August 2023 Weather Recap: Protective Bubble Keeps Searing Heat Away From NYC
Compared to other regions of the US, New York continued to be blessed by relatively mild summertime temperatures. August was 1.1 degrees cooler than average and was the first August since 1986 not to have any reading in the 90s. (By contrast, last August was the third hottest on record, with 11 days having highs in the 90s.) It was the coolest August in six years (and the summer of 2023 was the coolest in six years as well).
The month's hottest reading was 88°, which occurred twice (on 8/13 and 8/21). The last time the warmest temperature in August was 88° (or cooler) was in 1963 (the coolest warmest temperature of any August is 83° in 1927). The warmest stretch this month was the four days between 8/11-14 with highs of 85°-85°-88°-87° (just slightly warmer than average).
This was the tenth year in a row in which August’s coolest temperature was 60° or milder (63°). Only five Augusts have had their coolest reading milder than this August. However, the ten days with lows of 70° or warmer was below the average of 14 for August. (This was after July had 24 such lows, third most on record for that month.)
The most above and below average daily mean temperatures were in a narrow range of just +/- five degrees. The coolest and warmest temperatures in August were just 25 degrees apart (63° and 88°), which is the narrowest range on record for the month of August (average is 34 degrees, 60° and 94°). This followed July, which had the third smallest temperature range for that month (66° and 93°).
6.56" of rain fell in Central Park, making this the 29th rainiest August (this was after no measurable rain fell in the first six days of the month). This was the second greatest amount this year (behind April's 7.70"). Much of the month’s rain (nearly five inches) fell during relatively brief downpours between 1 AM and sunrise on six days. The biggest deluge was 1.25" that fell between 3:30-5 AM on 8/16.
Here are monthly recaps for past Augusts:
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