
Dec. 14, 2013 - It was a snowy day with five inches on the ground when a changeover to freezing rain occurred at around 9:00 PM, and to all rain by midnight. The transition occurred as the temperature jumped from 22° at 8:30 PM (the day's low) to 34° at midnight. The rain continued until shortly before daybreak the next day (when the temperature had risen to 40°), bringing the storm's total precipitation to 1.45". That amount would have made for a monster snowstorm if milder air hadn't been drawn in.
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.
Jan. 21, 2014 - A wind-driven snow began at around 9 AM and fell throughout the day and evening, with eleven inches 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.
Feb. 3, 2014 - One day after the high temperature reached 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. 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"). With a total accumulation of 12.5", 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", placing it 7th on the all-time list.
WINTER OF 2014-15
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 11 PM, 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). Based on the forecast City schools were closed on 1/27 and businesses were urged to let employees work from home. Meanwhile the state's governor ordered the City's transit system shut down. Long Island and southeastern New England, however, received tremendous amounts.
March 1, 2015 - A snowy Sunday afternoon produced the winter's second biggest snowfall, with 4.8" piling up before the snow changed over to light sleet and freezing rain in the evening. Temperatures remained below freezing all day. This was the biggest March 1 snowfall since 1968 (when 5.5" fell). It was also the fifth snowfall of three inches or more in the past five weeks.
March 5, 2015 - Rain that fell overnight changed to snow at daybreak and fell steadily for the rest of the day, accumulating 7.5" by 6 PM. 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.
WINTER OF 2015-16
Jan. 23, 2016 - A blizzard of epic proportions dumped 27.5" of snow and stopped the City. 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 (4 AM-6 PM). 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".
WINTER OF 2016-17
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 6 AM 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. This drastic change exceeded that of Feb. 1-2, 2014 when eight inches of snow fell the day after a high of 56°.
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 accumulated 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).
WINTER OF 2017-18
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. Today's snow easily broke the previous record for snowfall on this date (4.0" 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 this the longest such streak since one of 12 days in January 2003.
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.
April 2, 2018 - A heavy, wet snow fell between 5:00 and 10:00 this morning, 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 in the past sixteen with 40 inches or more (average snowfall is 25.8").
WINTER OF 2018-19
November 15, 2018 - An early season snowstorm moved in during the early afternoon and by evening 6.4" of heavy, wet snow had piled up, which was much more than 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 first started the temperature dropped quickly from 36° to 28°, but then rebounded after 7:00 PM and was back at 36° by 10 PM. Rush hour traffic was snarled for hours and hundreds of trees lost branches from the weight of snow. As the storm exited winds gusting to 35 mph buffeted the City (45 mph gusts were reported at the area's three airports).
WINTER OF 2020-21
December 16-17, 2020 - An intense nor'easter brought the season's first measurable snow, which began late in the afternoon of the 16th. By midnight 6.5" had piled up in Central Park and the snow continued overnight thru daybreak on the 17th (adding four inches). There were also periods of heavy sleet between 9 PM-3 AM. This was December's biggest snowfall since the post-Christmas blizzard of Dec. 2010 that paralyzed the city with 20" (and with 10.5" measured, this was the thirteenth snowfall 10" or more in the month of December). Snowfall on the 16th was more than what fell during the previous winter (4.8"). It was also a record amount for the date. This storm dumped tremendous amounts of snow in Pennsylvania, New York State and New England, with some locations picking up between two to three feet (Binghamton, NY was buried under 40").
Besides the snow it was also quite cold. Today's high/low of 31°/24° made this the first day of the winter to have a high of 32° or colder. Winds gusting between 30-40 mph created wind chills in the 10°-15° range.
January 31-February 3, 2021 - A monster snowstorm that moved in the night of 1/31 (when two inches fell), buried the City on the first day of the February, and largely exited by daybreak the following day. In total, 17.4” of snow was measured, with 14.8” of it piling up on 2/1. 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; this put a stop to further significant accumulation. 15”-24” accumulations 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 of 2020-21 became New York’s twelfth with two or more snowfalls of ten inches or more (the first one was on Dec. 16-17, when 10.4” fell). This was New York’s biggest snowfall in five years (when New York had its biggest snowfall of all-time), and tied for the fifteenth greatest accumulation on record (with Feb. 3-4, 1961).
WINTER OF 2021-22
Jan. 7, 2022 - A fast-moving winter storm produced 5.8" of snow, most of it falling before sunrise. This was the winter's first snowfall of one-inch or more, coming about two weeks later than the average date of this occurrence. Curiously, although Central Park and LaGuardia Airport (which are just seven miles apart) had similar amounts of liquid precipitation (0.38" and 0.33", respectively), CPK's accumulation of snow was 3.9" less than LGA's (9.7").
Jan. 28-29 , 2022 - Snow that began after 8 PM last night continued thru mid-afternoon, accumulating 8.3". The 7.3" that fell today was a record for the date and was the first snowfall of an inch or more on 1/29 since 1973. Visibility was less than 1/2 mile for much of the morning. The City was spared much worse conditions as it was on the western edge of an intense nor'easter that brought blizzard conditions and 15"-30" of snow to Long Island and southeastern New England.
The temperature dropped sharply overnight from upper 20s to mid-teens after daybreak; winds that gusted between 25-35 mph produced wind chills of 0° to 5° above zero. This snowstorm had the coldest temperatures since the snowstorm of Jan. 21, 2014 , when 11.5" piled up and temperatures dropped to the low teens in the final hours of the storm.
Great reading, thanks! An interesting side-note about the Jan/Feb 1977 snowstorms is that a major rainstorm occurred between the two snows, wiping out most of the snow on the ground before the 2nd snowstorm.
Posted by: Ken K. in NJ | 11/10/2014 at 06:30 PM
Thanks Ken! And I recall that less than a week after our big snowstorm of Feb. 2006, it was all gone from a combination of temps in the 50s and rain.
Posted by: Rob | 11/12/2014 at 08:37 AM
Hey, I posted two videos of the snowstorm from January 23, 2016.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQ3sN5x7epM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-Kv0kSh76Y
Posted by: Jonah Falcon | 12/08/2018 at 12:55 AM
Thanks for sharing. I didn't walk around much that day because I was recovering from the flu so I ventured out only for a little while, mostly because I needed to go to the grocery store (which, thankfully, was still open).
Posted by: Rob | 12/08/2018 at 10:06 AM
when you post information about nor'easters and snow storms, why do you never discuss their names? the name of the storm in January 2016 was Jonas. the names of the four nor'easters in March 2018 were Quinn, Riley, Skylar and Toby and the name of the storm in November 2018 was Avery. again, I've always pondered why you mention names of hurricanes and tropical storms, but never names such as the ones shown in this comment.
Posted by: William | 01/07/2019 at 09:45 PM
I side with the National Weather Service regarding this issue. When The Weather Channel first started naming storms five or six years ago the NWS issued a bulletin to all of its meteorologists noting that they are NOT to use winter storm names. If you Google the topic you can read more about the reasoning behind its decision.
Posted by: Rob | 01/08/2019 at 10:24 AM
Ken, I remember the winter of 1995-96. We would have a snow storm every 5 or 6 days. Some storms dropped less snow than others, but it was a challenge to shovel so much snow.
Posted by: Gene Genovese | 12/20/2020 at 02:27 PM
The storm in 2016 in my opinion was not the amt they were saying,I measured in spots where there was no drifting and it was a # of inches less
Posted by: Kenneth Musillo | 12/30/2020 at 11:21 AM
Why did The Weather Channel choose (or decide) to name winter storms beginning in the 2012-2013 season despite the National Weather Service being firmly against the idea of naming them?
By the way, in NYC’s case, The Weather Channel named the November 2012 snow storm Athena and they named the February 2013 snow storm Nemo.
Posted by: William | 12/30/2020 at 02:30 PM
Thank you for your website about NYC snow. It was helpful to reconstruct when I was in NYC as a small child because a combination of memories, typical dates of school holidays, and snow storms allowed accurate reconstruction of dates.
Posted by: Derek | 01/01/2021 at 08:47 PM
I like this website a lot!
I can recall all of these storms back 1966: I’ve lived in NYC most of my life. During the few years I lived elsewhere, I heard about the storms from friends and family member.
Now I am recalling the January 6-7 blizzard of 1996. A friend had just moved here from a place where no snow had ever been recorded. What an introduction! Everything was closed, but I decided to go out exploring—on the new mountain bike I’d given myself for Christmas!
Posted by: Justine Valinotti | 03/09/2021 at 09:53 AM
I BELIEVE it was close to 15 an half inches in NYC and 21 in Newark
Posted by: Kenneth Musillo | 12/11/2021 at 09:56 AM
Which snowstorm are you referring to?
Posted by: Rob | 12/11/2021 at 12:46 PM
I remember a snowstorm in February 1958. It took place on February 15 and 16. I was staying at my uncle's house in Sayville, Long Island. My parents couldn't pick me up because of the snow ( nearly a foot.) I finally got home on the LIRR.
Posted by: Richard Anclam | 01/08/2022 at 01:36 PM
Thanks for bringing this snowstorm to my attention. I've added it to the posts about snowstorms as well as the posts about weather highlights on Feb. 16, and during the 1950s. It appears this storm was one of those that brought more snow to Long Island than it did to NYC.
Posted by: Rob | 01/09/2022 at 09:27 AM