New York's Top Weather Stories of 2022
After 2020 and 2021 were among the ten mildest years on record in NYC (ranked second and eighth, respectively) 2022 was somewhat "cooler" as it ranked 16th (out of 154 years). And it was significantly drier, with 13 inches less precipitation than 2021 (but it was an average amount).
Perhaps the biggest weather story of 2022 was the heat of the summer. Despite having a very late date for the first high in the 80s (5/21) the year had 25 days with highs in the 90s, which was the most since 2010. For just the 12th time, July and August each had 10 or more days with highs in the 90s. Every day in July had a high of 80° or warmer, and a six-day heat wave that month (7/19-24) was the longest one in ten years. Nighttime temperatures were also balmy as July-August had the most lows in the 70s on record (46, compared to an average of 29). Finally, a seven-day streak with lows of 75° or warmer in August was that month's second longest streak of its kind.
As the year came to a close a "flash" cold snap at Christmastime came close to eclipsing July and August's heat as the year's top weather story. This incursion of Arctic cold produced 1) the biggest temperature drop in one day (50 degrees); 2) the coldest reading since January 2019; 3) the coldest reading in December since 1989; and 4) the coldest reading on 12/24 since 1983. As the Arctic air approached it was preceded by the year's biggest rainstorm on 12/23-24 when 2.05" of rain fell (1.33" fell in a one-hour period). Other highlights of 2022:
- The year began with a cold and snowy January (3.4 degrees below average, 15.3" of snow).
- Four months were well above average: August (+3.2 degrees); November (+2.9 degrees); March (+2.5 degrees); and July (+2.0 degrees).
- 2022's coldest reading was 7° on 12/24, hottest was 97° on 8/9.
- A high/low of 33°/23° on 3/28 was one of the coldest days so late in the season since 1982.
- A high of 77° on 11/7 was the mildest reading in November since 2003. And the three days with lows in the 60s was the most in November since 1982.
- The temperature on the day of the NYC Marathon (high/low of 75°/66°) was the warmest of the races run in November (since 1990).
- There was no measurable snow in November-December, joining just 14 other years with no measurable snow in those two months.
Here are recaps of previous years:
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