A History of Drought in New York

 

 

Because New York is situated on a number of major storm tracks, it's never suffered a drought so serious that it resulted in tumbleweeds blowing through Times Square.  Of course, dry periods do occur, with the most prolonged being between 1954-1966, but nothing approaching the severity experienced in places like the Great Plains.  Since New York began compiling weather statistics in 1869, there have been 72 months that have received less than an inch of rain (monthly precipitation, on average, is about four inches).  That's about once every two years.  Here are some other dry facts (figuratively speaking) to ponder:

 

• The last time less than an inch of rain fell in a month was in October 2013.  With just 0.36", it also has the distinction of being the driest month this century.  The second driest month this century was September 2005 when just 0.48" of rain fell.  Interestingly, it was followed by one of New York's rainiest months on record as 16.73" fell in October.

• Back-to-back-months with less than an inch of rain have occurred only three times: Aug.-Sept. 1881; Dec. 1980-Jan. 1981; and June-July 1999.  The two months in 1999 have the record for the least amount of rain in two consecutive months, 1.03". 

• Although a month with less than inch of rain occurs about once every two years, the longest stretch was 93 months which, oddly, occurred during the extended dry period in the 1950s and 1960s (Jan. 1956 thru Sept. 1963).

• The most consecutive months with less than two inches of rain is five, which occurred between October 2001 and February 2002.  The most consecutive months with less than three inches of rain is eleven, which occurred between March 1965 and January 1966.  1965 is also the only year that had less than thirty inches of precipitation (26.09" was measured, about twenty inches below average).

• October is the month most likely to get less than an inch of rain, having occurred in 13 years (including 2013).  Conversely, it's happened just once in April.

• The closest a month has come to having no rain was in June 1949 when just 0.02" fell.  However, there have been two rain-free periods that have been longer than 30 days.  The first was 36 days in the fall of 1924 (Oct. 9 - Nov. 13) and the second occurred in 1999 when no measurable rain fell for a 35-day period between May 25 and June 28.  A rainless streak of two weeks or longer occurs, on average, about once every 13 months.

• Looking at the driest 3-month periods, the driest occurred between July-September 1910 when a total of 2.98" of rain fell.  Three of the top-ten driest occurred in the consecutive years of 1964, 1965 and 1966.  Finally, among the top ten, listed below, the most recent was in 2001. 

 

DRIEST 3-MONTH PERIODS
(Since 1900)
Year	Months	1st Month	2nd Month	3rd Month	Total
1910	July-Sept	0.49	1.07	1.42	2.98"
1964	Aug-Oct	0.24	1.69	1.73	3.66"
1908	Sept-Nov	1.91	1.38	0.71	4.00"
1946	Oct-Dec	0.85	1.66	1.61	4.12"
1965	May-July	1.58	1.27	1.33	4.18"
1900-01	Dec-Feb	2.01	1.66	0.55	4.22"
2001	Oct-Dec	0.66	1.36	2.27	4.29"
1966	Jun-Aug	1.17	1.25	1.89	4.31"
1929	Jun-Aug	1.90	1.21	1.47	4.58"
1993	May-July	1.56	1.49	1.70	4.75"

 

 

 

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Today in New York Weather History: June 9

 

1915 (Wednesday)

Today's high/low of 81°/58° was preceded by two days with a high/low of 77°/60°, and would be followed by two days with highs/lows 77°/59° and 77°/60°.

 

1933 (Friday)

It was a hot and very humid day, with a high/low of 97°/76°.  The high was a record and the heat index reached 110° during lunchtime.

 

 

1973 (Saturday)

Today's high was 92°, the year's first day in the 90s and the first day of a four-day heat wave. 

 

1980 (Monday)

This morning's low of 47°, a record for the date, was the coolest reading in June in eight years - and there hasn't been a chillier reading since (thru 2023).

 

1984 (Saturday)

Today's high of 96° would be the hottest reading of the summer, eighteen degrees above average.  It came in the midst of an early summer heat wave which lasted ten days (June 5-14).  The average high/low during these days was 91°/73°, twelve degrees hotter than average.  Six of the days were in the 90s.

 

 

1989 (Friday)

2.55" of rain fell today, with 0.75" of it pouring down between 11 AM-1 PM; another 1.15" fell between 8-11 PM.  This was a record amount for the date.  Furthermore, this was the sixth day in a row with rain, totaling 4.95". 

 

1997 (Monday)

Twenty of the past twenty-one days had below-average temperatures, resulting in temperatures that were six degrees below average.

 

2003 (Monday)

Four of the past five days had a low of 57°; the other day had a low of 58°.  Also, twenty-eight of the past thirty days were cooler than average.

 

2004 (Wednesday)

Today's high was 91°, which would be the hottest reading of the year, and the first of just two 90-degree days all summer (the other would be on Aug. 28).  2004 joined four other years that had 91° or 90° as their hottest reading: 1884, 1889, 1902 and 1960.  A typical New York summer has eighteen days with highs of 90+, and the hottest temperature is usually around 97°.

 

 

2008 (Monday)

Today was a scorcher, with a high/low of 96°/76°, sixteen degrees above average.  This was the third day in a row with highs in the 90s, and tomorrow would be the fourth.

 

2009 (Tuesday)

In just fifteen minutes time, in the wee hours of the morning, 0.75" of rain thundered down between 2:41-2:56 AM.  Rain continued until 8 AM and totaled 1.80".

 

 

2010 (Wednesday)

0.89" of rain fell, beginning early in the afternoon and continuing until a little past midnight, breaking a three-week dry spell in which only 0.11" of rain had fallen.

 

2011 (Thursday)

The day after a high of 93°, today's high reached a sizzling 95°.  Meanwhile, Newark, as usual, out-fried NYC, with highs of 99° and 102°, both which were records. 

 

2017 (Friday)

For the first time this month the high reached 80°, the deepest into June that the first 80°+ reading occurred since 2003, when it also happened on 6/9.  Additionally, this was the first reading in the 80s since the three-day heat wave of 5/17-19 ended.

 

2021 (Wednesday)

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 date for that number of days since 2000, when the fourth reading in the 90s occurred on 6/2 (ironically, that year would have only seven in total). 

 

 

 

 

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Today in New York Weather History: May 25

 

1952 (Sunday)

This is the only year in which more than an inch of rain fell on 5/25.  The amount measured was 1.80", with a little more than half (1.12") falling between 9 AM and noon.

 

1967 (Thursday)

It was a raw and damp day with a high/low of only 46°/42°.  Winds out of the northeast gusted between 25 and 30 mph, producing wind chills close to 32°.  Light showers and drizzle fell throughout the day (0.32" was measured).  The day's high, 27 degrees below average, was more typical of the second week of March.

 

 

 

1975 (Sunday)

This afternoon's temperature was in the upper 50s, one day after a sizzling high of 93°.

 

1986 (Sunday)

The weather was very nice for New Yorkers when they formed their part of the "Hands Across America" chain this afternoon.  Skies were partly cloudy and the high temperature reached 80°.

1987 (Monday)

It was a very cool Memorial Day as the high of 63° was eleven degrees below average.  Weatherwise, the holiday came one week too early as temperatures would be in the 90s the following weekend.

1991 (Saturday)

Today was the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend and the day's high reached 93°, nineteen degrees above average.  This tied the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend in 1975 for the hottest reading for any day during this holiday in the 1971-2023 period. 

1994 (Wednesday)

An evening thunderstorm (including hail, a rarity in Manhattan) delayed by three hours my 8:15 flight to Pittsburgh, where I was going to attend my father's funeral.  I finally arrived there shortly before 1 AM.

 

 

2000 (Thursday)

0.12" of rain fell between 1-2 AM, making this the eighth day in a row in which there was rain.  3.26" fell during these days.

 

2005 (Wednesday)

Gray skies and light showers made for a very chilly day as the high reached only 53°, twenty degrees chillier than average - and more typical of March 25. 

 

2007 (Friday)

Today, with a high of 90°, had the first reading in the 90s this year, just a few days earlier than the average date for this occurrence.  This broke a string of four years that had their first 90-degree temperature in June.

 

2013 (Saturday)

Today's high/low of 54°/45° made this, a Saturday, the chilliest day of any Memorial Day weekend in the 1971-2020 period (in 2021, the high/low on both Saturday and Sunday would be 51°/47°).  Skies were mostly overcast, winds gusted to 33 mph hour, and light showers popped up throughout the morning and afternoon.  The high temperature was nineteen degrees below average.

 

 

2015 (Monday)

Today was Memorial Day and it was practically a carbon copy of last year's holiday, i.e., sunny and warm.  The only difference was that today's high of 85° was one degree lower than last year's.  This was the ninth year of the past ten in which Memorial Day had a high in the 80s.

 

 

2017 (Thursday)

Following last week's early heat wave (highs of 90°, 92° and 91° from 5/17-19), the highs today and the previous five days were all below 70°.  Today, with steady light rain and drizzle, was the coolest day of them all, with a high of just 59°.  Today's rainfall of 0.58" brought the month's total to 6.06", making it the second wettest May of the century (behind 2013, which had eight inches).

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Today in New York Weather History: May 18

 

1880 (Tuesday)

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

 

1980 (Sunday)

For the fifth year in a row rain fell on this date.  Today's measured 0.15" and fell between 7 AM and 1 PM.

 

2000 (Thursday)

0.66" of rain fell in a 30-minute period this evening (7-7:30 PM) and within that half hour 0.44" fell during the fifteen minutes between 7:15-7:30.

 

 

2001 (Friday)

A pre-dawn shower that amounted to just 0.07" of rain, ended an extended dry spell of twenty-six days, the second longest in the 1960-2020 period.  (Only a 35-day drought that occurred two years earlier in May/June 1999 was longer.)  Then rain would fall on eight of the nine days between May 21-29, amounting to two inches. 

 

2011 (Wednesday)

Today was the fourth day in a row with rain, and it culminated in a record amount for the date - 2.18".  The four-day total of 3.91" accounted for 3/4 of the month's total rainfall.  This was the fourth year since 2000 to have more than an inch of rain fall on this date.  Also, today's amount was double the amount that fell last year on this date.  

 

 

2017 (Thursday)

For the second day in a row temperatures were in the 90s, with today's high of 92° a record for the date.  This was the earliest instance of back-to-back 90s since April 2002.  Besides the high temperature setting a record, the low of 75° did as well.  It was also the second warmest low temperature recorded in the month of May (warmest is 76°, set on May 31, 1987).

 

2021 (Tuesday)

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 today's 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.  Save

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Today in New York Weather History: May 16

 

1916 (Tuesday)

The remnants of the year's first (and very early) tropical system produced a record amount of rain for the date (2.66"), with almost all of it falling after 4 PM.  And an additional 0.30" would fall in the pre-dawn hours of the 17th. 

 

1989 (Tuesday)

Just before daybreak, 0.58" of rain poured down in an hour, between 6:23-7:23 AM.  This downpour came in the opening hours of a rainstorm (lasting through mid-morning tomorrow) that dumped 3.35" of rain (2.30" fell today).  And it came just six days after a rainstorm of 2.37".

 

1990 (Wednesday)

A year after 2.30" of rain fell on this date, 2.32" of rain fell today, much of it after 8 PM. 

 

2001 (Wednesday)

This was the 25th day in a row without measurable rainfall, making it the third longest rain-free streak since 1970, passing two streaks of 24 days in Jan/Feb 1980 and in August 1995. 

 

2007 (Wednesday)

I celebrated my 50th birthday two days after the actual date with a dinner party at a Venezuelan restaurant in Greenwich Village.  Unlike my 40th birthday, which had beautiful weather, this year featured thunderstorms between 4-10 PM that dropped 0.83" of rain.  It was a warm and muggy day, with temperatures reaching the mid-80s before the rain moved in.

 

 

2012 (Wednesday)

Overnight showers amounting to 0.09" made this the seventh year of the past nine in which rain fell on this date. 

 

2014 (Friday)

A light, wind-swept rain during the afternoon turned steadier and heavier after dark.  The 1.54" that fell was over before midnight (an inch poured down in the hour between 10-11:00).  This was the twelfth day of the past eighteen to see some rain, totaling a lucky 7.77".  Much of it fell today and on 4/30 (when 4.97" fell).

 

2015 (Saturday)

Measurable rain fell for the first time since April 22, a span of 23 days (the longest dry spell since one of 26 days in April/May 2001).  Showers fell before daybreak and then again tonight between 9:00 and midnight, measuring 0.30".  In between, skies were overcast with temperatures rising into the mid-70s. 

 

   

2024 (Thursday)

Today and yesterday had the same high/low of 64°/59° as well as nearly identical amounts of rain that fell mostly during the AM hours (0.27" today, 0.28" yesterday).  5/13 also had a high/low of 64°/59° (but there was no rain).  This was the second pair of identical highs/lows on May 15-16; the first occurrence was in 1978 (high/low of 54°/50°).

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Looking Back at New York Weather: April 30

 

1874 (Thursday)

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

 

1925 (Thursday)

It was rainy (0.55" was measured) and very cool, with a high/low of  just 45°/42°.  The high was a record for the coolest maximum temperature on this date.

 

1940 (Tuesday)

Today's high of 67°, just a few degrees above average, was the mildest reading of the month.  (The warmest high temperature in April in the years before then was typically in the 78°-82° range.)  In the years since 1900 this was the only April with no readings of 70° or warmer - until 2020.

 

 

1942 (Thursday)

Today's high of 91°, a record for the date, followed a high of 72° yesterday, and 53° the day before that.  The previous record for the date, 86°, was set just last year.  In both years, the humidity was quite low during the afternoon, at around 25%.

 

1962 (Monday)

After three days of summer-like warmth (highs of 91°-89°-80°), this afternoon was raw and showery with temperatures only in the upper-40s.

 

1963 (Tuesday)

Up until today, just 0.39" of rain had fallen this month, and it appeared it would become the driest April on record.  However, an all-day rain brought 0.89", and the month ended up tied for third driest April.  Until 2014, today's rainfall was a record for the date, which was the second smallest amount for a daily record (Sept. 9's daily record is 0.86", which was established back in 1902).

 

1990 (Monday)

Today's high of 56° (ten degrees below average) was quite a drop from 73° yesterday and 90° two days ago.

 

2012 (Monday)

The final nine days of April all had chillier than average temperatures - the longest such streak since the end of March last year.  But despite these below average conditions, the month was the unprecedented thirteenth in a row with above average temperatures. 

 

2013 (Tuesday)

With a high/low of 68°/51°, today's mean temperature was two degrees above average, just enough to move the month's mean temperature from 0.1 degree below average to right at the average.  Thus, it joined August 1999 and August 1985 as the only months since 1980 to have a mean temperature on par with the monthly average.  April's high was 0.1 above average; the low was 0.1 below average.  However, what was far from average was the month's precipitation, which amounted to just 1.31".  This was 71% below the norm of 4.51", making it the fifth driest April on record (and the driest in 50 years).

 

2014 (Wednesday)

Until this year, April 30 was one of three dates that had never seen an inch of rain.  That distinction ended today as nearly five inches flooded the area, with more than half of it falling after 6 PM.  The 4.97" that fell was the tenth greatest daily rainfall on record (now ranked twelfth).  Besides the rain, it was also a very raw day, with temperatures only in the 40s.

 

 

2019 (Tuesday)

Today was the eighteenth day this month with measurable precipitation, the most of any month since May 2012, and the most on record of any April (the most of any month is nineteen days, in Dec. 1972 and May 1973). 

However, despite this high frequency of rainy days, the amount of rain that fell in April, 4.55", was an average amount.  (Seven days had 0.03" or less.)  By contrast, New York's ten rainiest Aprils averaged 12 days of precipitation (ranging from nine to fifteen).  

 

2023 (Sunday)

After drying out overnight from yesterday’s deluge of 2.49”, 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.  Then three storms dropped more than two inches of rain in the last nine days of the month : 2.19” on 4/22-3; 2.79” on 4/28-29; and 2.32” today. 

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

 

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Today in New York Weather History: April 23

 

1952 (Wednesday)

This was the sixth day in a row with a high of 74° or warmer.  The average high during this streak was 78°, which was 15 degrees above average.

 

1977 (Saturday)

This was the 18th day in a row with no measurable rain.  This followed a rainy four-day period (4/2-5) in which nearly three inches fell. 

 

 

1979 (Monday)

Today's high reached 81° under clear skies, the first 80-degree day of the year (very close to the  typical date for the first 80).  

 

2023 (Sunday)

Last night's rainstorm, which produced 0.68" thru midnight, continued until about 10 AM today, dropping an additional 1.51".  With 2.19" in total, this was the greatest amount from one storm since the beginning of October. 

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Today in New York Weather History: April 20

 

1896 (Monday)

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°.

 

1927 (Wednesday)

The day after the a pleasant high of 64°, today's was a summer-like 90°, nearly 30 degrees above average, and a record for the date (which still stands).  At the time, it was the second earliest date for a 90-degree reading (the temperature reached 90° on April 18, 1896).  After today it would be seven weeks before the next 80-degree reading was reached and the next 90-degree high wouldn't be until July 13.

 

 

1972 (Thursday)

The temperature at 4 PM was a quite chilly 43°, a drop of forty-three degrees from yesterday afternoon's 4 PM reading of 86°.

 

1990 (Friday)

Although showers that fell between 11 PM and midnight amounted to just 0.02", it was the first measurable precipitation to fall on this date since 1978.

 

2005 (Wednesday)

Today's high and low of 87°/64° was 22 degrees above average, making this the warmest day of the month.  It would be seven weeks before a hotter temperature was reached (93° on June 8). 

 

 

2006 (Thursday)

Today's high of 83° was the warmest reading of the month (and came five days after the year's first reading in the 80s), but what was even more notable was the afternoon's bone-dry humidity, which fell to 10% at 4 PM.  Air this dry in NYC is rare.  (Typical late afternoon humidity in April is around 45%.)

 

2009 (Monday)

Rain during the PM hours amounted to 1.79", with 0.87" falling between 8:19-10:19 PM.  More precipitation fell today than in the entire month of March (1.75").  Temperatures were on the chilly side, with a high/low of 50°/42°, eight degrees below average. 

 

 

 

2015 (Monday)

Dreary, windy, and damp, with rain thru early afternoon that amounted to 1.37".  This was comparable to the amount that fell in the previous 30 days (and it was the biggest rainstorm in three months).  After the wind died down, fog rolled in during the afternoon.  Today's rainfall accounted for nearly two-thirds of April's total precipitation (2.08").

 

2016 (Wednesday)

Today was the seventh day in a row with clear skies and unusually dry conditions, with relative humidity below 20% during the afternoon and early evening (normal is in the 45%-50% range).  And today saw the lowest humidity level of all the days, as it bottomed out at 9% at 6 PM - very similar to ten years earlier on this date. 

 

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Today in New York Weather History: March 31

 

In the years since 1980 (thru 2024) the average date for the last temperature of freezing or colder in Central Park is March 31.  It has occurred as early as March 1 (in 2020) and as late as April 17 (in 1980).

 

1934 (Saturday)

A nor'easter brought heavy rain between noon and midnight.  The 2.20" that poured down was almost as much as what fell during the first 30 days of March (2.27").  It was a cold rain, with the temperature hovering around 40° during the afternoon and evening.  (However, tomorrow's high would warm up to 65°, and the day after that would have the warmest reading of April 1934, 77°).

 

1937 (Wednesday)

The low today and the previous three days: 31°-30°-29°-28° (3/28) - all well below average (37°).

 

1954 (Wednesday)

Despite the temperature being no lower than 34°, the only measurable snowfall of the month fell tonight.  And although the amount was just 0.1", it was the first measurable snow in Central Park since 2/8 (when 0.5" fell).  Tonight's snow continued into 4/1, accumulating an additional 0.3".

 

1964 (Tuesday)

The coldest reading of the month occurred this morning, 22°, and this temperature held steady for four hours.  Normal low for the date is in the upper 30s.   Today's high/low of 38°/22° was half of what it was six days earlier (75°/46°).

 

1980 (Monday)

March went out like a lion as a nor'easter brought winds that gusted close to 40 mph and produced 2.02" of rain (most of it falling from late morning onward).  Afternoon temperatures were only in the 30s.  Today's rainfall made March 1980 the wettest March on record (with 10.41" measured), pushing it past March 1953 and 1876.  (It's since fallen to third, behind 2010 and 1983).    

 

1987 (Tuesday)

March ended as it began, with a big rainmaker (2.36" fell on 3/1).  Beginning last night, rain continued thru early afternoon today, amounting to 2.00".  In the days between these two storms just 0.57" of rain fell.

 

 

1989 (Friday)

Today's high of 44° (11 degrees below average) came just three days after a high of 82°.

 

1997 (Monday)

A nor'easter with 30-45 mph wind gusts dumped 2.32" of rain in New York and record amounts of snow in New England on 4/1 (25" in Boston, 18" in Providence).  A few days earlier New York had been warned of the potential for significant snow accumulation as well, but too much mild air moved in for this to happen.   

 

1998 (Tuesday)

Today's high temperature hit 86°, tying March 29, 1945 for the warmest reading ever recorded in March.  This was the last day of a five-day spring "heat wave".  During this warm spell the average high/low was 82°/61°, twenty-six degrees above average.  The next 80-degree day wouldn't be for another six-and-a-half weeks - and it was the last time until 2021 that a temperature in the 80s was reported in the month of March.  Today also happened to be the home opener for the New York Mets .

 

 

2003 (Monday)

Five years later the Mets weren't as fortunate playing their home opener on March 31.  Although the game was played under clear skies, the temperature hovered around 40° and a biting wind created a "feels like" temperature of 30°.  No surprise, this was the coldest Opening Day in the 1970-2024 period.  To make matters even worse, the Mets were pounded by the Cubs by a score of 15-2.

 

2011 (Thursday)

This was the earliest date for a Yankees home opener (until 2019) and it was played in raw and damp conditions.  The high was only 43°, twelve degrees colder than average.  After morning showers, no rain fell during the game, but showers resumed in the evening.

 

 

2012 (Saturday)

Because today was cold (high/low of 43°/38°) and rainy, two March records were NOT set.  The month's mean temperature ended up 0.2 degree cooler than the mildest March on record (in 1945), while the morning's rainfall of 0.26" brought the month's total precipitation to 0.96", preserving March 2006's distinction as the driest March on record (0.80").  Still, this was the twelfth month in a row with above average temperatures, matching a 12-month streak in 1998-99.  Furthermore, this was the driest Jan-Feb-March since 1985.       

 

2016 (Thursday)

The fourth mildest March on record came to a fitting end as the afternoon temperature rose into the low 70s.  This was the fifth day this month in the 70s (and seven days had highs in the 60s).  Besides being mild, it was also the sixth driest March, with just 1.17" measured - the driest month in two-and-a-half years - since 0.39" was measured in October 2013.

 

2017 (Friday)

It was a topsy-turvy March, which came in like a lamb (70° on 3/1) and went out like a lion as today featured a soaking, all-day rain (1.51", which came down especially hard after 6 PM) and temperatures that were well below average (high/low of 43°/37°). 

 

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Looking Back at New York Weather: March 2

 

 

 

After Feb. 5 and Feb. 12, March 2 is the third most likely date to have had a snowfall of an inch or more (since 1869), with it occurring in eighteen years (it's happened nineteen times on 2/5 and 2/12 ).  The last time an inch+ fell on this date was in 2019.  The most to fall on 3/2 is 6.5" in 2009.

 

1891 (Monday)

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 in March (7° on 3/7).

 

 

1948 (Tuesday)

2.8" of snow fell this morning before changing to to rain; total precipitation for the day was 1.00".  Last year on the same date, 3.0" of snow fell, with periods of rain; and like this year, 1.00" of precipitation was measured in Central Park.

 

1986 (Sunday)

Since Feb. 18, every day but one had a high between 37° and 40°.  The lows during these thirteen days, however, had a much wider range (from 18° to 36°).

 

1994 (Wednesday)

With today's four-inch snowfall (an additional inch fell the next day), New York's snowfall for the winter passed fifty inches, the most since the winter of 1977-78 (when 50.7" was measured).  Today's snow was the fifth that accumulated four inches or more this winter.

 

 

1996 (Saturday)

With today's snowfall of 4.6", Central Park set a new seasonal snowfall record, with 66.3" measured.  This surpassed the winter of 1947-48, when 63.2" fell (and included, at the time, New York's largest snowfall on record).  Even more distance would be created between this and the previous record by an additional ten inches of snow in the next four weeks.

 

2006 (Thursday)

After today's 0.52" of precipitation (including 1.3" of snow), the rest of the month would receive only 0.28" more, making this the driest March on record. 

 

2007 (Friday)

2.41" of rain poured down in the morning, with the last drops falling before 11 AM (with 2.03" falling between 1-8 AM).  This was a record amount for the date.  (Prior to this year, the record amount for the date was 1.00".)

 

2009 (Monday)

8.3" of snow fell from a fast-moving storm that moved in last night (when 1.8" fell), making it the largest accumulation of the winter - and the most in three years.  12"-15" fell out on Long Island.  This was the last measurable snowfall of the winter.

 

 

2018 (Friday)

The day after March came in like a lamb, a fierce nor'easter battered the area.  Throughout the day, the City was lashed by a wind-driven mix of rain and wet snow that amounted to 2.24" (0.38" of it fell last night).  And although Manhattan was spared gale force winds (peak gusts were around 35 mph), gusts of 50-70 mph were common at New York's three major airports, on Long Island, at the Jersey shore, and in southern New England.  Temperatures were mostly in the mid-to-upper 30s (with wind chills in the upper 20s).

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