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:

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

 

 

 

2023 Weather Highlights in New York

 

 

JANUARY

1 - Temperatures were nearly as mild as a year ago (high/low of 55°/49°) but this year differed as the day featured sunny skies. 

6 - This was the ninth day in a row with a mean temperature 10 degrees or more above average, the longest such streak since another one of nine days in December 2015 (there was a 10-day streak in October 1990).  The average high/low during this streak was 56°/46°,  sixteen degrees above average.  And although  this was the last day of the streak, tomorrow would still be well above average (+7 degrees).

14 - For the first time this year the temperature fell to 32°.  Only 2005 started with a longer streak, with its first reading of 32° or colder happening on 1/15.  This was also the 18th day in a row with above average temperatures.

16 - This morning's low of 28° would be the coldest reading of the month -  the mildest coldest reading of any January on record, breaking the previous record of 25° in January 1937.  (January 2023 would become the mildest January on record.)

29 - The winter of 1973's record for latest date of the first measurable snowfall was broken today - and it would continue to be broken into February.  (The average winter in Central Park has 14.2" of snowfall by the end of January.)

 

FEBRUARY

1 - At long last Central Park had its first measurable snow of the winter as 0.4" accumulated in the pre-dawn hours.  This is the longest NYC had to wait for this event (the previous record was 1/29 during the winter of 1973).  Not only was today the end of the City's record snowless streak, it was also the end of its record 35-day streak with above average mean temperatures. Today was 2 degrees colder than average (high/low of 38°/26°).  And, finally, this morning's low was the coldest reading since the day after Christmas.

4 - This morning's frigid low of +3° was Central Park's coldest reading in four years (+2° on 1/31/19) and the coldest reading in February in seven  (-1° on 2/14/16).  And from 3-7 AM howling winds gusting between 25-35 mph produced wind chills between -10° and -15°.  Today's reading was in sharp contrast to January's coldest of 28° (the mildest coldest reading in January on record).  Finally, although today's reading was the coldest of the winter, the coldest day of the winter (based on average temperature) remained 12/24, with a high/low of 15°/7° (today's high reached 27° shortly before midnight).

Today's low was the ninth time since 2000 that a reading of 3° or colder occurred (and the fourth time it's happened in February). 

14 - Through today, just 0.05" of precipitation fell in Central Park this month, making this the second driest first half of February on record.  Only February 1980 had a lesser amount.

16 - The day after a high of 67° today was even milder as the high reached 70°, one degree shy of tying the record for the date.  This was the mildest reading in February since 2018, when the warmest reading of any February, 78°, occurred on 2/21.  And it was the earliest date for a year's first reading of 70+ since 2007 (when it occurred on 1/6).  Showers in the afternoon produced a rather meager 0.07" of rain, but it was more than what fell in the first 15 days of the month (0.05").  

Finally, this was the ninth day in a row in which the temperature remained above freezing, a period that was 14 degrees above average (average high/low of 56°/44°).

20 - Although the warmest high temperature on Presidents' Day is 64° in 2008, President's Day 2023 has the distinction of having the mildest mean temperature, with a high/low of 61°/47° (2008's low was 40°), 17 degrees above average. 

23 - A new winter record (meteorological winter) was established as Central Park had its 59th frost-free day, surpassing the 58 days experienced during the winters of 2012 and 1998.  Average number is 35 days.

27 - The second measurable snowfall of the winter (the first was on 2/1) began this evening and brought 1.8" of snow (half of it fell today, the other half in the overnight hours).  Three to six inches fell in outlying suburbs, where temperatures were colder.  This would be the biggest snowfall of a winter that would be the least snowiest on record.

 

MARCH

7 - after daybreak, light precipitation that began briefly as snow accumulated 0.1" and would be the last measurable snowfall of a winter that was the least snowy on record with just 2.3" reported (all but today's fell in February); this was 0.5" less than the previous least snowiest winter (1972-73).

30 - It was a chilly home opener for the Yankees with game time temperatures only in the mid-40s, ten degrees colder than average, along with breezy conditions.  However, the game was played under sunny skies.  The day's low of 31° was one of only four days with a low of 32° or colder in March (the average number is ten).

 

APRIL

6 - Afternoon temperatures were more than 30 degrees warmer than 24 hours earlier; today's high of 80°, a record for the date, was the warmest reading in Central Park since 9/21.  This would have been one of the Mets' nicest home openers, weatherwise, but the team postponed today's game yesterday based on a forecast of showers and thunderstorms, which ended up staying well to the south of NYC.

7 - The Mets home opener, delayed by one day, was played in seasonable temperatures (mid-50s) and under mostly sunny skies.  Similar to last year's home opener, afternoon humidity was very low and dipped to 16% as the game was getting under way.  As for the game, the Mets easily topped Miami, 9-3.

9 - Easter Sunday featured brilliant sunshine and low humidity; temperatures were a few degrees below average (high/low of 57°/40°).  In the early afternoon the humidity dropped to 15%.  This was the 23rd day this year to have humidity fall to 25% or lower, something that didn't happen last year until 8/12.  

13 - The temperature reached a sizzling 90°, which not only was a record for the date but the hottest reading in April since 2010 (when it occurred on 4/7, the earliest reading in the 90s on record).  This was just the fourth 90+ day in the first half of April.  (Typically, the first 90+ is around Memorial Day.)  

Today was also the seventh day in a row with very low humidity (25% or lower), the longest streak of its kind this century.  Over these seven days the humidity dropped to between 12% and 21% on each day.  Because of the low humidity this afternoon's feels-like temperature was five degrees lower than the day's high.  (An even longer streak, one of 11 days, would occur in May.)

14 - For the second day in a row a record high was set.  Today's high of 91° (thirty degrees above average) was one degree hotter than yesterday.  This was just the third time in April to have two or more consecutive days with highs in the 90s.  (The average date for a year's second high in the 90s is 6/9.)  Finally, this was the seventh day in a row with sunny skies (and thirteenth in a row with no measurable rain).

Additionally, today's low of 70° was the earliest low of 70° or milder on record, besting the former record by three days (74° on April 17, 2002).  Only two other dates have had lows in the 70s in April (70° on April 18, 1976 and 76° April 18, 2002).  Interestingly, the next low in the 70s wouldn't be until 6/25.    

15 - Four streaks ended today: 13 days in a row with no measurable rain (0.02" fell today during the evening); eight consecutive days with very low humidity (ranging from 13% to 21%); eight days in a row with sunny skies; and three consecutive days with highs in the 80s or 90s.  (However, a streak of days with highs of 75° or warmer reached five days.)

21 - With just 0.40" of rain measured through today this was the driest first three weeks in April since April 1968 (when 0.18" was reported).  And since 4/2 just 0.02" of rain fell (and less than an inch since 3/15).

22-23 - A frontal system produced thunderstorms and heavy rain tonight that lasted thru tomorrow morning.  The 0.68" of rain that fell thru midnight was the most to fall in one day in seven weeks.  And between 10-11 PM the 0.40" of rain that poured down was equal to the amount that fell in the first three weeks of April (which was the driest first three weeks of April since April 1968).  An additional 1.51" of rain would fall on 4/23 during the morning, making the storm total of 2.19" the greatest amount from a storm since the first week of October.

29 - For the first time (going back to 1869) more than an inch of rain fell on this date.  Today's rainfall of 2.46" broke the previous record of 0.91" in 1909.  (This leaves  Sept. 9 as the only date to never have had a rainfall of an inch or more.)  The previous ten years in which rain fell on 4/29 the amounts were all less than 0.10".

30 - After drying out overnight from yesterday’s deluge, more rain moved in after 11 AM and it turned heavy between 3-7 PM when 1.57" poured down; by midnight 2.32” had fallen.  This brought April’s total rainfall to 7.70”, making it the seventh wettest April on record.  This was quite an accomplishment considering that in the first three weeks of the month just 0.40” had fallen. 

Finally, despite this being the seventh day in a row with below average temperatures (averaging five degrees chillier than average) the month ended up being the second mildest April on record, behind April 2010.  This followed January being the mildest on record, February the third mildest, and March the 25th.

 

MAY

6 -Today’s mean temperature was average for the date which meant the end of a 12-day streak with below average temperatures, which was the longest such streak since one of 16 days in April 2020.  During this 12-day streak temperatures were six degrees below average.  With that streak ended, today was the first day of a 14-day streak with sunny or clear skies.

7 - Today’s high of 78° was the warmest since the high reached 91° on 4/14.  Today was also the 29^th day this year in which the humidity dropped to 25% or lower.  This was one more day than all of last year and the most annual days since 2010 which had 33.   

14 - With a high/low of 74°/59° (four degrees above average) this was the mildest Mother's Day in eight years when the high/low was 83°/61° (eleven degrees above average).  Skies were clear and the humidity in the afternoon dropped to 20%.

19 - Today was the last day of a 14-day streak with sunny or clear skies.   Temperatures were 2.5 degrees above average during this streak.  Embedded in this two-week period was a 12-day streak in which humidity during the afternoon dropped to 25% or lower.

20 - The extended streak with sunny or clear skies ended today as rain soaked the City mostly during the afternoon.  The 0.77" that was measured in Central Park was nearly double the amount that fell in the first 19 days of the month.  Rain totals on Long Island, Westchester Co. and in Connecticut were much higher than NYC's, with many town receiving between 1.50" and 2.50". 

29 - It was a beautiful Memorial Day, with sunny skies and a high/low that was identical to yesterday's (79°/59°).  

 

JUNE

1 - The first day of meteorological summer fit the bill as the high jumped to 87° under clear skies.  The last time it was this warm was three weeks ago.  Today's sunshine continued the near monopoly of fair skies experienced since 5/6.   

3 - After yesterday's sunny and hot conditions (high of 91°) today was overcast and cool with afternoon temperatures only in the mid-60s after winds shifted to an easterly-northeasterly direction. 

4 - The morning low of 49° was the first low in the 40s in June since 2000.  This reading came less than 48 hours after a high of 91°, and seven weeks after the earliest low in the 70s on record (on 4/14).

7 - A northerly wind drove smoke from major wildfires in Quebec into the area, producing a thick, orange haze that kept visibility below 2 miles during the afternoon and evening.  The daily average Air Quality Index was the highest since recording in New York began in 1999. (The second-highest level was yesterday.)  One saving grace was that the choking smoke wasn't accompanied by searing heat as the haze and overcast skies kept the temperature in the 60s during the afternoon. The poor air quality forced the Yankees to postpone today's game, and my late afternoon flight from Pittsburgh to LaGuardia was delayed two-and-a-half hours because of visibility issues.

25 - Although thunder showers were predicted it turned out to be a nice, summery day with a mix of sun and puffy cumulus clouds.  With a high/low of 85°/71°, this was the warmest day since 6/2 (91°/66°).  And the day's low temperature was the first in the 70s in more than two months (4/14). 

 

JULY

4 - A heavy downpour late in the morning produced 0.63" of rain, making this the rainiest Independence Day since 1981 (when 1.76" fell).  This brought the rainfall in the first four days of July to 1.66", which was more than what fell in all of June (1.62").  Shortly after the morning deluge the dew point reached 75°.  By mid-afternoon skies cleared and the evening was ideal for watching fireworks.

16 - For the second year in a row more than an inch of rain fell on this date.  1.32" fell between sunrise and early afternoon, with 0.91" of it pouring down in the two hours between 11 AM and 1 PM.  NYC escaped the heaviest rain which fell  in Suffolk County and southern New England. 

The rain and overcast skies kept the high temperature below 80° for the first time since 6/27 and the mean temperature was below average for the first time since 6/29.  Despite the temperature being stuck in the 70s all day (the high/low was 78°/74°) the air was very uncomfortable as the dew point was 74° or 75° for 25 of the 2 hours between 5 PM yesterday and 7 PM today.

23 - Low temperatures today and the past three days: 69° (today)-70°-71°-72° (7/20).  This was just the third day this month with a low cooler than 70° (average number is 15).  Finally, today had the seventh high of 88° this month, the most of any July (going back 100 years). 

28 - Today's hot and steamy high/low of 92°/75° was the same as yesterday's, the third time this year a pair of consecutive days had similar highs and lows (the others were 4/25-26 and 5/28-29, with respective highs/lows of  60°/46° and 79°/59°.  This was the seventh year in which July 27-28 had identical highs/lows, the most of any pair of calendar dates.

29 - Central Park missed by one degree of having the year's first heat wave.  However, with a high of 89° today was the 15th day in the past four weeks to have a high of 88° or hotter.   (Five days were in the 90s, three had highs of 89° and seven reported a high of 88°).

 

AUGUST

16 - A morning deluge soaked Central Park with 1.26” of rain in a 90-minute period between 3:30-5 AM.  This was the third day of the past four to have a period of torrential rain in the pre-dawn hours.  Yesterday had 0.55” fall between 1:30-2:30 AM, and 0.69” fell on 8/13 between 3-4 AM.

 

SEPTEMBER

4 - Today was Labor Day and the high/low of  89°/73° was nearly identical to last year's holiday (88°/73°).  Also like last year, Labor Day was warmer than either 4th of July (83°) or Memorial Day (79°).  

5 - Today's sultry high/low of 92°/75° made this the first day with a high in the 90s since 7/28, when the high/low was the same as today's (7/27 also reported 92°/75°).  The day's mean temperature was 11 degrees warmer than average, which was the most above average day since 6/2 when it was 91°/66°.

6 - Under clear skies conditions were hot and humid with a high/low of 93°/77° (13 degrees above average).  Although the day's high tied 7/5 for hottest reading of the year (7/5's low was 72°), and the day's low tied 7/13 for the year's warmest low (7/13's high was 88°), its mean temperature was the hottest of the year.

7 - This was the third day in a row with a high in the 90s (93°), making this the first heat wave of the year.

8 - Today's high reached 90°, the fourth day in a row with afternoon readings in the 90s .  This was the first four-day heat wave in September since 1973 (when there was one of eight days that began on 8/28).  Dew points were in the uncomfortable low 70s throughout the day, peaking at 74° in the early afternoon.  Scattered showers and thundershowers produced the first measurable rain this month and ended a seven-day streak with mostly clear skies.

10 - Two periods of heavy rain that fell about 12 hours apart produced a record amount for the date (1.80").  Most of it fell between 10:30 and noon (0.65") and 11 PM-1 AM (0.88").  During the first round the temperature fell to 69°, breaking a six-day streak with lows in the 70s (and three in a row were 75°+).  This was the longest September streak since another of six days in 1985.   

11  - For the second day in a row more than an inch of rain was measured in Central Park (1.66").  Much of it fell during the evening rush hour when 1,32" poured down between 5:30-6:30.  This was the second time this year to have back-to-back days with an inch or more of rain; the first time was on 4/29 and 4/30 when 2.46" and 2.32" was reported, respectively.

15 - Today, with a high/low of 69°/58°,  had the first high in the 60s and first low in the 50s since 6/7 and 6/10, respectively.  Only three other Septembers have had their first reading in the 50s occur later (last year it happened on 9/16 and in 2016 and 1947 it fell on 9/17).  And the 98 days between the years last two lows in the 50s was the second longest gap on record (behind 1996's 104 days).

18 - Beginning last night rain fell off and on throughout today.  1.55" fell in total, with 1.33" measured today.  The day's temperatures were stuck in the 6os, with a high/low of 69°/60°.  The last four times it's rained on this date the amounts have been over an inch.  Besides today's amount, 1.16" fell in 2018,  1.06" fell in 2012 and 2.18" fell in 2004.  

24 - Tropical storm Ophelia brought steady rain and breezy conditions to NYC for a second consecutive day as the system moved very slowly north/northeast.  Yesterday's rainfall of 0.96" was followed by an additional 1.25" today.  (Today was the fourth day this month with an inch or more of rain.)  Temperatures were stuck in the 60s all day (high/low of 66°/62°), making this the tenth consecutive day with below average temperatures.    

25 - For a third day remnants of tropical storm Ophelia continued spinning in the Atlantic Ocean off the New England coast, bringing mostly a steady drizzle that ended by late in the afternoon.  Today's rain amounted to 0.59", bringing the storm's total to 2.80".  This brought September's rainfall to 8.15", making it the wettest month of the year.

29 - Three days after rains associated with tropical storm Ophelia moved out, a much bigger rain producer flooded the City today (creating a flood emergency).  Starting last night, 5.38" poured down today (9th greatest daily rainfall), much of it falling between 8-11 AM. While Ophelia dropped three inches over the course of four days, today’s storm dropped that amount in just two hours (and nearly four inches in three hours).

This storm brought September’s rainfall to 14.21", making it the second wettest September on record and the fourth rainiest of any month (an additional 0.04" would fall tomorrow).  Before today September was already a very wet month (among the 15 wettest Septembers) but today's deluge catapulted it to second wettest September.  While it was raining the temperature was stuck in the low 60s.

 

OCTOBER

1 - After eight days in a row with clouds, cool temperatures, and rainfall of nearly nine inches, today featured clear skies and a high of 76°.  This was the warmest reading since 9/17 and it ended two streaks: 16 days with below average temperatures and 8 days with highs cooler than 70° (the longest streak in September going back to 1960).  

3 - For the first time in three weeks the temperature rose into the 80s in Central Park.  This was also the first time in four years that October had a reading in the 80s.

28 - Today's high reached 80°, which was the latest date for a high of 80+ since 1993 when the high on 11/15 was 80°.

29 - 24 hours after the temperature reached 80° in Central Park, the temperature this afternoon was stuck at 53°.  The day was also gray and showery. 

 

NOVEMBER

21 - After just 0.07” of rain fell in the first 20 days of the month, 0.59” fell today (and 1.90” more would fall overnight).  Before the rain moved in during the late afternoon, the day had a low of 33°, which was the coldest temperature in Central Park since late March.

22 - Rain that began yesterday in the late afternoon continued overnight and amounted to an additional 1.93” before sunrise.  More than half of the storm’s total of 2.52” fell in the three hours between 2-5 AM (1.45”).  Today’s amount was just 0.10” shy of the record for the date.  This was the fourth biggest rainstorm this year.

25 - The low of 30° was the first reading of 32° or colder this season,  a few days later than the average date.  (But it was the latest date since 2016.)  Today's reading was the coldest low temperature since 3/19. 

29 - With a high of 38°/27°, this was the coldest day since 2/25.  These cold temperatures were fitting for tonight's  lighting of the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center.

 

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Greatest New York Weather 'Hits' of 2021

 

 

 

Nationwide, 2021's top weather events included Arctic cold in Texas in mid-February that shut down much of the state's power grid; searing heat at the end of June never before experienced in the Pacific Northwest; and a deadly tornado outbreak that Kentucky bore the brunt of on Dec. 10-11.  Meanwhile, New York's biggest story was the  consecutive months of unprecedented rainfall in July-August-September, which culminated in flooding downpours from the remnants of hurricane Ida on the night of Sept. 1, a deluge that was responsible for the deaths of nearly 50 residents of NYC and outlying suburbs (comparable to superstorm Sandy's death toll in Oct. 2012). 

 

The year was the eighth mildest and tenth wettest on record.   Eight of 2021's months were warmer than average, led by December (+4.7°, third mildest) and October (+4.1°, sixth mildest).  These months book-ended the most below average month of the year, November (-1.8°). 

 

Although the year's nearly 60 inches of precipitation was 10 inches above average, seven of the months had below average rainfall.  More than half of the year's precipitation (52%) was in July, August, and September.  And nearly half of the rain in those three months came from tropical systems Henri (8.19") and Ida (7.13").  Here are other highlights of 2021:

 

• A snowstorm that began Jan. 31 and continued into Feb. 2 dumped 17.4”.  Most of the accumulation, 16.8", fell in less than 24 hours (Sunday night, Jan. 31 thru late afternoon on Monday, Feb. 1).  After this snow event, an additional 10" of snow fell during the rest of the month, bring February's total to 26.0", making it the 8th snowiest February on record.

• March had its first temperature in the 80s since 1998, occurring on 3/26 (82°).

• In addition to the excessively wet months of July-Aug-Sept, there were also periods of very low humidity during the year.  For example, nearly half of the days in March had low humidity (below 25%); extremely low humidity was reported on April 6 (7%); and December had it lowest humidity on record on 12/17 (14%).

• The coolest Memorial Day weekend on record (average high/low of 57°/48°) was followed by the ninth warmest June.  A high of 98° on 6/30 was NYC’s hottest reading in nine years years, and the hottest reading in June since another reading of 98° in June 1994.  But just three days later, July had its first reading in the 50s since 2009, and its coolest high temperature (66°) since 2005.

• July, August, and September each had more than 10 inches of rain (July's amount was above 11") – not only the first time in nine years any month had that much rain, but the first time ever that three consecutive months had this much.  This was also the first year to have two rainstorms that produced seven inches+.  They were associated with downgraded hurricanes Henri and Ida , and they were less than two weeks apart (Aug. 21-23 and Sept. 1).

• On the night of  9/1, Ida's rain poured down in just five hours time (and 3.13" in one hour).  More rain fell between 9-10 PM than fell in all of November and December.

As an aside, this one-hour amount was trumpeted by the National Weather Service as being Central Park's greatest one-hour amount on record - but this claim was in error, as NWS's own records show a greater 60-minute amount on Sept. 5, 1913, when 3.31" of rain was measured between midnight and 1 AM - 0.18" more than Ida's 60-minute gully washer.  (11 days earlier, a one-hour amount of 1.94" during Henri also had the NWS claiming it was an all-time record, which was even more in error, as there have been at least a dozen instances of greater amounts in an hour, most recently in July 2018.)

• October had a record streak of lows in the 60s - thirteen days in a row.  It also set a record (for any month) of days with high/lows stuck in the 60s.  There were six such days, concentrated in the nine-day period between Oct. 3-11.  Finally, October's coolest reading of 47° was the mildest reading to have this distinction.

• The final week of October was the rainiest on record for that month (4.71" fell).  That week accounted for more than half of the precipitation measured from October thru December.  This rainy week was followed by the driest November-December on record.  These two dry months prevented the year from reaching the sixty-inch mark in precipitation, coming in at 59.73".  After 31.44" fell in July-September (32.09", if rain on 6/30 is included), 12 of the 13 weeks in October-December had less than 1/10 of that amount (3.06").

 

Here are recaps of previous years:

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

Weather of 2022 in New York

 
JANUARY

1 - It was a rainy and mild start to the new year, with a high/low of 56°/50°, and 0.79" of rain (most of which fell after dark).   This was the first low of 50° or milder on 1/1 since 1979, and just the third time overall with a low in the 50s on this date.  The high of 56° was the tenth warmest reading (tied with 2007).  After a record dry November and December, today was the rainiest day since late in October.

7 - 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"). 

With today’s snowfall, the month’s precipitation for the first week of January reached 1.44”, which was .05” more than what fell in all of December.

8 - With a high/low of 30°/20°, today had the winter's first high of 32° or colder.  This was three weeks later than the typical date, and was the latest date for this occurrence since the winter of 1986-87 (when it happened on 1/20).  This "first of the winter" milestone happened the same week as the first low in the teens (1/4), and the first snowfall of an inch or more (1/7).

15 - With a high/low of 21°/10°, today was the coldest day of the winter.  The day's low was the coldest reading in Central Park in nearly three years, since a low of 2° on Jan. 31, 2019.  (10° is on par with the average coldest temperature of winters going back to 1990.)  At sunrise, wind chills were in the 0° to -5° range.  Tomorrow's low would also be 10° (but with a high that was 16 degrees warmer than today's).

17 - 1.53" of precipitation fell during a winter storm that moved in yesterday evening, beginning as snow for a few hours (accumulating 0.8"), then continuing as rain until mid-morning today (when 1.16" fell).  The storm's total was  was more than what fell in either November (1.12") or December (1.39").  Furthermore, this amount of precipitation doubled what had fallen in the first 15 days of January, and at 3.07" in total, was more than what fell in November and December combined.

29 - 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 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.  Today was the 4th consecutive day with a high of 32° or colder, the longest streak in Central Park since the winter of 2018, when there was a 14-day streak (Dec. 26-Jan. 8).

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.

 

FEBRUARY

5 - The temperature at daybreak was 21°, which was a drop of 36 degrees from yesterday's high reading of 57° which occurred in the morning.  The last time the City experienced a drop this great in such a short period of time (25 hours) was in April 2018, when the mercury fell from 77° during the afternoon of 4/14, to 38° at daybreak on 4/15. 

13 - 1.6" of snow fell the day after the high reached 59°.  And although it was quite a turnaround, it pales in comparison to Feb. 9, 2017, when a 9.4" snowfall followed a high of 62° the day before.  And on Feb. 3, 2014, 8.0" fell the day after a high of 56°.  This was the second year in a row in which snow fell on Super Bowl Sunday.  4.5" fell last year, which was the most to fall on the NFL's big day (the game was played on 2/7); this year's amount was the second biggest accumulation.

17 - Today had the year’s first reading in the 60s.  At 68° it was the warmest reading in three months (since 11/18), and a record for the date.  The last time a reading this mild happened in February was in 2018, when the mercury soared to 78° on 2/21 (the warmest temperature ever reported in February).  Today’s spring-like reading, 25 degrees above average, came just two days after a low of 16°.  (There was also a low of 16° on 2/14,  two days after a high of 59°.)

23 - For the second time in past six days the high reached 68°; however, unlike 2/17’s high, today’s was not a record.  Then after dark a cold front moved through and the temperature dropped to the mid-30s by midnight (however, there was no precipitation).  This was the third day this month with a diurnal variation of 30 degrees or more - just the second February with three or more such days (February 1918 had four). 

 

MARCH

7  - The temperature rose into the 70s, topping out at 74°, tying the record for the date.  This followed another record tying high yesterday (68°), and was the first reading in the 70s this year, about two weeks ahead of schedule (by contrast, the first day in the 60s, on 2/17, was two weeks behind schedule).  The temperature was still at 71° at 10 PM, when a cold front blew through with winds that gusted to 49 mph in Central Park.  Today's reading was the fourth high of 68+ in the past three weeks, joining 2/17, 2/23, and 3/6 (which all had highs of 68°).   

9 - It was a sloppy day with wet snow occasionally mixed with rain and temperatures that hovered between 33° and 35°.  The 0.56" of liquid that fell (between 8:30 AM and 6 PM) produced just 0.4" of snow - but this was more snow than what fell in March 2020 or 2021 (both saw only a trace). 

22 - On average, relative humidity in March between 2 PM and 9 PM is in the 55%-60% range, but today it was between 11% and 13%.  Only four other dates in the 21st century have had lower readings: 6% on March 30, 2007; 7% on April 6, 2021; 9% on April 20, 2016; and 10% on April 20, 2006.   Skies were sunny and temperatures above average for the ninth day in a row (average high/low was 58°/43°).  This was the fifth day in the past four weeks to  have an hour or more with humidity at 25% or lower. 

28 - An Arctic front moved through last night, and today's high/low of  33°/23° would have been cold even in the depths of winter.  Although the day's low was far from the record for the date (13°), the high broke the record from 1893 for coldest daily maximum.  This was the coldest high temperature this late in March/early April in 40 years, since April 7, 1982, when the high/low was 30°/21°.  Today had the coldest mean temperature of the month as well as the past six weeks (0.5 degree colder than 3/13, which had a high/low of 35°/22°, and 2/20, which had a  high/low of 36°/21°).

Making the cold even more biting was the wind, which gusted between 20-30 mph.  Finally, the air was quite dry, with afternoon humidity falling to 20%; dew points were in the -5° to +5° range throughout the day.

 

APRIL

7 - Rain moved in at around noon and continued for the rest of the day.  1.12" was measured , with a large portion of it (0.40") falling between 11 PM-midnight (an additional 0.04" fell on 4/8).  Meanwhile, suburbs in northern NJ, the Hudson River valley, and western Connecticut reported between two and four inches.  Besides the rain, it was also windy, with gusts between 20-30 mph.  This inclement weather forced the Yankees to postpone their home opener - the fifth home opener postponed since 2003.

8 - The day after rain postponed the Yankees' home opener, today's rescheduled game was played under sunny skies and temperatures in the 60s.  Additionally, the air was quite dry, with the relative humidity dropping to 23% in mid-afternoon.  (Perhaps best of all, the Yankees beat their arch-rivals, the Red Sox, in extra innings.)    

15 - Conditions for the Mets home opener were a near replica of last week's Yankees first game as skies were sunny and the day's high reached 70°.  And the visiting team, the Arizona Diamondbacks, probably felt at home because of the very low humidity, which dropped to 13% when the first pitch was thrown.  But the hospitality ended there as the Mets easily won the game, 1o-3.   Today was the fourth day in a row with readings in the 70s - the first time for a streak of this length since late September.

16 - Today, with a high of 73°, was the fifth day in a row with a high of 70°+.  The average high during this streak was 73°, 12 degrees above average.  The last time there was a streak of this length in April was eleven years ago (but it occurred at the end of the month). 

17 -With a high/low of 51°/41°, this was the chilliest Easter Sunday since 2009 (49°/36°).  This followed five consecutive days with highs in the 70s.  And similar to last Easter, the air was quite dry, with the humidity bottoming out at 25% in mid-afternoon. 

19 - A fast-moving nor'easter that moved in late last night was over by daybreak today.  2.09" of rain poured down, mostly between 10 PM and 3 AM.  Winds gusted to 37 mph at Central Park, with 45-65 mph gusts common on Long Island and in Connecticut.  This was the biggest rain total from a storm system since a nor'easter dumped 3.53" of rain nearly six months ago (on 10/25-26 ).   

28 - For the second time this spring the humidity in the middle of the afternoon dropped to 11% (the other day was 3/22; 4/15 had humidity of 13%).  The day also featured clear skies, gusty winds (25-35 mph), and temperatures that were ten degrees below average (high/low of 58°/40°). 

 

MAY

9 - It was a day with very low humidity, which bottomed out at 13% at 1o PM -  the lowest humidity reported for this time of day in the years since 2000 (daily humidity is usually lowest mid-afternoon).  Additionally, this was the seventh day this year with humidity falling to 15% or below, which is the greatest number of days going back to 2000 (breaking a tie with 2021).  Furthermore, this was the lowest humidity reported in May.  Finally, humidity of 15% between midnight and 2 AM on 5/10 was the lowest humidity reported so early in the day. 

21 - The temperature reached the 80s for the first time this year, the latest date for this occurrence since 1988.  This was the tenth latest date for this occurrence on record.  And with a high of 90°, this was just the fourth year to have the first 80 and first 90 occur on the same day (joining 1918, 1927 and 2010).  This was the first time a reading was in the 90s in May since 2018.   Besides the heat, the air was oppressive, with afternoon dew points in the 68°-70° range.  The morning low of 62° was the coolest on a day with a high in the 90s since 2010, when there was a low of low of 56° on 4/7 (the earliest date on record for a reading in the 90s).

22 - The day after the year's first high in the 90s, today had the first low in the 70s.  Today missed by one degree becoming the first May weekend since 1987 with both days having highs of 90+ (only five May weekends have had this happen; 1987’s is the hottest of them, with highs/lows on May 30 and 31 of 97°/74° and 94°/76°). 

This weekend's unseasonably warm temperatures were similar to the same weekend last May, with this year’s highs/lows being 90°/62° and 89°/72°, while last year’s (on May 22 and 23) were 89°/65° and 88°/68°.

28 - An isolated, severe thunderstorm struck Central Park early in the afternoon, dumping 0.64” of rain in less than an hour (and there was a wind gust of 42 mph).  By contrast, Newark, LGA and JFK had minimal rainfall (and my Greenwich Village neighborhood didn’t get hit as hard as CPK).  Combined with rain early in the morning, the day’s total rainfall of 0.72” set a record as the rainiest Saturday of any Memorial Day holiday weekend.  (Pushing ahead of the 0.68” that fell in 1982, and 0.65” in 2020).  

31 - Mostly sunny and hot, with a high of 93°.  This was the hottest reading in May since 2000, when the high was 93° on 5/7.  (But it should be noted that there was a high of 96° in April 2002).  This was the second 90-degree reading this month, and although it was three degrees hotter than the high on 5/21, today may have felt slightly more comfortable as the dew point was 8-10 degrees lower than what it was during the afternoon of 5/21.

 

JUNE

15 - Today, with a high of 83°, was the third day in a row with a high of 80°+ in Central Park - the first time this year, and the deepest into a year since 2003.  Typically, this occurs around May 21-23.  (The first reading of 80°+ this year, on 5/21, was the latest since 1988).

18 - After yesterday's sultry conditions (bright sunshine and a high of 88°), today felt like October as skies were overcast and afternoon temperatures were only in the mid-60s; adding to the chill was gusty winds clocked between 30-40 mph.  (Despite this change, it appeared half of the City's residents hadn't heard the day's forecast as they were walking about dressed as if they expected a repeat of yesterday's summer-like conditions.)   

19 - It was a beautiful Father’s Day despite it being ten degrees chillier than average (high/low of 73°/54°), along with a stiff breeze that persisted throughout the day (but not as windy as yesterday.  This was the first Father’s Day since 2012 not to have a high of 80° or warmer (the average between 2013 and 2021 was 85°).  And the last time the low temperature was this chilly on Father’s Day was in 1958.  Furthermore, humidity late in the afternoon dropped to 25%, which was comparable to the humidity level on Father's Day in 2018 (24%).   

21 - It was an overcast, cool, and somewhat damp day (some sprinkles, mist, and fog from mid-afternoon onward).  Temperatures were stuck in the 60s, with a high/low of 67°/62; the high was 15 degrees cooler than average, but the low was just 5 degrees under.  This was the only day this month with a high in the 60s, and the first since another high of 67° occurred on 5/24.  

 

JULY

3 - For the third day in a row the low temperature was 73°.  The highs on these three days, however, were all different: 91°-87°-88° (today).

4 - Under fair skies, the day's high/low was 85°/65°.  During the early afternoon the humidity dropped to 22%, which was the lowest reported in July since 2010, when it was 19% at 4 PM, also on 7/4.  This afternoon's low humidity made the temperature feel like 82°.

6 - Today's high was 85°, the seventh consecutive day with highs of 85° or warmer.  The last time there was a streak this long was in June 2020 (6/20-26).  The average high/low during the streak was 87°/71° (2020's was 87°/72°).

14 - Today was the third day in a row with a high in the 90s, making this the first heat wave of the year.  With highs of 90°-91°-90° (today) this was one of the most tepid 3-day heat waves on record.  Only three other heat waves of this length have been "cooler" (in 1873, 1939, and 2013).

16 - After just 0.33" of rain fell in Central Park during the first half of the month (the least rain to fall in the first 15 days of July in 20 years),  1.10" of rain poured down during a mid-afternoon thunderstorm between 1:45 and 2:30.  This was equal to the amount of rain that fell in the previous 30 days.  This heavy rain was very localized, with LaGuardia Airport reporting 0.54", Newark 0.09", and Kennedy just 0.02".  Today's rainfall broke a streak of 18 years with no measurable rain on this date.

During the storm the temperature dropped from 85° to 66°.  Despite this cool-down the air still had a tropical feel as the dew point was close to 70° for the rest of the afternoon and past nightfall (and the temperature rebounded to the mid-70s). 

18 - 1.85” of rain fell today, a record for the date (the previous record, 1.76", was set 10 years earlier).  Much of it poured down in two 45-minute periods - at daybreak (0.84” fell between 6:00-6:45) and during the afternoon (0.73” between 2:00-2:45).  Rainfall amounts over three inches were reported in north Jersey and the Hudson Valley.  The air had a tropical feel to it, with the dew point reaching 76° in early afternoon and in the early evening; for 13 consecutive hours (9 AM-10 PM) it was 74% or higher. 

Despite the clouds and high humidity, the temperature managed to rise to 81°, making this the 20^th day in a row with a high of 80° or warmer.  However, today’s high was the coolest of the 20 days.  (FYI, 20 days is the average length of a summer’s longest streak of 80+ days.) 

21 - After peaking at 92° late in the morning, the temperature tumbled to 74° during a brief downpour in the early afternoon, but after skies cleared the mercury rebounded to 91° by early evening.  The dew point in the afternoon held steady at a very oppressive 76° from 2:00 through 6:00.  This was the third day in a row with a high in the 90s.  At 11:00 the temperature was still at 88°.

24 - This was the last day of a six-day heat wave, Central Park's longest since one of seven days in 2013.  This was New York's 12th heat wave of six days and it ranks as the second hottest based on mean temperature and average low.  Three of the days had highs of 95°,  but today, with a high/low of 95°/79° had the hottest mean temperature (7/20 and 7/23 had highs/lows of 95°/78°).  Despite the hot conditions, Central Park's heat was somewhat bearable compared to Newark which had five consecutive days with highs in the triple digits.

25 - The six-day heat wave ended today when a severe thunderstorm in the early afternoon prevented the temperature from going no  higher than 86°.  In less than an hour 0.98” of rain fell between 1:00 and 2:00, and the temperature dropped to 73°.  But despite the temperature drop the dew point was in the mid-70s for three hours in the afternoon.  In the past ten days 4.10” of rain fell, mostly from six severe thunderstorms.  

31 - July 2022 joined July 1940 and August 2015 as the only three months on record in which no day had a high below 80°.  The mildest reading this month was 81° on 7/18 and 7/26.  On average, July has six days with highs below 80°.  This streak of 80°+ days began on 6/29 (and today would be the last day of the streak, which was the 12th longest on record).  A big difference between this July and July 1940 is that July 1940 had seven more days with highs of 90+, while July 2022 had seven more days with lows in the 70s. 

 

AUGUST

1 -  Overnight showers and overcast skies during the daylight hours brought two streaks to an end - a 13-day streak of lows in the 70s, and a 33-day streak with highs in the 80s or warmer.  The streak of 80°+ is the 12th longest on record. (Longest was 62 days, in 2015.)  The streak of warm low readings tied for 23rd longest. (Longest was 22 days in 2010 and 1980). Today's high of 77° would be the coolest high temperature of the month, and the 0.48" of rain that fell made this the wettest day of a dry month (1.71" fell in total).

9 - Today's high was a blistering hot 97° (heat index reached 104°), which was 1) the hottest reading of the year; 2) the hottest reading so late in the summer since 2015 (when it was 97° on 9/8); and 3) the hottest high in August since 2006 (when it was 97° on 8/2).  This was also the fourth day in a row with a high in the 90s (and eighth consecutive day with a high of 89° or hotter).

11 - Although streaks of high temperatures in the 90s/100s generate more headlines, a streak of days with highs of 87° or warmer that reached ten days today was worth noting because it was the longest in ten years.  Six of the days were in the 90s, three reached 89°, and yesterday saw a maximum reading of 87°.  Average high during the streak was 91°.  (The longest streak of its kind was 18 days in the summer of 1988, 7/29-8/15.)

12 - With a high of 85°, today was the eleventh day in a row with a high of 85° or warmer, the longest such streak since one of 14 days in July 2016 (8/6-8/19).  Average high during these eleven days was 90.5°.  Additionally, the humidity dropped to 25% late in the afternoon, the lowest humidity in August since 2012 and just the third date in August this century with humidity of 25% or lower (the other date was 8/20 in 2010 when it dropped to 24%).

17 - After receiving just 0.30" of rain in the previous 15 days, slightly more than that amount (0.34") fell in less than an hour during a heavy shower tonight between 9-10 PM.  Interestingly my neighborhood, which is located about four miles south of the park's weather station, had no rain.  During the shower the temperature dropped 11 degrees to a refreshing 63°, which was the coolest reading since the same low was reported on 6/24. 

25 - With a high of 91°, this became New York's twelfth summer with consecutive months with ten or more days with highs of 90+ (July had 10).  However, because of low humidity during the afternoon, the "feels like" temperature was in the upper 80s.  Today was the 23rd day with a high in the 90s (or hotter) this year, the most since 2010 (which had 37 in total).

27 - This was the third year in a row to have a high in the 90s on this date: 90° this year, 93° last year, and 90° in 2020.  In 2021 and 2020, these readings were the last in the 90s of the summer.

 

SEPTEMBER

1 - Today's conditions were drastically different from a year ago when the remnants of hurricane Ida flooded the City with more than seven inches of rain.  By contrast, this year had clear skies and humidity that dropped to 22% during mid-afternoon, which was just the fourth time this century that the humidity level in September was at or below 25%.  It was also a warm day, with a high 86°, which was warmer than the warmest reading of the previous two Septembers (85° for both).

4 - Today's high of 90° was the 25th in the 90s this year, making 2022 the 20th year with 25 or more.  Of the 20, this year ranks last for average of its high readings (91.8°) as more than half of the days had highs of 90° or 91° (including the last six).  This was the first Sunday before Labor Day with a high of 90° or hotter since 2014.   And this was the eighth year in which Sept. 4 had the last reading in the 90s - tying Sept. 6 for the most of any date. 

5 - With a high of 88°, Labor Day was warmer than both the 4th of July (high of 85°) and Memorial Day (84°).  Like yesterday, today's high was noticeably hotter than the low 80s that had been predicted.  The City managed to have a fairly decent day as a large area of rain stayed to the north and west; a few showers moved in after dark.

6 - A steady light rain fell mostly between dawn and dusk and amounted to 0.78".  Although this amount was the most to fall in one day in about six weeks, it was significantly less than the 2.00" to 2.50" that had been forecast a few days ago.  However, northern New Jersey, the lower Hudson Valley and western Connecticut saw amounts between 2.50" and 5.00".  

23 - It was a brisk fall day, with clear skies, gusty winds (25-30 mph), and temperatures more typical of mid-October (high/low of 63°/51°).  The day's low was the chilliest since 5/10, the high was the chilliest since 5/8, and at ten degrees below average the mean temperature was the most below average since 5/7, when the high/low was 50°/45° (13 degrees below average).   

25 - After nice conditions during the daylight hours, 1.11" of rain poured down during a thunderstorm late in the day, mostly between 9:30-10:30 PM.  (Ironically, 9/25 is one the calendar dates least likely to see measurable rain.)  The intensity of the rain was nearly identical to a torrential downpour on 7/16 when 1.10" fell in a 45-minute period during the afternoon.  Amounts were higher west of the City (1.44" at Newark Liberty Airport) and less to the east (0.78" at LaGuardia, 0.28" at JFK).

 

OCTOBER

1 - Although the center of circulation from what was left of hurricane Ian was 350 miles to the southwest of New York, breezy conditions (a peak gust of 27 mph at Central Park) and morning showers that amounted to 0.58” was attributed to the downgraded storm.  Much of the rain fell between 6-7 AM (0.19”) and 11 AM-noon (0.21”).  It was a chilly day, with a high/low of 61°/51° (eight degrees below average).  And inclement conditions linked to Ian would continue for the next four days.

4 - It was a raw and very soggy day, with 1.85” of rain measured.  A little more than half of this amount (1.05”) fell between 2-4 AM.   (Ironically, after Sept. 5, Oct. 4 is the date least likely to have measurable rain.)  This amount tied 7/18 as the rainiest day of the year.  Today's high/low was just 55°/46°, eleven degrees chillier than average, and followed a high of 53°/47° the day before.  Although the rainfall measured in Central Park was well below the record for the date (4.05” in 1877), the area’s three airports all set daily records, but not because the amounts were greater than CPK's.  Rather, their weather records don’t go back nearly as far as Central Park’s - Newark’s records go back to 1931, LaGuardia’s to 1939, and JFK’s to 1948.

4-5 - It was showery and cool with temperatures stuck in the 50s for the entirety of Yom Kippur (sundown to sundown); showers produced half an inch of rain (in 2019 Yom Kippur had similar temperatures and rainfall).  These inclement conditions were from the remnants of hurricane Ian, which first affected the area on the first of the month.  Skies cleared shortly after the holiday ended.

6 - After five consecutive days of overcast skies, showers, and chilly temperatures (highs averaged 58°, 11 degrees below average), today was sunny and warm with a high of 74° (six degrees above average).  The last time it was this mild was on 9/26. 

14 - A hard rain that fell from last night into the wee hours of this morning amounted to 0.99”, bringing the month’s rainfall to 4.30”.  Although this was far from New York’s rainiest two weeks, this amount was more than what fell during six months this year, and not much less from what fell during April (4.53"), May (4.52"), and July (4.55").

25 - It was mild and very humid with humidity ranging between 87% and 97%.  (Typical range in October is 57% to 77%).  While the high of 70° was the mildest reading in nearly two weeks, the day’s low of 61° was the first low in the 60s in five weeks (and what the average high is on 10/25).  Overall the day was 11 degrees above average.  With the dew point being very close to the air temperature, thick fog was produced, reducing visibility to one mile or less from 2 AM until noon.

 

NOVEMBER

4 - Pattern of the high temperatures of the first four days of November: 67° (11/1)-70°-67°-70°.

5 - Today's high of 76°, eighteen degrees above average, was the warmest reading in November in 19 years.  This came after a morning low of 64°, which was the mildest low temperature in nearly seven weeks (since 9/20's low of 67°), and was nine degrees warmer than the average high for the date.  The first five days of November were the complete opposite of the first five days of October as the average high/low of Nov. 1-5 was 70°/56° (11 degrees above average), with very little rain, while the first five days in October averaged 58°/50° (9 below average) with more than three inches of rain.

6 - The NYC Marathon, which was run today, was moved to November in 1986 so that it was less likely runners would need to contend with warm conditions, but this year's race was an outlier as it was the warmest of the races held in November, with a high/low of 75°/66°.  And perhaps posing even more of a challenge for runners was the humidity, with the dew point in the low 60s.  Today's high was a record for the date, and might have climbed even higher if it wasn't for mostly overcast skies.  As for the day's low, only Nov. 2, 1971 has had a warmer daily minimum in November (67°). 

7 - This was the fourth day in a row with a high in the 70s, and at 77° it was the warmest of them all.  The average high during this streak was 74.5°, which was 17 degrees above average.  Today also featured clear skies and humidity that dropped sharply in the afternoon, bottoming out at 15% at 6 PM; this was the second lowest reading in November in the years since 2000 (lowest was 13% on 11/16 in 2019).  If the morning low of 68° had held it would have been the warmest low on record in November, but colder air moved in after 8 PM and by midnight the temperature had dropped to 54° (still 10 degrees above the average low for the date). 

11 - The remnants of hurricane Nicole, which made landfall on Florida's east coast yesterday, brought rain during the afternoon and evening, which amounted to 0.89" (half of it fell between 5-7 PM).  The air had a tropical feel with PM temperatures in the mid-to-upper 60s and dew points in the mid-60s. 

12 - Today's low of 60° was the third low in the 60s this month, the most in November since 1982 which had four (the most on record).

14 - After the first 13 days of the month averaged 10 degrees above average, today's low of 37° was the first reading in the 30s this fall, one day shy of tying the record for latest date, set in 1938 (that November's other claims to fame was 12.8" of snow between 11/24-27 and a low of 16° on 11/26).  This was nearly three weeks later than the average date for this occurrence.

19 - This morning's low of 31° was the first reading of 32° or colder this season.  Despite an extraordinarily mild start to November (11 degrees above average through 11/12), this first low at freezing or colder occurred on schedule.  Today was the sixth day in a row with below average temperatures (averaging seven degrees colder than average).   

24 - This was the eighth day in a row with sunny skies and, fittingly, this morning's telecast of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade began with the star of the Broadway revival of Funny Girl singing "Don’t Rain On My Parade".  The day had close to seasonable temperatures, with a high/low of 54°/40°.

 

DECEMBER

21 - Today had a high of 40° and was the eighth day of the past 12 to have a high of either 39° or 40°. (The other days had highs of 38°, 42° and 44° <twice>).

23 - An intense, fast moving storm (a "bomb" cyclone) brought a record amount of rain during the morning, then Arctic cold swept in with wind gusts of 40-65 mph (peak gust in Central Park was 45 mph).  After peaking at 58° before sunrise, the temperature fell for the rest of the day and was down to 8° just before midnight, establishing a new record for the greatest drop in temperature during the course of one day (previous record was a 48-degree drop on March 28, 1921). 

Total rainfall was 1.83”, with much of it falling in the hour between 4-5 AM when 1.33" was measured.  Today’s rain made December the wettest month of the year (5.55”), only the fourth December to have this distinction (joining Dec. 2019, 1973, and 1957).

24 - Mostly clear skies and frigid temperatures. The day’s high/low was just 15°/7°  (26 degrees below average), making this the coldest day of the year, the coldest high reading on Christmas Eve in 150 years and the coldest low since 1983.  This was also the first day this winter with high of 32° or colder, a week later than average.  The day's low was the coldest reading of the entire year, the coldest reading since Jan. 31, 2019 (2°) and the coldest reading in December since 1989 (6° on 12/23).  

25 - Although today was nearly twice as warm as yesterday, its high/low of 28°/14° made this the first Christmas Day with a high of 32° or colder since 2013.  And the last time the low was so cold on 12/25 was in 1989.

30 - Under sunny skies today's high of 62° was the warmest reading in seven weeks (since a high of 69° on 11/12).  This came six days after a frigid high of only 15°.  

31 - Last year's mild conditions were topped this year as the temperature was three degrees milder when the new year arrived (54° vs. 51°).  Only three other years have ended on a milder note (1966 <58°>, 1973 <58°>, and 1993 <55°>).  And the day's high of 55° was equal to last year.  The day's mean temperature  was 18 degrees above average, a complete turnaround from a week ago which was 26 degrees colder than average (high/low of 15°/7°).  Despite showers during the afternoon and evening, the rain stopped about half an hour before midnight.

 

To read highlights from other years between 1970 and 2021 double click here. 

 

 

 

 

2021's Weather Happenings

 

 JANUARY

January 26 - The 0.1" of snow that fell was the first measurable snow since the 10.4" snowstorm of Dec. 16-17, nearly six weeks ago.  Today's high and low were just three degrees apart (34°/31°).

January 29 - Today, with a high/low of 25°/14°, was the coldest day of the winter.  Only nine other winters (including last winter) have had milder temperatures for their coldest day.  In the years since 1980, the coldest day of the winter has had an average high/low of 20°/9° (in winters before 1980, the average coldest reading was 17°/4°). 

January 31 - Until this evening, the month was set to become one of the five least snowy Januarys on record, with just 0.1" measured.  However, the opening volley of snow, from a snowstorm that would bury the City tomorrow, moved in this evening, and by midnight two inches had accumulated.  This was the most snow to fall on this date since 1898 (when five inches piled up).  The 2.1" that fell this month made this the third January in a row with well below-average snowfall (Jan. 2019 had 1.1", Jan. 2020 had 2.3").

 

FEBRUARY

February 1 - A monster snowstorm that moved in last night buried the City today, and largely exited by daybreak the following day.  In total, 17.4” of snow was measured, with 14.8” of it piling up today.  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, which 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 became New York’s twelfth with two or more snowfalls of ten inches or more (the first one was on Dec. 16-17, when 10.5” fell).  This was New York’s biggest snowfall in five years (when New York experienced its biggest snowfall of all-time), and tied for fifteenth greatest accumulation on record (with Feb. 3-4, 1961). 

February 7 - Today was Super Bowl Sunday, and up until this year, the most snow to fall on this occasion was 1.5" in 2000.  That amount was easily eclipsed today, when a fast moving storm dropped 4.5" from mid-morning thru late afternoon (Central Park was low-man on the totem pole as most surrounding areas had six to eight inches).  It was a wet snow, that began falling when the temperature was 37°, with the temperature not reaching 32° until early afternoon.  This brought the month's snowfall to 19.9".

February 16 - While the Southern Plains, Midwest and Ohio Valley were subjected to severe cold, snow and ice, New York basked in mild temperatures and sunny skies during the afternoon as the temperature rose to 51°, the first reading in the 50s since Jan. 2 (when the high was also 51°).  This respite broke a nine-day streak with colder than average temperatures (but below average temperatures would return the next day).  Before the sun came out a period of heavy rain fell before sunrise, amounting to 0.82". 

 

MARCH

March 5 - Sunny and cold (high/low of 37°/23°) with very low humidity in the afternoon, which bottomed out at 17% between 3-4:00.  This was the lowest humidity reported in Central Park since the first week of May last year.

March 9 - Under fair skies, the temperature rose into the 60s for the first time this year, about five weeks later than the typical date for this occurrence.  The day's high of 64° was the mildest reading since Thanksgiving Day (when the high was 65°).  Also, the air was also quite dry, dropping to 23% during the afternoon.

March 12 - One week after the humidity dropped to 17%, it was even lower this afternoon, bottoming out at 13% during mid-afternoon.  The last time Central Park reported a level lower than this was on today's date in 2016, when it was 12%.  Today's humidity was at 20% or lower for 11 consecutive hours.  Besides the low humidity, the day also featured very mild temperatures, with a high of 68°.  The day also had the year's first low in the 50s.

March 15 - Afternoon humidity fell to 12% during the afternoon, the lowest reported in Central Park since March 2016.  Additionally, dew points were extraordinary low, dropping below zero a few hours before daybreak and remaining sub-zero thru the wee hours of 3/16.  (And during the afternoon they were below -10°.)  Today was also the 14th day in a row with no measurable precipitation, the longest streak of dry weather since last June.

March 17 - This was the 16th day in a row with no measurable precipitation, matching last year's longest dry streak in September; these are the longest dry spells since an 18-day streak in the fall of 2017.  

March 18 - After one of the driest first halves of March on record (0.16" was measured), light rain that began at around 9 AM continued for the rest of the day.  The rain amounted to 0.60", and was the first measurable precipitation since 3/1.   Temperatures were mostly stuck in the mid-40s.  

March 26 - Between noon and 2:00 winds shifted from the southeast to the southwest and the temperature jumped from the low 60s to low 80s.  Today’s high of 82°, a record for the date, and the first reading in the 80s in March since 1998.   This early jump into summer was a surprise since the predicted high was in the low 70s.  This became the eighth year to have its first reading of 80+ in March, and the fourth earliest date (after March 13, 1990; March 20, 1945, and March 21, 1921).  Interestingly, this early first 80 followed last summer’s early last 80, which happened on 9/10.

 

APRIL

1 - Temperatures were in the chilly 44°-50° range during the Home Opener of the Yankees, made even chillier by blustery conditions, as winds gusted between 25-30 mph.  The only positive aspect of the day (the Yankees lost to Toronto in 10 innings) was that the sun began to break through the overcast skies during the second half of the game. 

4 - Despite starting out overcast, it turned into a beautiful Easter Sunday as the skies cleared late in the morning, and the temperature rose to 65°.   The air was also quite dry, with the relative humidity falling to 23% late in the afternoon.  

6 - On a stunningly beautiful day, the high reached 70° and the humidity dropped to 7% late in the afternoon – the lowest humidity level reported in Central Park since 2007 (6% on March 30).  This followed 13% humidity yesterday afternoon (and March had a day with 12% humidity, and two others with 13%).  For five hours the humidity stayed below 10% (and dew points were in the 3°-5° range).

8 -  Skies were sunny, the mercury rose to 70°, and the Mets came from behind in the bottom of the ninth inning to win their home opener against Miami, 3-2.  As so often happens, the Mets had better home-opener weather than the Yankees, as skies were brighter, and it was about twenty degrees warmer.  

28 - In a span of ten hours the mercury shot from 52° (at 4 AM) to 85° (2PM), the warmest reading since Sept. 5 (when the high also reached 85°).   Yesterday's high, by contrast, was a slightly below average 64°.  Today's diurnal variation of 33 degrees was the greatest since Jan. 13, 2018, when it was 39 degrees (high/low of 58°/19°).  This was the year's second reading in the 80s, occurring five weeks after the first. 

 

MAY

18 - This morning's low of 60° was the first low in the 60s this year, the latest date for this occurrence since 2003 (when it happened on 5/30).  Under partly cloudy skies, the high rose to 82°.  (Last year's first 60+ low was also late, occurring on 5/15.)  Since 1980, the typical date of the first 60+ low has been 5/2. 

26 - It was a warm and sticky day.  Temperatures varied greatly in the area, as the high reached 86° in Central Park (and at LaGuardia), while Kennedy Airport was just 75°, and Newark Airport's high was 94° (its fourth reading in the 90s this month; CPK had none).  Rain showers in the early evening and around midnight produced 0.07" of rain, the most in two-and-a-half-weeks.  (Because severe thunderstorms were predicted, the Mets and Yankees postponed their games, but the storms didn't materialize.)   

28 - Morning sunshine gave way to overcast skies in the afternoon, and rain moved in after 4:00 (just as the Memorial Day weekend was getting underway).  The rain became steady and wind-swept after dark (peak gust was 36 mph at Central Park), and amounted to 1.22", which was a record amount for the date (the rain continued thru the morning of 5/29).  The temperature dropped from 69° in the early afternoon to 49° less than twelve hours later.  This was the latest date for a reading in the 40s since 2000 (when it happened on 6/7). 

30 - Today’s very cool high/low of 51°/47° was identical to yesterday’s.  But while yesterday’s high tied for the coolest high on 5/29, today’s high broke the record by four degrees.  These highs were 24 degrees below average (and more typical of the first day of spring).  Today’s and yesterday’s high/low were the chilliest back-to-back days in late May since May 25-26, 1967 (46°/42° and 53°/46°).  And also like yesterday, there were gray skies and rain, with 0.89" falling from sunrise to mid-afternoon.  The 48-hour rainfall total (from two storm systems, beginning late afternoon on 5/28) was 2.57”, which was nearly 50% more than what fell between May 1-27 (1.77”). 

Coincidentally, May 29-30 of last year had the same, but much warmer, high/low:  81°/67°.  This is just the second time that the same dates in  consecutive years had temperature "twins" (the other instance was in 1897 ad 1898 on July 27-28).

31 - Today, Memorial Day, was the fourth day in a row with a low in the 40s, tying May 1884 for the latest streak of this many days.  (However, 1884's streak was chillier: 48°-43°-42°-48° vs. this year's 49°-47°-47°-49°.   This was the chilliest three-day Memorial Day weekend on record.  Although Memorial Day was eight degrees cooler than average (high/low of 70°/49°), it felt summer-like compared to Saturday and Sunday, which were overcast, rainy and very cool, with each day having a high/low of just 51°/47°. 

 

JUNE

3 - Showers late in the morning, and during the evening (amounting to 0.38") made this the 15th year of the past 21 (since 2001) to have measurable rain on this date.

6 - Central Park had its first reading in the 90s this year (92°), as well its first low in the 70s (76°) -  the first time since 2013 that both occurred on the same date.  Today's first low in the 70s fell on the same date as last year's; the last time this happened was in 1988 and 1989 (when the date was 5/30).  This weekend's highs of 89°/91°, and those of two weeks ago, 89°/88°, were in very stark contrast to last weekend's highs of 51°/51° (Memorial Day weekend). 

9 - With a high of 90°, this was the fourth, and last, day of a four-day heat wave.  (And the day before the heat wave started, the high reached 89°.)  This was the first heat wave of this length in June since 2008.  And although that heat wave's average high was significantly hotter (95° vs. 91°), this June's heat wave had low temperatures that were significantly warmer (75° vs 70°).  It was also very humid, with dew points largely in the 68°-72° range, producing afternoon heat indices in the mid-90s.  With four days in the 90s through 6/9, this was the earliest for that number of days since 2000, when the fourth such reading occurred on 6/2 (ironically, that year would have only seven in total). 

12 - Today's high/low of 69°/62° was the same as yesterday's (and skies were overcast both days).  This followed another pair of days with the same high/low just just a few days earlier, as June 8 and 9 each had a high/low of 90°/72°.   (And June 6 and 7 missed being "twin" days by one degree, as the highs/lows were 92°/76° and 91°/76°).   Two weeks earlier, on Memorial Day weekend, the high/low on both days was 51°/47°.  (A typical years has two or three of these temperature twins.) 

23 - Today's low of 55° was the chilliest reading of the month (but far from the date's record low of  49° in 1918) and the coolest reading this late in June since 1995, when a low of 54° occurred on June 28.

27 - For the second year in a row (a first), the high reached 90° on Pride Sunday.  And with an afternoon dew point in the 70°-71° range, the heat index reached 96°.  Skies were a mix of sun and clouds, which cleared as evening approached.

30 - It was scorching-hot day, with a high of 98°, the hottest reading in Central Park since the summer of 2013, and the hottest high temperature in June since 1994 (also 98°).  This was the fourth day in a row with a high in the 90s (the other days had highs of 90°, 92°, and 95°), joining another four-day heat wave earlier in the month.  This was just the second June with two heat waves of four days or more (the other was in 1943, which is the hottest June on record).  Cooling showers moved through after 8:30, dropping the temperature to 73° (the morning low had been a sultry 80°).  The rain kept this from being the second June in a row with less than two inches of rain, and the amount that fell (0.65", much of it between 10-11 PM) was the greatest daily amount of the month.

 

JULY

3 - Three days after June had its hottest reading since 1994, today's low of 59° was the first in the 50s in July since 2009.  And under overcast skies the temperature rose only to 66°, which was three degrees cooler than the average low for the date.  This was the first high in the 60s in July since 2013, and the coolest July high since 2005.  Furthermore, today's mean temperature of 62.5° was the coolest in July since July 12, 1990, which had the same mean (high/low of 67°/58).  Finally, today was  the fourth day in a row with measurable rain.  Today's 0.34", which fell mostly during heavy showers shortly after daybreak, brought the 4-day total to 2.56", which was nearly as much as what fell during the entire month of June (2.62").   

4 - This morning’s refreshing low of 60° (shortly after midnight) was the coolest on the holiday since 1992 (when it was also 60°).  Only ten other 4^th of Julys have had a cooler low.   (In the years since 2000 the average low had been 70°.)  The high of 79° was the coolest in six years, but after last week's four-day heat wave, today’s temperatures were delightful for spending time outdoors celebrating the nation’s birthday.  

6 - After a steamy high of 92° (the third year in a row with a high in the 90s on this date), thunderstorms between 6-11 PM dropped the temperature some 20 degrees.  (Winds gusted close to 60 mph at LaGuardia and Newark airports, and a 37 mph gust was clocked at Central Park.)   This evening's rainfall amounted to 0.55" and brought the seven-day total to 3.11". 

8 - After sunny skies predominated through early afternoon, 2.27" of rain flooded the City between 4:30-7 PM, setting a rainfall record for the date (the previous record was from 1899).  Much of the rain fell during a severe thunderstorm that produced torrential rain during the evening rush hour, dumping 1.56" between 5-6 PM.  NYC was the bullseye for this storm, as the area's three major airports had much less, with LaGuardia reporting 0.95",  JFK getting 0.32", and Newark seeing just 0.09".  Today's rain was the greatest daily amount to fall in Central Park since July 10 of last year, when 2.54" was measured as tropical storm Fay passed by (also a record amount).

9 - 12 hours after the City was flooded by a torrential downpour during yesterday’s evening rush hour, heavy rain from the remnants of hurricane Elsa made this morning's commute a challenge.  1.79” of rain fell this morning, largely between 3-9AM.  (Elsa brought significantly more rain over Long Island, largely in the 3-4” range.)  Then tonight, between 10:30-11:00, one more heavy shower moved through, adding 0.27" to the day's total.  And like yesterday's amount, today's 2.06" was a record for the date (easily breaking the old record of 1.09"). 

In the past ten days (Since 6/30), seven days of rain have totaled 7.44”, equal to what fell in the previous eleven weeks.  Between yesterday afternoon and later this morning, 4.06” of rain was measured in Central Park.  This was the greatest 24-hour total since April 30, 2014, when 4.97” poured down.

12 - In the wee hours of the morning, Central Park had its third one-hour deluge of an inch or more in the past five days.  The 1.42” that poured down, mostly between 2:15-3:15, brought the month’s rainfall to 8.49”, making this the wettest July since 1975, and the 7^th wettest July (with 19 days to go).  The rest of the day was rain-free, but oppressive, with dew points in the 72° to 75° range.  This produced a heat index in the low 90s (the afternoon high was 86°).

13 - After getting soaked by six inches of rain in the past five days, today was rain free, but gray skies/low clouds predominated, and the air was thick with humidity.  This combination kept the temperature from rising much, as the high of 72° was just three degrees warmer than the low.  But despite afternoon temperatures that were 13 degrees below average, the air wasn't refreshingly cool since daytime humidity was in the 85%-90% range.

23 - Although just 0.01" of rain fell, this was the sixteenth year of the past twenty to have measurable rain on this date.

26 - For the second day in a row there was a heavy period of pre-dawn showers; yesterday’s downpour produced 0.49”, today’s amounted to 0.78”.  Today’s amount brought July’s rainfall over ten inches, joining 26 other months that have exceeded the amount (out of 1,831+ months, going back to 1869).  This was the first time a month had ten inches or more of precipitation since June 2013, and the most in any month since August 2011’s 18.95” (rainiest month on record in Central Park).  The 10.48” that has fallen so far this month made it the third wettest July on record.

29 - Three days after July became the 27th month to have 10+ inches of rain, today it became the 15th to have more than 11+ inches, as a little under a half-inch fell during thunderstorms between 5-9 PM.  The City escaped turbulent conditions that affected parts of NJ and eastern PA, where a number of tornadoes touched down.  And the thunderstorms that moved through the City weakened as they moved over Manhattan, reducing the predicted amounts of rain.  This was the 18th day that measurable rain fell in July; only July 1871 had more days (20).  However, July 2021 had twice as much rain.

 

AUGUST

21 - A plume of tropical moisture associated with hurricane Henri (still hundreds of miles to the southeast of NYC) moved in after 8 PM, flooding the City with 4.45" of rain, a record for the date (much of it fell between 10 PM-midnight).  Today’s rainfall was three times the amount that fell in the first 20 days of the month (1.46”).  NYC appeared to be the bulls-eye for the torrential rain as La Guardia, JFK, and Newark had much less (but still significant) amounts of  2.46", 2.13", and 1.28", respectively.  The rain that poured down tonight was the most to fall on a calendar date in Central Park since April 30, 2014, when 4.97" poured down.

Despite the fact that the amount of rain that fell to break the 1888 record of 4.12",  fell between midnight-1 AM (0.36") on 8/22, this is because the NWS uses Standard Time year-round for its daily observations rather than Daylight Saving Time during the spring and summer months; therefore, midnight- 1 AM Daily Saving Time is actually 11P-midnight Standard Time.

22 - A second round of heavy rain from tropical storm Henri began shortly after daybreak, as the storm headed to Rhode Island, where it made landfall early this afternoon.  Although today’s soaking rain wasn’t torrential, like it was last night (when 4.45” poured down), the 2.67” that fell today was enough to establish a record for the second day in a row.  (This followed back-to-back record rainfalls last month, on 7/8 and 7/9).  The rain fell heaviest between 2-5 PM, when 1.49" was measured. 

The 24-hour rainfall total of 7.04” (between 8 PM yesterday and 8 PM today) was the greatest amount to fall in this amount of time since April 2007, when 7.80” fell between 2AM on 4/15 and  2AM on 4/16.  Although Henri produced record rainfall in NYC, one saving grace was that that there were no gusty winds to contend with.      

23 - The last spasms of what was once hurricane Henri produced 1.07” of rain shortly before daybreak (when 0.93” fell), and during lunchtime (when the dew point rose to 75°, the peak reading during Henri's "visit").  This was the third day in a row to have more than an inch of rain, just the tenth time this has happened, and the first time since Oct. 12-14, 2005.  In total, 8.19” of rain fell.  This brought August’s rainfall to 9.65”, and July-August’s total over 20 inches – just the fifth time a pair of consecutive months has received this much rain.  Finally, August 2021 is now the fifth rainiest August on record (following July, which was the third rainiest).

27 - It was hot and humid, with a high of 93° (the heat index reached 102°), the third day in a row with a high in the 90s.  Then a thunderstorm moved through late in the afternoon and produced enough rain in Central Park (0.67”, almost all of which fell between 5:15-5:45 PM) to bring August’s rainfall over ten inches.  This was after July had 11.09" of rain, making July-August just the second time consecutive months had 10 inches or more of rain.  (The other time, March-April 1983, has been disputed because the rain gauge in CPK was broken for a good portion of the year).  Just before the skies opened up, the dew point rose to 77°, which was the highest of the summer.  Interestingly, no rain fell in my Greenwich Village neighborhood (just thunder), which is about three miles south of Central Park (while LaGuardia Airport had twice as much rain as the Park).

 

SEPTEMBER

1 - Although Hurricane Ida, which made landfall in Louisiana four days ago as a category 4 storm, had weakened to a tropical depression by the time it made its way to the Mid-Atlantic, what energy remained packed quite a punch as New York was flooded by extreme rainfall and lashed by tropical storm-force winds (causing more disruptions than tropical storm Henri did less than two weeks ago).  After a first round of moisture brought light showers shortly after sunrise, there was a lull until 5 PM when heavy rain moved in, becoming torrential a few hours later.  By midnight, 7.13" had been measured in Central Park, making this the rainiest Wednesday on record, comparable to seven weeks of rain, and two-and-a-half inches more than a typical September sees in its entirety. 

At its most intense, between 9-10 PM, more than three inches poured down.  Because of this excessive rate of rainfall, the National Weather Service, for the first time, issued a Flash Flood Emergency for NYC, and subway service was suspended throughout the City.   Shockingly, 13 residents in Brooklyn and Queens died from flood-related causes.  Unlike Henri, which wasn’t a wind producer, Ida’s visit was accompanied by winds that gusted between 35-50 mph.  

Between Aug. 21 (when Henri moved in) and today, 15.99" of rain was measured in Central Park.  And between June 30 and today, 29.19" fell.  By comparison, average rainfall during this nine-week period is around 9.30".

23-24 - Chilly air moving into air that was warm and humid (dew points were around 70°) produced periods of heavy rain that began in the evening and continued until sunrise the following day.  2.03” fell in total (1.36” of it today), with much of it, 0.86”, pouring down between 7-8 PM (and 0.51” between 3-5 AM).  The rainstorm brought the month’s total to 9.76”, making this the rainiest September since 2004 (11.51”), and the sixth wettest on record (following July and August, which were the third and fifth wettest of their respective months).

This was also the first time on record that three months in a row had more than nine inches of rain (totaling a little more than 31 inches).  With a little more than three months left to 2021, 51.69" of precipitation has been measured, which is more than what an entire year averages (a little under 50 inches).  

28 - Early afternoon showers amounted to 0.27”, pushing September’s rainfall over ten inches (10.03”).  Not only was this the most rain to fall in September since 2004, it was the third month in a row with more than ten inches of rain  – the first time for such a streak (July had 11.09”, August had 10.32”).  However, this wasn’t Central Park’s rainiest three-month period, as the 31.44” that fell was  three inches less than the 34.43” that fell in Aug-Sept-Oct 2011 (18.95”, 9.39” and 6.09”, respectively).

 

OCTOBER

13 - Today was the fourth day in a row with a low of 61° (and the seventh day with this low since 10/3).  It was also the sixth day this month with a high/low stuck in the 60s, the most on record for any month.  (On average, October sees one of these days once every two years).  Persistent overcast skies were largely the reason for the temperature not rising much during the daylight hours. 

14 - This was the twelfth day in a row with a low in the 60s, a record streak for the month of October (breaking a tie with October 2018).  Interestingly, the low temperatures during this streak were all in the narrow 60°-62° range (but highs ranged between 65°-77°).  

15 – Today’s high of 79°, and low of 63° were the warmest of the month.  The low broke the 12-day streak in which the low temperatures were in the 60°-62 range°.  With 13 days with lows of 60+, this October tied October 1879 for the most lows this mild in October.

16 - Today was the 15^th day in a row with an above-average mean temperatures (average of high/low), the longest such streak since the winter of 2019-20, when there was a streak of 18 days (Dec. 22 - Jan. 8).  This period was six degrees above average.  Meanwhile, a 13-day streak of lows of 60+ ended today, after a cold front swept through during the evening, dropping the temperature to 56 by midnight.  This cold front also produced showers that amounted to 0.25”, which was 0.01” less than what fell in the first half of the month (the least rain to fall in the first half of October since 2000).    

17 - Today was the first day since 10/1 to have a below-average mean temperature, as the high/low of 61°/51° was two degree below average.  (10/1's low was also 51°.) 

18 - At 49°, today's low was the season's first in the 40s - the second latest date on record (the latest was in 2005, on 10/20).  This occurrence was three weeks later than average. 

26 - After moving in late last night, a nor’easter dumped 3.30" of rain today, with 2.51” falling this morning, and 0.79” after dark (and it continued falling overnight).  This rain brought an end to what had been a dry October, with less than an inch of rain through yesterday.  Today’s rainfall came very close to the record for the date, 3.40” in 1943 (also produced by a nor’easter).  The storm’s total rainfall of 3.69” made it the third biggest rainstorm of the year, behind Henri's 8.19" in August, and Ida's 7.23" at the beginning of September.

29 - This was the third day this month with a low of 47°, which was the chilliest reading of the month - and the mildest reading for this designation in October (the previous record, 45°, was in 1946 and 1971).   October's coldest reading is typically in the upper 30s.  And today's high of 56° was the chilliest high temperature this month, just two degrees shy of the mildest chilliest high for October (in 1971).

30 - After a coastal storm brought 0.41” of rain last night, an additional 0.53” fell this morning (most of it before sunrise).  Today’s rain (an additional 0.04" fell tonight) brought total rainfall since 10/25 to 4.67”, making this the rainiest last week of October on record.  This more than made up for the 0.15” of rain that was measured in the first half of the month (the driest first half of October since 2000).

 

NOVEMBER

7 - Today was the 50th running of the NYC Marathon, and conditions were close to optimal for runners as temperatures were in the mid-40s to lower-50s range, winds were mostly calm, afternoon humidity was on the low side, and skies were fair (transitioning from clear in the morning to hazy during the afternoon).  High temperatures today and the previous three days: 53° (today)-52°-51°-50° (average high in the first week of November is in the upper-50s).     

10 - For the eighth consecutive day skies were mostly clear (last month, by contrast, featured a 10-day period between Oct. 4-10 that was characterized by overcast skies).  Today was also the tenth day in a row in which no measurable rain fell, making it the longest dry spell to begin November since a 15-day streak in Nov. 1978.  This 10-day rain-free period was in stark contrast to the last 10 days of October, which had 4.75” of rain.  

13 - A fast-moving cold front produced a severe thunderstorm this afternoon between 2-2:30, with hail (a rarity in Manhattan even in the summer, let alone in November), a brief downpour, and 40-50 mph wind gusts.  This line of storms was even more severe along the Jersey shore and on Long Island, where wind gusts between 60-79 mph were clocked and six tornadoes touched down.   Temperatures dropped from the low-60s to low-40s by evening.  The 0.33" of rain that was measured pushed the year's precipitation over 58 inches, moving 2021 just outside of the top-10 wettest years.

 

DECEMBER

11 - Despite overcast skies, the day's high reached 66° at sundown, breaking the previous record from way back in 1879.  This was the warmest reading in December since 2015.   Only 15 Decembers have had warmer readings, and just six have had a reading this warm, or warmer, at a later date. 

14 - On a day with clear skies and above average temperatures (high/low of 53°/44°), the humidity level dropped to 20% around 5 PM - the lowest level reported in December this century.  The previous low point in December was 21% in December 2006.  However, today's humidity level was far from the lowest this year, which was 7% on 4/6.

18 - Yesterday had extraordinarily dry air in place ( humidity level in the afternoon bottomed out at 14%), and the difference between the air temperature and dew point late in the afternoon was 48 degrees (air temperature of 57°, dew point of 9°).  Today, with a chilly and damp air mass in place, there was just a one degree difference between the two (air temperature of 43°, dew point of 42°).

24 - The first measurable snow of the winter fell between 3-4 AM, accumulating just 0.2".  This was the latest first measurable snowfall since the winter of 2015-16, when it didn't happen until 1/17 (0.4" accumulated).  And it was the smallest first snowfall since the winter of 2014-15, when it was also 0.2" (but it occurred a month earlier, on 11/26).   By contrast, last winter's first snowfall, on 12/16-17, amounted to 10.5".

31 - It was an overcast day, but temperatures were unseasonably mild, with a high/low of 55°/48°.  The high was the mildest to occur on  New Year's Eve since 2004 (and 12th mildest overall), and the low was the third mildest (after 1965 and 1884).  When the countdown to the new year began in Times Square, the temperature was 51°, making this the mildest end to a year since 2004, and the fifth mildest reading in all the years of the ball drop (since 1907). 

 

To read highlights from other years between 1970 and 2021 double click here. 

 

Review of 2020's Weather - New York's Second Warmest Year

 

2020 was 2.4 degrees above average and became New York's second mildest year, behind 2012.  Only two months during the year, April and May, were chillier than average.  November became the mildest on record, July the seventh hottest, and February and March each became the eighth mildest.  January finished just outside the top 10, ranking eleventh, and June made it to sixteenth.  The summer was the fifth hottest (tied with 1983).  Despite 2020's warmer than average theme, there were some moments of chilliness worth noting:

 

• April had no highs in the 70s or 80s for the first time in 80 years.
• For the first time since 1978, May had readings in the 30s, and the low of 34° on the 8th was the coldest reading in May since 1891.
• The year's last reading of 80° or warmer was on Sept. 10, which was the earliest of any year with 20 or more days with highs of 90°+.  A typical 90s/100s season lasts about three months (late May through late August), but in 2020 it was two months long (late June through late August).  However, the number of days in the 90s in 2020 was slightly more than average (20 days).
• Later in September, the low of 49° on Sept. 21 was the the earliest for a low in the 40s since 1993.
• Halloween had its first low of 32° or colder since 1988.

 

 

 

 

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

• The first half of the year was dry as the 16.15" measured was eight inches below average (the seventeenth driest first half on record).  The second half, however, had nearly twice as much precipitation, with 29.20" measured (three-and-a-half inches above average).  May and June both had less than two inches of rain, the first time since 1993 that these  months were this dry.  Overall, 2020 had 45.35" of precipitation, 4.59" below average.

• Jan. 10 and 11 had record highs of 69° and 68°, respectively.  Meanwhile, chilly April's warmest reading was 68°, the first time since 1940 that April's mildest reading wasn't 70° or warmer.

• The winter of 2020's last measurable snowfall was on Jan. 18, the earliest date on record for a last snowfall (breaking 2002's record by one day).  At the end of the year December's snowstorm produced more than twice as much as the previous winter.

• Four tropical systems moved through the area.  The year's biggest rainmaker was from the first, tropical storm Fay, on July 10, which produced 2.54" of rain, most of it falling in a three-hour period during the afternoon.  While Fay brought the rain, tropical storm Isaias on Aug. 4 delivered ferocious winds, with 65-75 mph gusts common outside of Central Park (which had a peak gust of 48 mph).

• July's coolest reading of 67° was the mildest coolest reading of any July.  Furthermore, July 2020 had the most lows in the 70s or warmer of any month (26).  This helped July become just the seventh to have an average temperature of 80° or above.

• November had its first streak of six days with highs in the 70s (Nov. 6-11).  Later in the month, Thanksgiving Day's high of 65° tied for third warmest, and its low of 55° was mildest ever on this holiday.  The 0.79" of rain in the morning was the seventh greatest amount for Thanksgiving.

• The 10.5" snowstorm of Dec. 16-17 was the biggest December snowfall in 10 years and the 13th during the month of 10 inches or more.  And at 1.7 degrees above average, December 2020 was the second mildest to have more than ten inches of snow.

• An intense storm system on Christmas Day morning dumped the third greatest amount of precipitation on the holiday (0.92").  The day's high of 61° was the eighth reading in the 60s on the holiday.  The temperature dropped 32 degrees by midnight, which was the biggest daily drop in temperature all year.  2020 became just the second year (2015 is the other) to have highs in the 60s on Christmas Day (61°), Thanksgiving Day (65°) and Easter Sunday (63°).

• Finally, the temperature profiles of 2020's first and last month were nearly identical.  However, December had more than twice the amount of precipitation than January and nearly five times as much snowfall.  Despite their similar temperatures January's was much more above average.

 

Other annual recaps:

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

 

 

 

 

Weather Highlights of the Late 19th Century (1869-1899)

 

 

Central Park's first three decades of weather records, from the latter part of the 19th century, reveal that New York was significantly colder than what we've been accustomed to in the past 40 years.  These decades account for twelve of New York City's fifteen coldest years - and all of the ten coldest springs and nine of the ten coldest falls.  On average, the typical temperature of months back then was three to four degrees chillier than they are now, with March and April showing the biggest differences (6.1° and 5.4° colder, respectively).  Of course, this is not to say there weren't interludes of unseasonable warmth that wouldn't have been out of place in the 2000s.  What follows are year-by-year highlights.

 

 

- 1869 -

January 1 - The year had a snowy start with nine inches piling up - a record for the date that, amazingly, still stands.

February 15 - The City's longest-standing daily precipitation record was set today in 1869 when 2.60" of rain fell.  (This amount contributed to February 1869 being the wettest on record - and 151 years later it still is.)

February 26 - A snowfall of six inches was the third snowfall of six inches or more in Jan./Feb., joining another six inch snowfall on Jan. 19 and the nine inch snowfall on New Year's Day.  Today's snow was of the wet variety as it fell in temperatures that hovered around the freezing mark.

September 17 - Showers (0.73" was measured) and clouds kept the day's rise in temperature very minimal, as the high and low were just one degree apart (66°/65°).

October 2-3 - Four inches of rain was produced by a hurricane that struck Cape Cod (1.84" fell on the 2nd, 2.16" on the 3rd).

 

- 1870 -

February 8 - A snowfall of eight inches was the only measurable snow in February until the last day of the month (when 1.1" fell).  This was also the biggest snow of the winter.

March 17 - This was the sixteenth day in a row with a low in the teens or 20s.  The average was 25°, with readings ranging from 19° (today) and 29°.

 

 

July 25 - 11 of the past 15 days had highs of 88° or hotter, including seven days in the low 90s (during heat waves of three and four days).  Additionally, every day had a low of 70° or warmer, and six had lows of 77°+ (one of which was 82°). 

September 30 - After going five weeks with less than an inch of rain, 1.63" fell today.  This was the biggest daily rainfall of the year until 10/12 (when 1.91" fell).

 

- 1871 -

February 5 - For the second day this winter the high was a frigid 11°.  The other occurrence was on 1/23.  Lows on these days were 2° and 0°, respectively.

 March 21 - This was the fifteenth day of the past nineteen to have measurable precipitation, and today's amounted to 1.97", making this the rainiest of them all.  In total, 4.76" was reported (0.1" was snow).

March 27 - For the fourth day in a row the low temperature was 33°.

April 8 - Today's high of 85°, the warmest reading of the month, came just two days after a low of 33°, which was the chilliest reading of the month (tied with 4/2).  It would be another seven weeks before the next reading of 85° or warmer occurred.

July 16 - This was the eighth day in a row with a high of 85° or warmer (just one of the days was in the 90s) and the twelfth day in a row with a high of 84°+.

August 30 - This was the eighth day in a row with measurable rain, which totaled 3.85".  Two of the days (8/25, 8/26) had about an inch.

 

 

September 30 - Today's high was 61°, making it the eighth day since 9/14 with a high in the 56°-62° range; average high during this time of September is in the 70°-73° range.  These unseasonably cool days helped September 1871 become the coolest September on record (a mark that still stands).

October 10-11 - Just four days after the biggest rainstorm of the year (2.72" on 10/6) a low pressure system brought nearly the same amount (2.65", of which 2.44" fell on the 10th).

December 1 - This was the fourth day in a row with highs in the 20s and lows in the mid-teens.  The average high/low of these four days was 25°/16°, twenty degrees below average.  This would be the longest such streak this winter.

December 21 - The first day of winter had the coldest reading of the entire winter, two degrees below zero.  (Two days later the temperature jumped to 55°.)

 

- 1872 -

March 5 - This morning's low was 3°, the coldest reading ever experienced in March.  This was the second coldest reading of the winter (coldest was -2° on 12/21).

July 5 - This was the sixth day in a row with highs in the 90s, and was the City's longest heat wave until one of ten days broiled New York in the summer of 1896.

October 26 - The center of circulation from a dissipating hurricane got very close to Manhattan as it moved northeastward, dropping 1.56" of rain.

November 6-11 - High temperatures during this six-day period exhibited to following pattern: 55°-55°-50°-50°-55°-55°.  These readings were at seasonable levels.

December 26 - On a day with frigid temperatures (the high/low was just 12°/6°) New York City experienced its first of four crippling snowstorms on 12/26 (the others would be in 1933, 1947 and 2010).  Eighteen inches piled up, making this New York's biggest snowstorm until the Great Blizzard of March 1888.  (It's now ranked twelfth.)

December 27 - The morning low of 6° was the sixth day in a row with a low in the single digits.  There would be eight more days with lows of ten degrees or colder this winter, which ranks as New York's seventh coldest winter on record.

 

- 1873 -

February 24 - Today, with a low of -1°, became the latest date for a sub-zero low - a record that remains intact. This sub-zero low came about four weeks after another reading of -1° on Jan. 30.

 

February 27 - A snowfall of four inches was the fifth this month of two inches or more.  (The month's snowfall amounted to 18.9".)

March 10 - The 0.3" of snow that fell today was the last measurable snow of what was New York's snowiest winter for the next 50 years, with 60.3" measured.  (The winter of 1923 would top it by 0.1").  It's now ranked fifth.

 

- 1874 -

January 7 - The 3.14" of rain that fell today was the greatest daily rainfall in January for more than 100 years (until 1979).  It was also a mild day, with a high of 56°.

April 30 - The last three days of the month had lows of 32° or colder, joining eight other days with lows this cold.  No other April has had this many days with lows of freezing or colder, which contributed to this being the coldest April of all time.  (The following April, and April 1943, would have nine such days, the second most.)

May 10 - The day after the year's first reading in the 80s, today had the first reading in the 90s (the high was 90°).  However, the heat was short lived as a backdoor cold front moved through, dropping the mercury to 52° by midnight. 

September 29 - What was once the season's sixth hurricane moved over New York as a tropical storm and dropped 0.64" of rain on Central Park.  This was considerably less than the seven inches of rain that flooded the City from Sept. 16-18 from a non-tropical system.

December 20 - Ten inches of heavy snow piled up after starting out as rain.  As the temperature dropped below freezing (from a high of 36°) it changed over to snow.  Total liquid precipitation for the day was 1.92".  (Both amounts are records for the date that are still standing.)

 

- 1875 -

January 4 - Today's high of 40° was the mildest reading of the month, making it the chilliest mildest reading of any winter month.  (January 1875 would be the coldest January until 1888, and has since fallen to seventh coldest.)

February 23 - Today had the first low above 32° this year - the deepest into the year for this occurrence (a mark that still stands).  The reading of 42° was the mildest since Nov. 17th's low of 43°.

March 20 - An ice storm on the first day of spring dropped 0.54" of liquid precipitation in temperatures that were below freezing all day (high/low was 31°/22°).

March 23 - Five of the past six days had highs of 32° or colder.  Average high/low during these six days was 31°/18°, seventeen degrees colder than average.

April 13 - A heavy snowfall totaling ten inches began today and ended in the wee hours of the morning of the 14th.  However, the snow didn't stick around for very long as tomorrow's temperature rose into the low 50s after dark.

April 17-18 - An Arctic high delivered mid-winter cold, with highs/lows of 33°/27° and 32°/25°.  These highs were 25 degrees below average. 

April 22 - This was the sixth day in a row with a low in the 20s (average low this time of the month is in the low-to-mid-40s).  This helped this month become the second coldest April on record (behind April of last year).

 

 

April 25 - Less than two weeks after a snowstorm of ten inches, another significant snowfall dropped three more inches - despite the fact that the temperature got no lower than 34°.  This is Central Park's latest measurable snowfall on record.

July 26 - For the first time this year a daily rainfall of an inch or more fell - the latest date on record for this occurrence (a record that still stands).  Typically, the average date for the first one-inch+ precipitation total is in the first week of February (it's happened on New Year's Day in seven years).

August 8 - This was the fifth day in a row with very similar highs/lows: 82°/68° (8/4)-82°/69°-82°/67°-82°/70°-81°/71° (8/8).

October 24 - This was the third day in a row with a high of 71° and it came a month after another three-day streak of 71° highs (Sept. 27-29).

November 5 - The first five days of the month had close to winter-like temperatures, with an average high/low of just  42°/33° (twelve degrees colder than average).

November 30 - It was a bitterly cold day with a high/low of just 14°/5° (31 degrees below average).  This was the earliest date for a reading in the single digits and a high in the teens.  It was also colder than any day of the winter to come (based on mean temperature).

 

- 1876 -

February 4 - Eleven inches of snow fell from a storm that began last night and continued into today, when most of the accumulation occurred.  This was by far the biggest snowfall of the winter as only 7.3" fell from eight other snowfalls.

September 17 - Heavy rain from a minimal hurricane that raced inland through North Carolina and Virginia dumped 3.37" of rain in Central Park (a record for the date that still stands).

October 15 - 0.5" of snow accumulated, the earliest measurable snowfall on record (a record that still stands).  The day's low of 32° was also a record.

Nov. 30-Dec. 2 - For the second year in a row (on the very same dates) the City was in the grips of an early incursion of Arctic air.  This year, however, temperatures were a bit "milder" (average high/low of 27°/18° vs. 23°/10°).

 

- 1877 -

January 1-2 - The year started with a snowstorm that dumped 13.0" on the City (4.8" on New Year's Day, 8.2" on the 2nd).  This amount was more than the five snowfalls in December that totaled slightly more than twelve inches.  Both days of the snowstorm had highs of 24°.

March 10 - The day after the mildest reading of the month (57°), the temperature at daybreak was 21°.  This was the first of eleven days in a row in which there were no highs milder than 40°; four days in a row would see lows in the teens (coldest reading was 10° on 3/19).  The average high/low during this very cold outbreak was 32°/22° (eleven degrees colder than average).

March 19 - Yesterday's and today's frigid highs and lows of 26°/12° and 22°/10° were comparable to the Arctic cold experienced on the same two dates the previous year (30°/9° and 27°/9°). 

April 21 - Lows of the past six days exhibited the following pattern: 40°-42°-41° and 40°-42°-41°.

October 4 - A dissipating tropical storm dumped 4.05" of rain in Central Park (a record for the date that still stands).

 

- 1878 -

January 18 - This was the third day in a row with a high of 32°.

February 1 - Today's two-inch snowfall was the last measurable snow of the winter (sleet was also part of the mix).  This would be the earliest date for a winter's last snowfall until 2002, when the last snowfall happened on 1/19 (and it occurred on 1/18 during the winter of 2020).  In total 8.1" of snow fell during the winter of 1878. 

March 25 - A mild March was interrupted by one day of mid-winter temperatures as the high/low was only 30°/13° (twenty degrees below average); the previous day with a high of freezing or colder was five weeks ago.  The low was a record for the date (which still stands).  

April 18 - Today was the sixth day this month with a low of 42°, which was the chilliest reading of the month.  This is the mildest reading to have the designation as the chilliest temperature of any April.  (In the years between 1869-1899 the coldest reading in April was typically in the upper 20s).

October 23 - The center of the dissipating "Gale of 1878" moved west of Manhattan.  Shortly after daybreak winds gusted over 50 mph and 0.73" of rain was measured in Central Park.

 

 

- 1879 -

January 16 - A snowstorm during the morning and afternoon produced an accumulation of thirteen inches.  Temperatures were quite cold, with a high/low of 20°/13°.

May 10 - This was the third day in a row with a high/low of 69°/49°.  This was the first time for this type of streak, and has since been replicated just two other times (in May 1984 and August 1988).

August 18 - 3.95" of rain flooded the City from bands of heavy rain produced by a hurricane that struck North Carolina this morning and moved up the coast during the day.  This amount was a record for the date (a record that still stands).

October 18 - Today's low of 63° was the thirteenth low in the 60s or milder this month, the most such days on record for October (October 2007 and 2017 would have 12). 

November 5 - 1.5" of snow fell on a day with a low of 23° - both are records that still stand.  This was also the third day in a row with a high only in the 30s (typical high in early November is in the mid-50s).

 

- 1880 -

April 14 - Today's high of 80° came just two days after a record low of 26° (since eclipsed in 1976).  This was the first reading above 64° since 3/5 (when it was 72°).

 

 

 

May 18 - The 0.01" of rain that fell today was the only measurable rain to fall in the first 22 days of May.

May 27 - For the third day in a row the high was in the mid-90s, and the low was in the low 70s: 95°/73°, 95°/72°, and 96°/72° (today).  Today's high would be the hottest reading of the year.

May 31 - Until the last two days of May just 0.11" of rain had fallen this month, but 0.28" fell yesterday, and 0.23" fell today.  At the time this was the driest May on record (it has since fallen to fourth place).

September 9-10 - Rain from a hurricane moving north from South Carolina started late on the 9th (0.67" of rain fell) and continued into the morning of the 10th (adding 0.54"). 

November 28 - This was the eighth day in a row with a high of 32° or colder.  The average high during the unseasonably cold streak was 29°/18°.  (Average high temperatures during this time in November are in the upper 40s.)

December 1 - The 1.5" of snow that fell today is the only time an inch or more of snow fell on this date.

December 4 - This was the fourth day in a row with a high of 38° (but each day's low temperature was different). 

 

- 1881 -

February 11 - Today's high of 52° was the first in the 50s in three months (since Nov. 12).

April 6 - During the past eight days the mildest high temperature was just 41°.  And the last two days of this streak had highs below 32° (more than twenty degrees below average).

September 7 - Today's high of 101° was the first time on record that a high in the triple digits occurred in September.  More than one hundred years later it continues to be the latest date with a high of 100°+.  (There has been only one other date with a high in the 100s in September - Sept. 2, 1953).  Additionally, the day's low of 79° is the warmest minimum reading in the month of September.

 

 

October 1 - Today's summer-like high/low of 87°/72° featured the first low in the 70s in the  month of October.  (It would be another 17 years until the next low this mild happened in October; in total, nine years have had lows in the 70s in October, with the last time being in 2018.)

 

- 1882 -

February 4 - A snowfall of nine inches followed a snowfall of eight inches on Jan. 31.  (Eight of the inches fell today.)  Temperatures were quite cold, with a high/low of 22°/13°. 

April 4 - Today had the first 80°+ reading of the year, which followed the first reading in the 70s yesterday (75°) and first reading in the 60s the day before that (61°).

 

 

September 11 - Rain from a tropical storm amounted to 3.23", with much of it (2.57") falling today.

September 23 - Less than two weeks after heavy rains from a tropical storm soaked the City, another tropical system brought more flooding rains to the Mid-Atlantic states and drenched New York with its greatest rainfall for any calendar date - 8.28".  And in the preceding two days 3.52" of rain fell.  With a total of 16.85" of rain for the entirety of September (most of which fell between the 11th and 23rd), this would be the wettest month on record - until August 2011 (when 18.95" was measured).

November 18 - Today's high was 63° and would be the last day of 60° or milder for four-and-a-half months, until 4/1 next year (when the high reached 70°).

November 29 - A snowfall of nine inches came four days after a 4.5" snowfall.  And with a high/low of 27°/23°, today was the fourth day in a row with a high of 32° or colder. 

December 31 - After 14 inches of snow fell in November (the second snowiest November), December had no snow at all, not even a trace (just one of six Decembers to have this distinction).  This was despite the fact that it was a cold December (17th coldest on record), with 23 days with highs below 40° and 24 days with lows of 32° or colder.  

 

- 1883 -

February 10-11 - Eight inches of snow piled up, the second biggest snowfall of the winter (one inch less than the snowstorm of Nov. 29).  However, today's snow changed to rain as the mercury rose to 36° while November's snowstorm had much colder air in place (the high was just 27°).

February 24 - High temperatures today and the previous four days: 34° (2/24)-35°-36°-37°-38°(2/20).  These were below the seasonable average of 40°.

March 12 - This was the tenth day in a row with highs colder than 40°.  (This followed the mildest reading of the month, 60°).  High/low during this time was 33°/17°, ten degrees below average.  Two snowfalls during this streak amounted to 5.5".

March 30 - A snowfall of 4.5" was the sixth snowfall of four inches or more this winter (this was despite the fact that no measurable snow fell in December).

April 24 - 0.5" of snow accumulated, the second latest date on record following 4/25 in 1875 (when three inches fell).  Despite the snow the temperature got no lower than 34° (similar to 4/25/75). 

July 28 - The 0.08" of rain that fell today was the last rainfall of the month, bringing the month's total to 3.21", which was the same amount as last July.   Since then, it's happened two more times: Dec. 1916 and 1917 both had 4.25", while Dec. 1960 and 1961 both had 3.04".

September 4 - The earliest date for a reading in the 40s occurred today when the low fell to 47°.  The average date for this occurrence is a few days after the first day of autumn.  The high was also on the cool side, 68°, which was one degree higher than yesterday.  (Sept. 1883 is the third coolest September on record.) 

December 17-25 - Five snowfalls during this nine-day period produced 22.6" of snow, the second greatest amount of any December (now ranked third).  A little more than half fell on 12/24 and Christmas Day, when 12.3" piled up from two different snowfalls.  This nine-day period had an average high/low of 28°/17°.

December 23 - It was a frigid, frigid day with a high/low of just 10°/-1°.

 

 

- 1884 -

January 9 - Today's high of 48° was the mildest reading of the month, making this this the fourth year in a row in which the mildest reading in January was below 50°. 

February 29 - The day after an Arctic front changed rain to snow that accumulated five inches, today's high/low was just 12°/4° (twenty-seven degrees below average).  This was the second coldest day of the winter after 12/23 and its high/low of 10°/-1°.  The next five days (March 1-5) would have moderating temperatures but all had highs below freezing (the average high of these five days was 23°/12°).

March 30 - It was a very late date for a sub-freezing high temperature (31°) at a time of the month when the average high is around 50°.

May 30 - It was a chilly Memorial Day, with a record low of 42° (a record that still stands).  And the day's high of 55° was also a record for chilliest high for the date.

June 26 - Almost all of June's 4.98" of rain poured down from a rainstorm that began yesterday evening and continued today.  In total, 4.74" of rain was measured, with 4.29" of it falling today.  Interestingly, this is the only year in which an inch or more of rain fell on this date (four years later 0.99" was measured). Today was also unseasonably cool, with a high/low of 67°/58°.

September 11 - This was the eighth unseasonably warm day in a row, with afternoon highs that ranged from 88° to 91° and lows that were between 71° and 77°.  The average high/low during this period, 89°/75°, was 14 degrees above average.

 

 

September 30 - The last three days of the month accounted for all of September's rain, and it was very little - 0.21", making this the driest September on record (a dubious honor that it still holds).

October 22 - Today's 0.89" rainfall was comparable to the amount that fell in the previous seven-and-a-half weeks (since 8/31), a period that would typically receive about 6.50".

November 23 - Today's high of 61° tied 11/5 and 11/6 as mildest reading of the month, which was on the cool side for the distinction.  And yet it would be nineteen weeks before a milder reading was reported (66° on 4/3).

December 20 - The day before the winter solstice began was the coldest day of the winter as the high/low was only 7°/-3°.  Feb. 11 (1885) would come close with a high/low of 11°/-2°. 

 

- 1885 -

February 11 - Although it was brutally cold, with a high/low of only 11°/-2°, there was an even more frigid day earlier in the winter - on 12/20, which had a high/low of just 7°/-3°.

March 18 - Today's low of 8° was the 18th in the single digits or colder this winter, breaking a tie with the winter of 1872-73 for most on record (later passed by the winter of 1918, which had 20 frigid lows).

March 24 - This was the eighth day in a row with lows in the teens or colder.  The average low during this stretch was just 13°, twenty degrees below average.  (March 1885 is the third coldest on record).

May 31 - Today's rainfall of 0.11" brought this spring's total rainfall to 4.95", making it the driest meteorological spring on record (a record that still stands).  And the month of June would continue these dry conditions, with just 1.32" measured. 

July 21 - Today's high was 99° and came in the midst of a sweltering eleven-day period between 7/16 and 7/26 in which eight days were in the 90s.

October 13 - A tropical storm moved northward through central Pennsylvania and dropped 1.50" of rain in Central Park. 

 

- 1886 -

January 15 - This was the tenth day in a row with sub-freezing highs (including five days in a row with lows in the single digits).  The average high was 22°, ranging between 8° and 31°.   There was one snowfall during this cold stretch - five inches on Jan. 9.

February 8 - This was the 34th day in a row with highs colder than 40°.  Twenty-one of these days had highs of 32° or colder.  Nearly 19" of snow fell from six snowfalls.  This would be the longest such streak until 1945, when there was a streak that was one day longer (Jan. 5-Feb. 8).

 

 

May 28 - For the eighth time this month the low was 51°.

June 23 - A tropical storm passing to the south of New York, dropped 1.20" of rain.  Cloud cover and rain kept the temperature in the 60s all day (the high/low was 66°/62°).

 

- 1887 -

March 21 - Today's high of 49° was the mildest reading this March - the only March with its mildest reading below 50° (it would happen a week later as well).  By comparison, January and February each had a reading in the low 60s.

March 29 - The temperature fell slowly throughout the day, from 29° shortly after midnight to 19° nearly 24 hours later.

April 18 - Rain changed to snow, accumulating 3.0".  This followed a two-inch snowfall on April 1-2.  Today's snow was a week earlier than the latest measurable snowfall on record, in 1875, where there was a three-inch snowfall on 4/25.

June 1 - After experiencing what, at the time, was the driest May on record (0.34" was measured; it's now ranked second after May 1903), June began with a rainfall of 2.60", which was more than what fell in the previous six weeks.  It was also a record for the date (which still stands).

July 31 - The final week of the month had high temperatures that ranged between 88° and 91°.  In total. the month had 17 days of 88°+.  And there were 18 days with lows of 72° or warmer.  At the time this was the third hottest July on record, and it would be among the five hottest until 1949 (it's now ranked 28th).

September 25 - This morning's low of 40° was the second earliest date for a reading this chilly in September (earliest date was on 9/21 in 1871; 1887 has since fallen to third earliest).

 

 

- 1888 -

January 1 - The first day of the year was quite a rainy one as 2.05" fell.  This was the first year (since record keeping began in 1869) to have rainfall of an inch or more on New Year's Day, and it's the record for the date.  (Six other years have since had an inch or more on 1/1, the most recent being in 2007.)

March 12 - The Blizzard of '88 (also known as the Great White Hurricane) roared into an unsuspecting New York during the morning and brought the City to a standstill for the next few days.  16.5" of snow fell today, with an additional 4.5" falling tomorrow into the early morning hours of the 14th.  This was New York's biggest snowstorm until Dec. 1947 (it's now ranked fourth).  In addition to the large amount of snow, the storm's danger was magnified by mountainous snow drifts created by winds that gusted between 45 and 55 mph, and extreme cold, as the temperature dropped from 33° to 8°.  200 people died in the City, many from exposure to the elements. 

March 13 - A bit more snow (three inches) fell today from yesterday's blizzard, but what stood out today was the extreme cold (even by mid-winter standards) as the high/low was just 12°/6° - the second coldest day ever experienced in March (the high/low on March 5, 1872 was 10°/3°).  With gusty winds still prevalent, wind chills were below zero.  This was the fourth March in the 1872-1888 period to have two days with lows in the single digits; since then it's happened in just one other year (in 1916).

 

May 11 - Of all of the dates that have had the temperature stuck in the 60s, this is the earliest in the year it has occurred (the latest date is 11/21).  The high/low was 67°/62° and an all-day rain soaked Central Park with 1.63", a record amount for the date (until 1981).   

August 21 - The remnants of a hurricane that first struck south Florida, then Louisiana a day later soaked the City with 4.12" of rain (a record for the date that still stands) as it traveled just to the north of the City on its way to New England.

September 8-21 - In a two-week period (including a six days in a row, between Sept. 8-13) measurable rain fell on eleven of the days, amounting to nearly seven inches.  Three days (today was one of them) had more than an inch, another three had between 0.50"-0.99".

October 5- Today's high of 66° was the warmest reading this month - the only October to have its warmest reading cooler than 70°.  (Three Octobers' warmest readings have been 70°, most recently in 1977.)

 

- 1889 -

January 10 - Although every one of the first 10 days of January had lows in the 30s, none were 32° or colder.  The average of 36° was twelve degrees above average.

May 10 - The first reading in the 90s this year (91°) was very early but after today there would be just one more (on June 9).

August 1 - The wettest July on record (11.89" was measured) continued into the first day of August, which was the third day in a row to have more than an inch of rain.  In total 5.68" fell during these three days (1.70" fell today).

August 14 - Since July 15 nearly fourteen inches of rain fell.  Six days had an inch or more.

September 10-13 - A dissipating hurricane stalled off the Delmarva Peninsula and brought bands of rain over the course of four days, amounting to 4.46", with much of it (3.34") falling on the 12th and 13th.  Except for one hour during the afternoon of the 13th the temperature was stuck in the 60s.  These four days were the start of streak of nine days in a row with rain (and ten out of eleven); total rainfall during this period was around six inches.

 

September 18 - This was the ninth day in a row with measurable rain.  In total 5.93" fell, with more than half (3.34") falling on the 12th and 13th.

December 19 - This was the last day of precipitation this year, bringing 1889's total to 57.19".  At the time this was rainiest year on record, and it would hold the crown until 1903 (it's now ranked 14th.) 

 

- 1890 -

March 19 - A late season snowfall of six inches was the largest accumulation of the winter, beating the snowfall of Dec. 14 by half an inch.

September 4 - Today's high of 88° made this the warmest reading in September.  This was the sixth year in a row in which there were no 90-degree readings in September, the longest such streak on record.

 

 

September 11 - For the second year in a row temperatures were stuck in the 60s on this date, and the high/low were the same in both years (68°/62°).  This year 0.38" of rain fell, while 0.55" fell last year. 

December 26 - Seven inches of snow fell today.  A month later (1/25) it would be edged out as the biggest snowfall of the winter when eight inches piled up.

 

- 1891 -

January 25 - After precipitation started as cold rain, it changed to heavy snow which accumulated eight inches.  This was the biggest snowfall of the winter, overtaking a seven-inch snowfall on 12/26.

March 2 - The morning low of 9° was the coldest reading all winter.  This was similar to last year when the only reading in the single digits was also in March (7° on 3/7).

May 6 - The day's low was 32°, the latest date for a low of freezing or colder in Central Park.  (Three days later the high was 82°.)

 

- 1892 -

March 18 - Snow that began falling late last night continued through this morning and accumulated eight inches (the 7.2" that fell today is the most to fall on 3/18).  This was the biggest snowfall of the winter (passing a six-inch snowfall on 1/16) and came in the midst of an unseasonably cold 12-day stretch (March 11-22) in which temperatures were 12 degrees degrees below average (high/low of 34°/22°).

 

 

July 29 - Today was the end of a five-day heat wave that saw the last two days reach highs of 97°.  The average high/low during these five days was 95°/76°.  (The two days preceding the heat weave had highs of 89°). 

November 9 - Rain changed to snow and then back to rain as midnight approached.  During the time when the snow fell 2.3" accumulated, making this the earliest snowfall of two inches or more (until 1953, when 2.2" fell on 11/6).  Because of the rain that fell afterwards the snow didn't stay on the ground for long; in addition, the temperature got no colder than 35°. (The following day would see 1.31" of rain.)

December 31 - This was the eleventh day in a row with highs of 32° or colder.  The average high during this streak was 26°.  This chill, however, would end on New Year's Day when the temperature rose into the low 50s after nightfall.

 

- 1893 -

January 1 - 1.32" of rain fell, which was 0.02" more than what fell in all of December.  Last year, 1892's first rainfall of an inch or more occurred on Jan. 2 (1.02" was measured).  Today's high of 52° would be the mildest reading of the month.

January 17 - Today was the seventh day in a row with a high in the teens.  The average high/low during this streak was 17°/8°.  This streak of bitter cold was embedded in a 13-day streak with highs of 30° or colder.

February 17-18 - A snowstorm dumped 9.1", with much of it falling on the 17th.  This was the biggest snowfall of the winter (in total there were five snowfalls of four inches or more).  Both the 17th and 18th had a high/low of 28°/17°.

March 9-10 - This was the first time since Dec. 16-17 to have back-to-back days with lows above 32°.

August 19-20 - A hurricane moved over New York City, just the second time this has happened.  A wind gust of 85 mph was clocked and 3.81" of rain fell (1.34" on 8/19 and 2.34" on 8/20).

 

 

August 24 - Just four days after a hurricane lashed the City a tropical storm passed to the west and dumped 3.61" of rain.

October 23 - A shield of heavy rain from a tropical storm that passed over the Delmarva Peninsula soaked the City with 2.46".

 

- 1894 -

February 26 - Today's snowfall of eight inches joined snowfalls of seven inches, six-and-a-half inches, and four inches in the past 30 days.  Today's snowstorm came the day after the coldest reading of the winter, 1° above zero (a record that was later tied in 1914).  After today the next snowfall wouldn't be until 4/12, when an inch fell.

May 25 - This was the eighth day in a row to receive measurable rain.  In total, 2.40" was measured during this streak (with about half falling on the 21st and 23rd). 

July 10 - This was the fourth day in a row with a low in the 50s (59°-56°-58°-56°).  These readings were ten degrees cooler than average.  The low on the 8th is a record that still stands. (By contrast, there have been no readings in the 50s in any July between 2010 and 2020.) 

August 20 - Today's 0.08" rainfall was the last rainfall of what would be the driest meteorological summer until 1966.  Just 4.36" was measured, which was 1/3 the average amount (the summer of 1966 received 0.05" less).

September 19 - A rainstorm that moved in yesterday evening and continued through today dumped more rain (5.16") than what fell all summer (the second driest on record).  Today's rainfall of 4.30" was a record for the date (that still stands).  At the time this was the third greatest daily rainfall (now ranked 16th).

September 20 - All of September's 8.68" of rain fell in a 13-day period ending today (with nearly half of it falling yesterday).

November 5 - Today was the fifth day in the past four weeks to pick up an inch or more of rain (1.67" on 10/10; 1.69" on 10/24; 1.06" on 10/31, 1.60" on 11/3; and 1.12" today). 

 

- 1895 -

February 28 - This was the only day of this very cold month (the second coldest February at the time, now ranked fourth) with a low above freezing.  And it was the first above freezing low since 1/16.

June 3 - This was the last day of an early season heat wave, which lasted five days.  After starting with a high of 90°, three highs of 96° followed; and today's high reached 95° (but after a cold front moved thru the temperature dropped to 63° by midnight).  The highs of June 1-3 were all records that are still standing.

 

June 4 - The day after the heat wave ended, today's temperature got no higher than 67°, twenty-eight degrees cooler than yesterday's high.

September 23 - A four-day heat wave, the latest on record, ended today, with a high of 97°.  This is the hottest reading ever reported in the second half of September.

November 1 - For the second day in a row the high/low was 52°/41°, and followed another pair of identical high/lows on these same dates five years earlier (high/low of 50°/37°).

December 31 - The mildest reading of the month was 60° and this was the fifth day this month that it was reached - and all were since 12/20.  It wouldn't be this mild again until 3/31.

 

- 1896 -

February 17 - With a high/low of 7°/-5°, today was the coldest day of the winter, moving ahead of the previous coldest day this winter, Jan. 6, with its high/low of 12/-2°.

February 29 - A hard rain that lasted nearly all-day (4 AM-10 PM) amounted to 2.26", making this the only Leap Year Day to have an inch or more of precipitation. 

March 15-16 - Less than two weeks after a snowfall of ten inches on March 2 an even bigger snowstorm dumped a foot of snow.  It began early in the afternoon of the 15th and by midnight 6.5" fell; an additional 5.5" fell the next day through midday.  Then the snow changed to rain as the temperature rose into the mid-30s.

 

 

April 18 - For the first time since record-keeping began Central Park had its first reading in the 90s in April (it was also the first day in the 90s to have a low in the 50s; the second such occurrence would be three weeks later).  This followed highs of 87° and 88° on the two preceding days.  1896 would have 24 days in the 90s, which would be the most in one year until 1936.

April 20 - This was the last day of a seven-day streak with very mild temperatures, with an average high/low of 81°/61°.  This followed a six-day stretch ending 4/8 that experienced a cold average high/low of 41°/29°.

 

 

 

August 11 - Today was the third day in a row with a low temperature in the 80s, the first time for this occurrence.  There have been three other streaks of this length since then: in 1906, 1908 and 2013. 

August 13 - 1895's record for most days in the 90s, twenty-three, was broken today when the high reached 90°.  This number of hot days wouldn't be surpassed for 40 years.  Today was also the last day of a ten-day heat wave, still one of the lengthiest on record.  Four of the days had afternoon heat indexes in the 110°-115° range and nine days in a row had lows between 76°-82°.  This lengthy period of heat and humidity was responsible for the deaths of 1,500 persons in the Mid-Atlantic and Midwestern states.

 

 

 

November 27 - With a high/low of 72°/60°, today's mean temperature of 62.0 was the mildest in nearly two months (since 9/30).

November 30 - The City was shoveling out from a five-inch snowfall (that started the day before) three days after the high reached 72° (a record that still stands).

December 22-23 - One week after a snowfall of seven inches, six inches fell beginning tonight and continuing through the morning of the 23rd, followed by another round during the evening after an Arctic front moved through.  What was curious about this snowfall was the fact that it had a very low liquid content (0.25" water was measured) despite temperatures that were 32° or above last night through daybreak of the 23rd, and rain was mixed with the snow at times.

 

- 1897 -

January 28 - Snow began falling after 9 PM on the 27th and continued thru mid-day today, accumulating ten inches.  The temperature was in the low 20s throughout the storm.

February 12 - Today's snowfall of 8.5" was the fourth of six inches or more this winter.  Snow started falling shortly before daybreak and was mostly over by mid-afternoon.  The snow fell heaviest between 11 AM and 1 PM when three inches accumulated.  Temperatures were mostly in the mid-20s.

October 16 - Today's high of 87°, twenty-five degrees above average, was the warmest reading in October in the years of Central Park measurement in the 19th century (since 1869).  Although this temperature would be matched in 1919 and exceeded in 1922 (89°), this year's occurred thirteen and eleven days later than 1919's and 1922's, respectively.

December 25 - Today's high/low of 32°/17° made this the eighth Christmas in the past 15 years with a high of 32° or colder, the greatest concentration of cold Christmas Days on record. 

December 26 - Today's three-inch snowfall was the eighth time since 1872 that an inch or more fell on this date, an average of once every three years.  Thereafter, however, the rate slowed to once every fifteen years.  (12/26 is the date in December most likely to see one-inch+ of snow.) 

 

- 1898 -

July 3 - Today's high reached 100°, the first reading in the triple digits in 17 years.  However, the wait wouldn't be nearly as long for the next reading in the 100s (July 1, 1901).

July 4 - This year's high of 96° followed July 4th highs of 85° in 1897, 78° in 1896 and 69° in 1895.

July 13 - A year after 2.29" of rain fell on this date, 2.17" fell today.  It was a cool day, with a high/low of 69°/58° (yesterday's high was 70°, and the day before that had a high of 71°).  

July 28 - For the the second day in a row the high/low was 80°/74°.  Coincidentally, the same two dates last year also had the same high and low (67°/64°).

September 5 - This was the last day of a six-day heat wave, with highs ranging from 90° to 93° (and the next two days had highs of 88°).  Lows on these six days were between 75° and 79°.

November 30 - Just three days after a snowstorm dumped ten inches, a snowfall of six inches accumulated today.  (And three inches had fallen on 11/24.)  The nineteen inches of snow that fell this month is the most to ever fall in November.

 

- 1899 -

January 1 - The year started snowy and quite cold as three inches fell between 2:00 and 8:00 this morning and the temperature slowly fell throughout the day, dropping from 18° to 8°.  Breezy conditions (gusts of 15-20 mph) created wind chills in the zero to -5° range.

February 12 - This was the third day in a row in which temperatures failed to rise above 9°.  Highs/lows on these days were 7°/-6° (2/10); 9°/-2° (yesterday); and 9°/4° (today).  Today was also on the snowy side with snow falling most of the day; by midnight 5.3" had accumulated.

 

 

February 13 - This was the fifth day in a row of a memorable cold wave in which highs were between 6° and 11° and lows between -6° and +6°.  In addition to the bitter cold, a blizzard that began yesterday continued today burying the City under sixteen inches of snow (10.7" fell today on top of yesterday's 5.3").  Winds that gusted between 25 and 35 mph produced wind chills around -10°.  At the time this was New York's third biggest snowfall (now tied for 17th place).  This snow came five days after a snowfall of 6.5".

 

 

April 6 - This was the sixth day in a row with a low of 32° or colder, tying two other six-day streaks in 1875 and 1891 as the longest on record in April (and there have been none of this length since then).  

May 4 - Today had the season's last reading in the 40s (the low of 48° was seasonable for the date), the earliest date on record for this occurrence (which still stands).  In the 19th century, the average date of this occurrence was 5/28 (in the 21st century, the date is ten days earlier).

June 20 - Today was the seventh day this month with a high in the 90s, the most of any June until 1923 (when there would be eight).  These hot days contributed to making this, at the time, the hottest June on record (until 1923; it's now tied for tenth). 

October 18 - It was a very mild day, with a high/low of 79°/67° (twenty degrees above average).  This was the sixth day of a seven-day streak in which every day's low was in the 60s, which was comparable to the average high during this time of the month (low 60s).

December 27 - The 0.1" of snow that accumulated today was the first measurable snowfall of the winter, a winter that would have 13.4" of snow in total, the least since the winter of 1878.

 

Here are recaps of decades of the 20th and 21st centuries:

1900-1909

1910s

1920s

1930s

1940s

1950s

1960

Year-by-Year Review (1970-2019)

Weather Highlights of the First Decade of the 20th Century (1900-1909)

 

 

The decade started with the first back-to-back triple-digit highs (summer of 1901) and ended with the snowiest Christmas Day (1909).  In between were two of New York's coolest summers (1902 and 1903), and two of its coldest winters (1903-04 and 1904-05).  1904 would also gain the distinction of being the fifth coldest year on record (where it remains).  Other highlights included a tropical storm in October 1903 that flooded the area with more than eleven inches of rain; unusually warm nights during the summers of 1906 and 1908; and, at the time, the hottest July on record in 1908 (until 1952).  Finally, the 1900s is the only decade that had no snowstorms of a foot or more.  

 

- 1900 -

March 16 - The day after a five-inch snowfall, today saw an onslaught of freezing rain.  0.89" of liquid precipitation fell in temperatures that were mostly at freezing or colder (the day's high/low was 33°/22°).

June 8 - This is the only year in which an inch or more of rain fell on 6/8.  The amount measured at Central Park was 1.02".

July 4 - Today's high was 91°, making this the third year in a row with a high in the 90s on the 4th of July - the longest such streak for this holiday.

 

 

September 6 - Today was the 21st day this year with a high in the 90s, twice the average number.  The next time there were this many hot days wouldn't be until 1929.

 

- 1901 -

February 26 - Today's high of 42° was the mildest reading of the month, and the mildest since 1/22.

March 21 - Although today's high was just 53°, it was the mildest temperature in March and would be the chilliest reading to be the warmest of any March in the 20th century (a distinction that has continued in the 21st century). 

April 12 - A year after the first reading in the 60s occurred on April 6, this year it occurred six days later - the third latest date for this occurrence (behind 4/15 in 1877 and 4/13 in 1891).

June 23 - This month's paltry 1.00" of rain (today was the last day with rain) was sandwiched between four months that each had more than six inches (April, May, July and August).

July 2 - For the second day in a row the high reached 100°, the first time on record there were back-to-back days in the triple digits.  It would be 25 years before this happened again.  (Since then, there have been seventeen occasions with consecutive days, or more, with triple digit readings, with the last time being in 2011).

 

 

November 28 - Today would have been quite cold even by the standards of mid-winter as the high/low was only 26°/19°, making this the coldest Thanksgiving Day of the 20th century (based on mean temperature). 

December 4-6: This three-day period had very similar, very cold highs and lows: 27°/21°, 27°/19°, and 27°/17°.

December 15 - After mild temperatures in the overnight hours, and a hard rain in the morning that amounted to 1.16", the temperature plummeted from 60° to 22 °.

December 16-21 - This six-day period had three pairs of days with identical highs/lows: 26°/20° on Dec. 16 and 17; 28°/20° on Dec. 18 and 19; and 26°/19° on Dec. 20 and 21.

December 23-28 - This six-day period had very similar, slightly above average high temperatures: 42°-43°-43°-42°-43°-44° (today).

 

- 1902 -

January 1 - This morning's low of 13° was the coldest reading of the winter - the first winter since 1871 not to have any lows in the single digits or colder.  A typical winter's coldest reading in this era was typically around 2° or 3° above zero.

July 9 - Today was the only day of the year with a high in the 90s, making this the only summer (going back to 1869) with just one 90-degree reading.  And the mercury went no higher than 90°.

July 28 - An evening thunderstorm between 6:45-8:30 PM flooded the City with 3.08" of rain, with almost all of it (3.00") falling in an hour (and two inches fell in a 30-minute period).  At the time this was Central Park's greatest 60-minute rainfall on record (until a storm on Sept. 5, 1913 dropped 3.31").

August 6 - Just ten days after a tremendous short-duration deluge flooded the City, another one occurred today at daybreak.  Of the 2.21" of rain that fell from 5:15 to 7:45 AM, almost all of it (1.91") was concentrated in a 30-minute period.

September 2 - Today, with a high of 82°, was the last day to report a high in the 80s (or warmer) this year - the earliest date for this occurrence (a mark that still stands).  Typically, the last 80+ reading is during the last week of September. 

September 9 - Today's rainfall of 0.86" was enough to be a record for the date, a record which still stands.  Only one other record daily rainfall is less than one inch (0.91" on April 29, 1909).

November 29 - Today's low of 34° was the coldest reading of the month, making this the first November whose coldest low wasn't 32° or colder.  (A typical November between 1870 and 1900 averaged eight such lows.)

December 9 - It was a bitterly cold day, with a high/low of only 17°/8°, which was 25 degrees colder than average.

 

- 1903 -

January 1-6 - The first six days of the year had very similar high temperatures: 40°-41°-42°-40°-42°-40° (today).  This was slightly milder than average. 

February 16-17 - A snowfall of 9.5" was the biggest accumulation of the winter - and occurred on the same date as the previous winter's biggest snowfall (10").

June 24 - This was the sixteenth day of the past eighteen to have measurable rain.  Nearly seven inches fell during this period, coming after a 15-day stretch with no rain (and just 0.30" fell in the prior seven-and-a-half weeks).  During these wet days there was also an eight-day streak (6/13-20) in which highs were only in the 60s (highs are typically in the upper 70s).

June 29 - A rainstorm that began at daybreak continued until 1 PM and dumped 2.57" of rain (a record amount for the date).  Much of it (1.90") poured down between 11 AM and 1 PM.

July 3 - This was the 20th day of the past 27 (since 6/7) to report measurable rain, totaling 10.37".

September 16 - A category 1 hurricane made landfall on the Jersey shore in the morning and brought a brief period of heavy rain to New York between 11 AM-2 PM, with 1.63" measured.

October 8-9 - A stalled hurricane (that weakened to tropical storm status), and a low-pressure system that formed along an approaching cold front, combined to create a tremendous rainstorm that produced 11.63" over 26 hours.  The deluge started late in the morning of the 8th (4.30" was measured) and continued thru mid-afternoon on the 9th (when 7.33" fell).  Rain fell at a rate of an inch every two hours for a large portion of the storm; at its most intense, 2.54" fell from 9-11 AM on the 9th.  At the time the rainfall on the storm's second day was New York's second greatest daily amount (behind Sept. 23, 1882's 8.28"); it's now ranked fourth.

November 29 - For the fifth day in a row the high was 32° or colder (average high in late November is in the mid-40s).

December 16 - This was the third day in a row with a high of 26°.  Lows on these three days were 21° (12/14), 20° (12/15) and 19° (12/16).  This streak followed a high of 54° on 12/13.

December 20 - Today's rainfall of 1.34" made 1903 New York's wettest year on record, passing 1889 (which had 57.16").  This would remain New York's wettest year until 1972 (it's now fallen to eleventh place).

 

- 1904 -

January 6 - Ten of the past eleven days had highs of 32° or colder.  The average high/low during this time was 25°/13°.  Yesterday had the coldest reading, -4° (the only sub-zero reading of the decade).  And Jan. 2 had eight inches of snow (2.3" of snow accumulated from two other snowfalls in late December).

February 9-19 - One month after an extended cold wave, another one of identical length moved in.  Ten of the eleven days had highs of 32° or colder.  The average high/low during these days was 25°/11°, twelve degrees colder than average.  The coldest reading during this period was 2° on Feb. 16, and two snowfalls produced five inches of snow.

 

August 20 - Today's 3.63" of rain was a record for the date (that still stands), with much of it falling between 1-10 AM and nearly half (1.73") fell in an hour. 

September 13 - Although it was just 0.01", today's rain broke a three-week dry spell.

September 14-15 - After three weeks in which just 0.01" of rain fell, 3.84" poured down from a hurricane that crossed the eastern end of Long Island and tore 19 barges from their moorings in New York Harbor.  The rain was split pretty evenly between the evening of 9/14 and the following morning.

November 3 - Today's high of 60° would be the last high of 60+ for more than four months (until a high of 67° on March 18).

December 17-18 - Six inches of snow fell four days after a snowfall of seven inches.

 

 

December 22 - This was the last day of a two-week period with unseasonably cold weather.  The average high/low of 32°/21° was ten degrees below average.  Eight of the days had highs that were 32° or colder. 

 

- 1905 -

January 1 - With a high/low of 53°/42°, this was the first time since 1889 that New Year's Day was completely above freezing.  And the day's high would be the warmest for eleven weeks (thru March 18).

January 25 - Steady snow that began last night continued until 9 PM tonight and accumulated 11 inches, the biggest snowfall since the blizzard of February 1899.  Temperatures fell from the mid-twenties in the early morning to low teens by the time the last flakes fell.  This was the fourth snowstorm of six inches or more since mid-December.

 

 

January 28 - With a high of 33°, today was the only day in the two-week period from Jan. 23 to Feb. 5 to have a high above freezing.

February 21 - Today, with a high/low of 41°/33°, was the mildest day of the month (and the only day with a low above freezing).  Not surprisingly, this would be the third coldest February on record (it's since fallen to fifth).

March 18 - Today's high of 67° was the first daily high reading above 50° in ten weeks, since Jan. 7.

September 3 - Today was the fifth day in a row in which the temperature was stuck in the 70s. The high/low of these five days: 77°/71° (on 8/30); 78°/70°; 76°/70°; 75°/70°; and 79°/73° (today).  Another feature of today was heavy rain during the morning that amounted to 2.47", with almost all of it falling between 6 AM and noon. 

September 18 - Today's high/low of 77°/72° was the tenth time this summer temperatures were stuck in the 70s for the entire day - the most of any year (a record that still stands).

October 20 - Six of the past seven days had highs in the 70s (warmest reading was 77°) at a time of year when the average high is in the low 60s.  And four of the days had lows in the 60s (warmest was 68° on the 19th, a record that still stands).  Cooler air moved in later today after the exit of a coastal storm that produced 2.33" of rain between last night and noon today.

November 28 - The first significant rain in the past 38 days fell today, a period when just 0.20" was measured.  0.56" fell during the PM hours and continued into the following day, with an additional 1.01" measured.

 

- 1906 -

March 25 - Since March 13 the average high/low was just 35°/24°, twelve degrees below average, with every day's high colder than 40°.  This winter-like cold was accompanied by two significant snowfalls of 6.5" (mostly on the 15th) and 5" (on the 19th).  Before these snowfalls just 9.5" had fallen this winter. 

July 23 - Despite a sultry low of 80°, today's high failed to reach 90°, peaking at 87°.  This is the only instance in which an 80-degree low was followed by a high that stayed in the 80s.

September 21 - Today's low of 75° was the 61st day this year with a low of 70° or warmer.   No other year has had more (2010 came close, with 60 such days).  This amount was more than double the average of 30 days.

December 4 - The high/low was a bitingly cold 26°/13°.  This compares to the average high/low in the first week of December of 48°/33°.  Only Christmas Eve day would see colder readings this month (20°/12°).

 

- 1907 -

January 4 - For the second year in a row the first reading in the 60s fell on this date, more than two months earlier than the typical date (March 11).  The day's high in both years was 60°.  (At the time only 1876 had an earlier date for a reading in the 60s; since then, nine years have had first 60s on one of the first three days of January.)

February 5 - Since Jan. 17, 26" of snow accumulated from seven days with measurable snow.  Nearly half, 11", fell today.  And nearly the same amount would fall in the next two months (thru 4/9).

April 9 - Today's five-inch snowfall was the seventh of four inches or more in the past three months. 

November 10 - Today's high of 61° was the relatively chilly mildest reading of the month - and there wouldn't be another reading in the 60s until March 26.

December 31 - On the night of the first ball-drop in Times Square, the temperature was in the mid-30s under fair skies.

 

- 1908 -

February 6 - Today's snowfall of eight inches came two weeks after a snowfall of ten inches.

 

 

February 10 - This was the eighth day of the past nine with a high of 32° or colder.  The day with a high warmer than 32°, Feb. 6, had eight inches of snow.  The average high/low during these nine days was 27°/13°.

March 11-15 - This string of five days had very similar high temperatures, which were close to ten degrees above average: 53°-55°-54°-54°-55°. 

July 7 - This morning's low was a stifling 84°, close to the average high in mid-July, and the warmest low reading on record.  Another 84° low would occur in mid-August.  It would then be another 87 years before this reading was reached again (and once more in 2011).  Despite such a warm start, the highs on both days this summer reached just 93°.

 

August 2 - This was the only day between July 18 and Aug. 17 not to have a low of 70° or warmer.

September 27 - This was the 21st day in a row with no rain.  (The other nine days of the month had rain on three days, which amounted to 1.91".)

October 16 - Today's high of 80° came five weeks and one day after the previous reading in the 80s (Sept. 11).  If that September date had remained as the year's last 80+ temperature it would have been one of the earliest on record for this occurrence.  (1902 holds the record, Sept. 2.)

October 27 - For the fourth day in a row lows were in the mid-to-upper 60s, about twenty degrees above average, and warmer than the typical high during this time of year (61°).  Two of the days had record-high lows which are still standing (69° on the 25th, 66° on the 27th).

November 8-11 - The highs/lows of this four-day period were very similar: 56°/49°, 57°/46°, 57°/47° and 58°/47°.  These temperatures were five degrees milder than average.

November 18 - The 0.05" of rain that fell today was the last measurable precipitation of the month.  In total, just 0.71" fell, tying Nov. 1890 as the driest November on record (they've since fallen to third).  This followed a dry October and September, in which just 1.38" and 1.91" of rain fell, respectively.  The four inches of rain that was measured made this the driest fall on record (and the following year would be the second driest).  It would be two-and-a-half weeks before the next measurable precipitation fell (on 12/6).

December 26-28 - The highs and lows of this three-day period were very similar: 40°/35°, 40°/34° and 40°/35°.  And temperatures on 12/25 and 12/29 were somewhat similar as well (42°/36° and 43°/35°). 

December 30 - Today was the last day, and 94th day of the year, with measurable precipitation (0.12" of rain fell) - the fewest number of days on record (later tied in 1941).  The year's total precipitation, 41.01", was slightly below the average of the previous 40 years (43.58").

 

- 1909 -

April 29 - Today's rainfall of 0.91" was enough to be a record for the date, a record which still stands.  Only one other daily rainfall record is less than one inch (0.86" on Sept. 9, 1902).

August 16 - 4.80" of rain fell, but it wasn't from a tropical system.  At the time, this rainfall was tied for third greatest daily amount (it's now tied for 13th).  Rain on this rainy Monday (the rainiest Monday on record) fell heaviest between 10 AM and 9 PM.

August 21 - After 8.50" of rain had fallen in the first twenty days of the month, there would be no measurable rainfall for the next 15 days.

December 13 - A nor'easter produced 3.03" of rain (and an inch of snow at the onset), a record amount for the date, and the most to fall in one day in the month of December (3.25" fell for the entirety of the storm).  Rain fell throughout the day, but significant amounts fell after 11 AM; more than half of the rain fell between 7-11 PM.  

December 14 - Today's high of 53°, which occurred in the wee hours of the morning, would be the last high in the 50s until Feb. 27. 

December 15 - This was the last day this month with a high above 40°.  (The next time the high rose to 40°+ would be on Jan. 2.)

December 25 - Snow began falling mid-afternoon and by midnight seven inches had accumulated (an additional inch fell after midnight).  After 10 PM winds gusted to 30 mph.  This snowfall exceeded the Christmas Day snowfall of 1902 by half an inch to become the snowiest Christmas on record (which still stands).

 

 

 

To read about weather highlights in other decades:

Late 19th Century (1869-1899)

1910s

1920s

1930s

1940s

1950s

1960s

 

 

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2020's Weather Highlights

 

 

JANUARY

1 - It was a raw and overcast first day of the year with the mercury mostly stuck at a seasonably cold 38° during the daylight hours.  This was similar to conditions two days ago, except that day had rain. 

8 - This was the last day of an 18-day streak with above average temperatures (based on mean temperature).  It was the longest such streak since last winter, which was of similar length during practically the same date range (12/20-1/6).  And the average high/low of the two streaks was nearly identical: 47°/37° this winter vs. 48°/37° last winter.  The mildest reading of this recent streak was 57°, the coldest was 28°, which occurred tonight as midnight approached.

9 - With a high/low of 34°/23°, three degrees below average, this was the only day between Dec. 22 and Jan. 16 that was colder than average.  The other 25 days were ten degrees above average (high/low of 50°/37°).

11 - The mercury soared to 69°, easily breaking the previous record from 1975 by six degrees.  Today's high was twice as warm as two days ago (34°) and was the warmest reading in January since a high of 72° on Jan. 6, 2007 (like today, it was also a Saturday).  Today's reading was 31 degrees above average, the most above average for a daily high since Feb. 21, 2018's high of 78°, 35 degrees above average.  Today's high/low of 69°/51° was more typical of the temperature split on May 5.  Lastly, after rising to 60° at around 9:00 AM the temperature stayed in the 60s for the rest of the day.

12 - It was a beautiful May weekend in January as today's record high of 68° followed yesterday's record-setting 69°.  Today was the better of the two days because skies turned clear by mid-morning  while yesterday was a mix of dim sun and light overcast.  This was just the third time in January that Central Park reported back-to-back highs of 65°+.  (And January 1932 is the only case of three consecutive days.)

18 - One week after a record-setting high of 69°, today had quintessentially wintry conditions as a steady light snow fell during the afternoon, amounting to 2.1"; this was seven weeks after the winter's previous biggest snowfall of 1.6".  The temperature was in the 20s during the daytime hours but rose above freezing after 6:00 PM (peaking at 37° as midnight approached), changing the snow to sleet and then rain for a few hours.  This was the last measurable snowfall of the winter, the earliest date on record (one day earlier than the previous latest date, in 2002).

20 - With a high/low of 31°/20°, today was just the second day this winter with a high of 32° or colder.  It came nearly five weeks after the first such occurrence, on 12/19 (when the high/low was 25°/16°).  For comparison purposes, a typical year has nine days with highs this cold by 1/20.  Since 1980 four winters had just one day with a high of 32° or colder by this date, most recently in 2013. (and like this winter, there was one winter with two). 

 

FEBRUARY

7 - The previous record high for this date, 54° in 1938, was the coolest reading to be a record, but it was broken today during lunchtime; however, at 56° it was still the coolest reading to be a record.  And one of just four record highs to be in the 50s; the others are: Jan. 16 (58°); Feb. 2 (59°); and Dec. 19 (58°).  A vigorous cold front moved thru early in the afternoon, dropping the temperature to 33° by midnight (a peak wind gust of 46 mph was clocked at dusk in Central Park).  This was the coldest reading so far this month, making it just the second February on record to have no lows of 32° or colder in the first week (the other occurrence was in 1877).  

15 - This morning's low of 14° was the coldest reading of the winter, passing the low of 16° back on Dec. 19.  However, the day with the winter's coldest daily mean temperature continued to be 12/19 as today's was two degrees warmer (high/low of 25°/16° vs. 31°/14°).  Only the winters of1932, 1975 and 2002 have had a milder reading for their coldest temperature (four other winters have had 14° as their coldest reading).

24 - This was the fourth day in a row with very low humidity levels during the afternoon, i.e., in the 15%-19% range for a number of hours each day.  The last time there was such an extended number of days with such low humidity in February was in 2004 (Feb. 25-March 1).  Today's high of 62° was the mildest of the month.

 

MARCH

1 - Today's low was 25°, the coldest reading of March and the last reading of 32° or colder this winter (average date of the last freezing or colder temperature is 3/31).  A typical March has twelve days with lows this cold.  Only March 1942 had fewer days (i.e., zero).

9 - After getting very close on 1/11 (high of 69°), today had the year's first high in the 70s.  Under sunny skies the mercury rose to 72° (twenty-five degrees above average).  This was two weeks ahead of schedule and the warmest reading since mid-October.  Today's low of 47° was what the typical high should be on this date.

20 - After a foggy start the sun broke through during the afternoon and the temperature jumped from the mid-50s at noon to 77° shortly before 5:30 (26 degrees above average).  The day's 30-degree jump in temperature from the morning low of 47° at daybreak was the biggest rise in temperature since a 32-degree rise on May 2, 2018 (from 48° to 80°).  The temperature stayed in the 70s until after 11 PM, then a cold front moved through overnight and the mercury fell to 42° by 9:00 AM on 3/21.  The City's next reading in the 70s wouldn't occur until May 2.  

 

APRIL

7 - Today's high of 68° was the mildest reading of the month.  This became the first April since 1940 to have no readings in the 70s or warmer.  (Since 2000 the average warmest reading in April has been 85°.)

13 - Nearly two inches of rain fell from an intense storm system that had produced deadly tornadoes in the Southeast the day before.  The 1.92" of rain that was measured was a record for the date, easily breaking the old record from 100 years ago.  Besides rain (which fell largely between 1AM-6PM) gale force winds raked the area, gusting close to 40 mph in Central Park and between 50-60 mph in many suburbs.  Temperatures rose into the 60s as the storm departed in the early evening, and the day's high (67°) was reached after dark.   

 

MAY

1 - Although today' high/low of 66°/53° was just one degree above average this broke a 16-day streak with below average mean temperatures.  The average high/low during this streak was 56°/42°, seven degrees below average.  This was the longest below average streak since March 2018, when there was a streak of 22 days. 

2 - Usually a high of 73° in early May doesn't warrant attention, but this year it did because this was the first reading in the 70s in more than six weeks (since 3/20).  

3 - Under sunny skies, today reported the year's first reading in the 80s (80°).  This was the first year since 2014 to have its first 80 in May rather than in April (average date of the first 80°+ reading is 4/22).  The last time the temperature was this warm was on 10/2 last year when the mercury soared to 93°.

7 - Today was the the second day of the past three to have humidity that dropped to 16% during the afternoon.  The last time humidity was this low in May was in 2007.  And back then it also happened on two days (5/3 and 5/13).

8 - A rare springtime incursion of Arctic air moved through during the afternoon and by midnight the mercury had fallen to 36°.  This was a record for the date, the first May reading in the 30s since 1978 (38° on 5/1), and the coldest reading in May since 1966 (36° on 5/10).  Light rain fell during the PM hours, amounting to 0.45".  (It should be noted that the reading of 36° credited to today actually occurred shortly before 1 AM Daylight Saving Time on 5/9, but the NWS uses Standard Time year-round for its records.)

9 - This morning's record low of 34° (with wind chill in the mid-20s) was Central Park's coldest reading in May since 1891.  And snow flurries that fell before daybreak tied May 9, 1977 as the latest date for a trace of snow.  This morning's reading was colder than April's coldest reading by two degrees.

10 - For the third year in a row Mother's Day had well below average temperatures.  This year, the low of 39° was the chilliest reading on Mother's Day since 1977 (low of 38°).  However, unlike the previous two years skies were clear and the temperature rose to 64°.  Although this was five degrees cooler than average, last year's afternoon temperatures were only in the mid-40s, and the year before that they were in the mid-50s. 

12 - Last week, on 5/5 and 5/7, the humidity in Central Park dropped to 16%, which was the lowest in May since 2007.  This afternoon it dropped to 15%, which was the lowest reported in May this century (topped two years later when 13% humidity was reported on 5/9).  Despite sunny skies it was a chilly day, with a high of 59°.

23 - Much of today's 0.65" rainfall, the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, poured down between 11 AM and noon.  Up until today less than an inch of rain had fallen this month (0.95").  Today's rain was 0.03" shy of the most to fall on the Saturday of the three-day Memorial Day weekend, which was in 1982.

30 - Today and yesterday both had a high/low of 81°/67° (eight degrees above average).  But whereas yesterday was on the sticky side, with afternoon dew points in the upper 60s, today was noticeably more comfortable, with dew points in the afternoon down into the upper 40s.  And it also had a lot more sunshine.  Yesterday and today were also the first back-to-back days with highs in the 80s, about three weeks later than usual, and the latest since 2013.

 

JUNE

6 - Warm and uncomfortably humid with a high of 86°; the dew point was in the 68°-70° range all morning thru mid-afternoon. This was the first reading of 85° or warmer this year, the latest date for this occurrence since 2008 (when it happened on 6/7).  Today also had the year's first low of 70°+, which was just a few days later than the average date.  The humidity dropped sharply after a mid-afternoon shower.  Meanwhile, Newark and LaGuardia airports had their first readings in the 90s.

22 - Today's high of 90° was the first reading of 90+ this year.  And although it was about four weeks later than the average date of the first 90+ (5/28), it came a week earlier than last year.  Skies were partly cloudy and it was on the humid side.

27 - A 15-day streak with no measurable rain ended today when 0.09" of rain fell in the early afternoon.  (This was the longest dry streak since one of 18 days in the fall of 2017.)  And a 7-day streak with highs of 85° or warmer (the longest such streak since a 10-day streak in June 2010) ended when the high, due to clouds and showers, got no higher than 80°.  Despite the slightly cooler temperatures the dew point in the middle of the afternoon was an uncomfortable 73°.

 

JULY

1 - This morning's low of 67° would be the coolest reading of July, setting a new record for mildest "coolest" reading in any month (breaking the previous record of 66° in July 2008).  It would also be the only day this month with a low that was below average (and it was just one degree cooler than average). 

6 - The mercury soared to 96°, the hottest reading of the year.  Fortunately, the humidity was very low (30-35%).  Relief arrived late in the afternoon when strong thunderstorms dropped a little more than a half inch of rain, mostly between 4-5 PM, cooling the temperature to 70°.

10 - Tropical storm Fay zipped from North Carolina to the Jersey Shore, soaking Central Park with 2.54" of rain, with most of it pouring down between 1:30-4:30 PM.  This amount was 1) a record for the date; the greatest one-day rainfall since May 2018; and 3) the first measurable rain on this date since 2003.  The temperature and dew point were both in the 70s all day, giving the air a pronounced tropical feel.  (With a high of 77°, a streak of 21 days with highs of 80° or warmer was snapped, the longest such streak in four summers.)   This was the fourth "F"-named tropical system to affect NYC since 1970, but it was the only one that didn't strike in September. 

11 - Following yesterday oppressive conditions, today was even more uncomfortable as afternoon dew points rose from low 70s to 74°-77°.  Additionally, today's afternoon air temperature was 8-10 degrees warmer (low 80s vs. mid-70s).  Two heavy downpours in mid-afternoon and evening produced 0.75" of rain, one day after 2.54" poured down from tropical storm Fay. 

22 - Today was very similar to last year as it was the fifth day in a row with a high in the 90s (it reached 92° today) and then a severe thunderstorm dumped 1.23" of rain between 7-8 PM.  The night's rain brought July's rainfall to 5.53", making it the wettest month of the year (so far).  This was the third year in a row in which an inch or more of rain was measured on this date.

24 - Due to nationwide closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mets didn't play their home opener until today.  And although it was played in mid-summer, it didn't have the warmest reading of any home opener.  Under mostly cloudy skies, the temperature during the game was in the the upper 70s (average high is 85°), which was cooler than home openers in 1977 (90°), 1991 (90°) and 1998 (86°); however, it was on the humid side, with dew points hovering around 70°. 

31 - A new record for July was established this morning when the day's low temperature of 70° was the 26th day this month with a low of 70° or warmer, breaking the previous record from ten years ago.  However, for a while the record seemed like it might be in jeopardy when the temperature dropped from 74° to 70° during heavy rain showers after 1 AM.

 

AUGUST

4 - Four weeks after the City was lashed by tropical storm Fay, an intense tropical storm, Isaias, blew through the area today, packing quite a punch.  Because the center of the storm moved further inland than anticipated, the City was spared heavy rain, but winds gusted to 48 mph in Central Park and 78 mph at Battery Park City in lower Manhattan (and 68, 69 and 70 mph at Newark, LaGuardia and JFK airports, respectively).  While just 0.55" of rain fell from daybreak thru lunchtime in Central Park (much of it between 11AM-noon), four inches+ flooded eastern Pennsylvania.  Although it wasn't associated with Isaias, a severe thunderstorm late last night dumped practically the same amount of rain in about 30 minutes as fell this morning.

7 - Rain that began around daybreak cooled the temperature to below 70° for the first time since July 17.  This 20-day streak was the fourth longest of its kind, just two days shy of the record set in the summers of 1980 and 2010 (and a streak of 21 days occurred in 1988).  The mercury sunk to 66°, which was the coolest reading since a low of 65° on June 29. (The day's forecast low had been for the low 70s.)

12 - Very tropical conditions brought heat (high of 90°), stifling humidity (the dew point reached 77°, producing a heat index around 100°), and then a severe thunderstorm during the late afternoon.  The 1.76" of rain that poured down (almost all between 4-5 PM) was more than triple the 0.55" that fell last week from tropical storm Isaias.  

 

SEPTEMBER

10 - Today's high of 82° was the last reading of 80+ this year.  Among summers with 20 or more days of 90+ (this summer had twenty such days) this is the earliest date for the last 80+; the usual date is Oct. 4.   (Among all summers the earliest date for the last 80+ high was in 1902 on 9/2.)  Two other summers that reported their last reading of 80°+ few days later than this year's had considerably more days in the 90s : 1966, which had 37 hot days, had its last 80+ on 9/11, and 1999, which had 27 hot days, had its last 80+ on 9/15.

21 - The morning low of 49° was the first temperature chillier than 50° in September in seven years, and the earliest date for this occurrence since 1993 (when it was on 9/20).  Today's low came after lows of 50° the previous two days.  (Since 2000 the average date for the first low in the 40s has been 10/5.)

25 - For the past week a strong high pressure system was anchored over the Northeast, bringing fair skies, low humidity and the coolest temperatures of the month.  It was also responsible for keeping the remnants of two hurricanes (Sally and Beta) south of the area.

26 - This was the sixteenth day in a row with no measurable rain, one day more than June's dry streak, which had been the longest this year.  The last time there was a lengthier streak was during the fall of 2017 when there was one of eighteen days (Sept. 20-Oct. 7).

 

OCTOBER

12 - Moisture from the remnants of hurricane Delta moved into the area and produced a steady, but light, all-day rain that amounted to nearly one inch (0.96"); an additional 0.34" fell the following day.  Winds out of the northeast, gusting between 25-30 mph, kept the temperature unseasonably cool.  The high of 57° (which occurred shortly after midnight) was the first maximum reading in the 50s since 5/9.

16 - Starting this morning at around 10:00 a steady rain moved in and by midnight 1.36" had fallen.  Two-thirds of this amount (0.91") came down between 11 AM and 2 PM.  The day's high of 66° occurred in the overnight hours, but quickly dropped into the low 50s once the rain started.  This was the second year in a row in which more than an inch of rain fell on this date (last year, 1.83" was measured).

29 - The remnants of hurricane Zeta (which struck the Gulf Coast last night) merged with the energy from a winter storm that struck the southern Rockies and Plains earlier in the week, resulting in rainy and raw conditions in the Mid-Atlantic states.  Rain began around 7 AM and continued until mid-day on the 30th.  1.53" fell today, 0.64" the next morning.  The rain fell heaviest from 10 AM until 3 PM today, with nearly an inch measured.  After the rain became lighter gusty winds of 25-30 mph moved in. 

31 - This morning's low was a frosty 32°, the first reading of freezing or colder in October since 1988 (which also occurred on Halloween).  This was the coldest reading this year since March 1 (when the low was 25°). 

 

NOVEMBER

8 - Today's high of 75° (18 degrees above average and one degree shy of the record for the date) was the warmest reading in six weeks (since 9/28), making Nov. 2020 just the seventh November since 1900 to have a warmer reading than October's (Oct. 2020's warmest was 74°).  The previous time it happened was in 2003 (and it would happen again in 2022).

11 - Despite overcast skies and the arrival of rain after 2:00 PM the temperature rose into the low 70s.  This was the sixth day in a row with highs of 70° or warmer, which set a new record for the month of November (breaking a tie with Nov. 2015).  The average high during this streak was 74° - seventeen degrees above average (highs were 70°-74°-75°-75°-74°-72°). The rain (which amounted to 0.78") didn't cause the temperature to drop much as it stayed in the mid-60s.  Combined with a dew point that was also in the mid-60s, the air had a tropical feel to it.  Every day of this streak was 10 degrees or more above average, equaling another six-day streak back in January with temperatures this much above average.

Today also saw a low in the 60s for the second day in a row, something that hadn't occurred in November since 1982 (which had a four-day streak).  And at 64° it was one of the mildest daily minimum readings on record for any November (and was eight degrees milder than the average high for the date). 

15 - A squall line tore through the area this evening from 8:15-8:45 PM, delivering a brief downpour and high winds.  With a gust of 41 mph, Central Park got off relatively easy compared to the area's three major airports, which clocked peak gusts in the 58-62 mph range.  And although the rain was torrential in my neighborhood (Greenwich Village), Central Park reported just 0.06".  Finally, the day's mild high of 64° occurred just as the squall line was moving through.

18 - Today's unseasonably cold high/low of 36°/30° (14 degrees below average) was half as warm as it was a week ago, when the high/low was a balmy 72°/64° (19 degrees above average).

26 - It was Thanksgiving Day, and a pre-dawn deluge seemed a distant memory by afternoon when the sun came out and the temperature rose into the mid-60s.  Not only was today's high of 65° tied for third warmest on the holiday (behind 1933's 69° and 2007's 66°), its low of 55° was the mildest of any Turkey Day as was the mean temperature of 60.0°.  And the 0.79" of rain that poured down this morning was the seventh greatest amount to fall on the holiday, and the most since 2006 (which was the rainiest Thanksgiving, with 1.72" measured).   

 

DECEMBER

16 - An intense nor'easter brought the season's first measurable snow, which began late in the afternoon.  By midnight 6.5" had piled up, and the snow continued overnight thru daybreak (adding four inches).  This was December's biggest snowfall since the post-Christmas blizzard of December 2010 that paralyzed the city with 20".  Today's snowfall was more than twice the amount that fell during the previous winter (4.8").  It was also a record amount for the date.  With 10.5" in total this was the thirteenth December snowstorm to dump ten inches or more.  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 had 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.

19 - Today and the previous three days had very similar, cold temperatures: 31°/24° (on 12/16); 33°/24°; 32°/24°; and 32°/20° (today).  These four days were nine degrees below average.  Coincidentally, last December had a an equally cold four-day period at about the same time (Dec. 18-21), with an average high/low of 32°/21°.

25 - A fierce storm lashed the area overnight, with rain and strong winds that gusted to 45-65 mph (a gust of 47 mph was clocked at Central Park).  The 0.92" of rain that fell was the third greatest amount to fall on the holiday (behind 1945 and 2002).  The high, reached a few hours before daybreak, was 61° - the eighth time the high was in the 60s on 12/25.  After the rain and wind exited, sharply colder air moved in, dropping the mercury to 29° by midnight.  With today's mild high, 2020 became just the second year (2015 is the other) with highs in the 60s on Christmas Day (61°), Thanksgiving Day (65°) and Easter Sunday (63°).

 

To read highlights from other years between 1970 and 2021 double click here. 

 

 

 

Remembering New York's Top Weather Stories of 2019

After pondering the various weather events that occurred in New York over the course of 2019, my choice as the year's biggest story is a sizzling hot day in October.  Although there had been 90-degree readings in October before, they were a long time ago - in 1927, 1938, 1939 and 1941.  (By comparison, April had fifteen readings in the 90s in the years after 1941.)  But on Oct. 2 the mercury soared to 93°.  It was somewhat ironic that this hot autumn day occurred in 2019 because the year's first 90-degree reading wasn't until the end of June, which was a month behind schedule, and there were no 90-degree readings in September.  What follows are the other meteorological highlights that were candidates for top story of 2019:

 

HOT & COLD

Two days in January had especially cold readings: 14°/4° on Jan. 21, 16°/2° on Jan. 31.  These were among the five coldest days in the past 25 years.  At the other end of the thermometer, the year's hottest reading was 95°, which happened during a July weekend, 7/20-21.  (LaGuardia, JFK and Newark topped out at 100°, 99° and 99°, respectively).  Both days also had lows in the 80s (and during the afternoon of 7/22 the dew point reached an absurdly high 79°, the highest in nearly 40 years.)  Although this reading was well below the hottest temperatures experienced in past summers, the month ended up being New York's 11th hottest July on record, due largely to consistent warmth throughout the month, not only during the daytime but at night as well (the month had July's fifth warmest average low).

SNOW DROUGHT

2019 wasn't a snowy year, with just 16.6" measured, the least snow since 2012 (the years 2013-2018 averaged 40 inches of snow).  Much of the year's snow was concentrated in the first four days of March, all which had an inch or more of snow - the first time a streak of this length occurred in any month of any year.  The 10.4" of snow that accumulated on these four days accounted for well over half of calendar year 2019's snowfall .

DAYS OF PRECIPITATION WELL ABOVE AVERAGE FOR SECOND YEAR IN A ROW

After 2018 established a new record for most days with measurable precipitation, 2019 followed with the fourth greatest number of days.  But while 2018 was the fourth wettest year on record 2019 ranked 28th.  May had 19 days of precipitation, which was the second most for any month (the most is 20 days, in July 1871 and May 1888); this followed 18 days of precipitation in April (most ever for that month).

MOTHER'S DAY HAD WORST WEATHER OF ANY HOLIDAY

A nor'easter brought a cold, all-day rain that amounted to 1.32".  Temperatures fell into the 40s around daybreak and stayed there for the rest of the day; this meant afternoon readings were 25 degrees colder than average.

JULY RAINSTORMS BROUGHT BIGGEST RAIN TOTALS

The year's two biggest rainstorms came five days apart in July as 2.33" poured down on July 17-18 (from tropical storm Barry) and 2.19" fell on July 22-23.

THANKSGIVING WEATHER

Blustery conditions on Thanksgiving Day (winds gusted between 25-37 mph) forced officials in charge of Macy's Thanksgiving Parade to order its famous balloons be flown much lower than usual, with some nearly scraping the pavement.  (For most parade goers, however, the wind was more bearable than the previous year's frigid temperatures.)

DRY MOMENTS

Despite all of the days of precipitation, and three months with more than six inches of rain, there were moments when the air dried out.  For instance, September was among the ten driest on record, with just 0.95" measured - the first month with less than an inch of rain in six years.  Then there were a number of days with extremely low afternoon humidity levels: March 24 and 26 (13% and 14%), Sept. 19 (15%) and Nov. 16 (13%).  Lastly, despite December being one of the ten wettest, it also had a ten-day period with no rain or snow, tying a ten-day period in September for longest precipitation-free streak of the year.

YEAR ENDS WITH WET DECEMBER FOR SECOND YEAR IN A ROW

Finally, December was the wettest month of the year (7.09"), just the third December to gain this distinction.  The first two weeks were particularly soggy, with five inches measured - the third greatest amount to fall in the first two weeks of December. 

 

Here are other annual recaps:

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

(For more detailed information about each month's weather, choose Monthly Recaps in the Categories box in the left margin.)