Today in New York Weather History: New Year's Day (January 1)

 

 

1869 (Friday)

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

 

1877 (Monday)

The year started with a snowstorm that dumped 13.0" on the City (4.8" this afternoon and evening, 8.2" on the 2nd).  This amount was more than the five snowfalls in December 1876, that totaled slightly more than twelve inches.  Both days of the snowstorm had a high temperature of 24°.

 

1888 (Sunday)

The first day of the year was quite rainy with 2.05" measured in Central Park.  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.)

 

1893 (Sunday)

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.

 

1899 (Sunday)

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

 

1902 (Wednesday)

The morning's low of 13° would be the coldest reading of the winter.  (However, the winter's coldest mean temperature, with a high/low of 20°/14°, would be on Feb. 5.)

 

1919 (Wednesday)

Today's high of 61° was 51 degrees warmer than New Year's Day 1918.  This was a record high that prevailed until 1966, when the high reached 62°.

 

1923 (Monday)

The 1.68" of rain that fell between 5 AM-1 PM made this the second rainiest New Year's Day, following 1888 (which had 2.05").  The day's high of 53° would be the mildest reading of the month, and came just two days after December's coldest reading (12°).

 

1933 (Sunday)

The low of 13° was 49 degrees colder than the reading at 9:30 AM the day before.  Despite the month's cold start (high/low of 28°/13°), this would be the third mildest January on record (following last January, which was the mildest).

 

1935 (Tuesday)

Morning rain (that started out briefly as snow, with an accumulation of 0.8") amounted to 1.09", making this the fourth year to have an inch or more of precipitation on New Year's Day.  Ironically, despite the wet start, 1935 would be, at the time, the second driest year on record, with just 33.85" measured (it's now ranked fourth).  

 

1936 (Wednesday)

The temperature rose above freezing at around 11:30 AM for the first time since 1 PM on 12/20, on its way to a high of 38°.

 

1945 (Monday)

The year began on a mild note, with a high of 55°, but after today there would be no high warmer than 43° for the rest of the month (and no milder until Feb. 27).

 

1966 (Saturday)

The year began very mild with a high/low of 62°/52°, 23 degrees above average.  Today's high was a record for the date and wouldn't be topped for another 11 weeks (3/18).  Overcast skies kept the temperature from rising even higher.

 

1968 (Monday)

It was a bone-chilling first day of the year as the temperature fell from 32° just after midnight to 11° twenty-four hours later.

 

1971 (Friday)

Old Man Winter waited until New Year's Eve revelers were home before dumping the winter's biggest snowfall.  6.4" accumulated between 4 AM and 4 PM (much of it falling in the storm's initial three hours).  This was the 20th  century's biggest New Year's Day snowfall (and second all-time after the nine-inch snowstorm way back in 1869). 

 

1973 (Monday)

Under overcast skies, morning temperatures ranged between 58° and 60° before slowly dropping beginning early in the afternoon.

 

1977 (Saturday)

For the sixth day in a row the high temperature was 32° or colder.  The average high during these days was 26°, fourteen degrees below average.  This morning's low was 15°, the coldest reading on New Year's Day since 1968.

 

1978 (Sunday)

An inch of snow fell during the evening hours - the last time there's been an accumulation of an inch or more on New Year's Day (thru 2025).

 

1982 (Friday)

It was a wet first day of the year as an inch of rain fell through mid-afternoon.

 

1987 (Thursday)

A half-inch of snow fell, the most snow to fall on New Year's Day since 1978 (when there was a one-inch accumulation).  However, the snow was short lived, changing to rain as the temperature rose to 38°.  

 

1998 (Thursday)

The morning low of 14° was the coldest reading of the winter.  Today was also one of just two days this winter with a high temperature at or below freezing (the other day would be March 12).  A typical winter has 17 such days.

 

 

 

1999 (Friday)

The year began with a teeth-chattering morning low of 11°, the coldest reading on New Year's Day since 1968.  This was the third year in a row that started with temperatures that were quite cold. 

 

2003 (Wednesday)

The year began on a rainy note as 1.52" fell, making this the rainiest New Year's Day since 1923.  The rest of January would be very dry, so today's rain accounted for two-thirds of the month's total precipitation.  

 

2005 (Saturday)

Today's afternoon high of 60° was the mildest since New Year's Day 1979 and 1973, and two degrees shy of the record high set in 1966.  It also marked the start of a very mild first half of January in which temperatures averaged 11 degrees above the norm. 

 

2007 (Monday)

A very rainy day, with 1.52" measured; much of it fell between 6-9 AM.  Interestingly, the previous time it rained on New Year's Day, in 2003, the same amount of rain fell.  Today was also very mild, with a high of 56°/low of 45° (18 degrees above average).

 

2008 (Tuesday)

Rain fell for the seventh day in a row, totaling 1.66" during these days.  Today's amount was 0.17".

 

2009 (Thursday)

The year got off to a bone-chilling start, with a high/low of 26°/15°.

 

2011 (Saturday)

A high of 53°/low of 40° made this the mildest day of January, fourteen degrees above average.  The day began sunny but gave way to overcast skies in the afternoon.  

 

2012 (Sunday)

This was the 17th day in a row in which every high temperature was different (since Dec. 16).  Highs ranged between 31° and 62° (today's was 52°).

 

2018 (Monday)

The morning low of 7° was the coldest reading on New Year's Day in 100 years (when it was -4° in 1918).  Today was also the seventh day in a row with a high of 32° or colder (the first streak of this length since Feb. 2014), and the sixth consecutive day with a high of 25° or colder (the first time since Jan. 1981). 

 

2019 (Tuesday)

Very similar to one hundred years ago, today's high of 58°, which occurred in the morning, was 39 degrees warmer than New Year's Day 2018, whereas 1919's high of 61° was 51 degrees warmer than New Year's Day 1918.  Today was the mildest reading on Jan. 1 since 2005.

 

 

2020 (Wednesday)

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

 

2022 (Saturday)

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 among all years.  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.

 

2023 (Sunday)

Temperatures were nearly as mild as a year ago (high/low of 55°/49°), but this year differed in that it featured sunny skies. 

 

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New York Weather Highlights: New Year's Eve (Dec. 31)

 

 

1892 (Saturday)

This was the eleventh day in a row with a high 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.

 

1895 (Tuesday)

This was the fifth day since 12/20 to have a high of 60°, which was the mildest reading of the month.  It wouldn't be this mild again until 3/31.

 

1907 (Tuesday)

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

 

1917 (Tuesday)

The year ended on a bitterly cold note, one of New York's coldest days on record, as the high/low was only +6°/-7°.  When the ball dropped in Times Square the temperature was one degree above zero - by far the coldest ball-drop temperature (the second coldest reading, 9°, occurred 100 years later).  And the wind chill was around -20°.

 

 

1926 (Friday)

Today's snowfall of 0.4" (which fell after 9 PM) was the eleventh day this month with measurable snow, with all but one of these days getting less than an inch.  The one day to see more than an inch was 12/5 which had 7.9", the biggest snowfall of the winter.  The other ten days with measurable snow had a combined amount of 3.8".

 

1935 (Tuesday)

Today's high was 29°, making this the eleventh day in a row with a sub-freezing high temperature.  The average high/low during these days was 26°/16°, fourteen degrees below average.  (Later in the winter, in February, there would be a twelve-day streak with highs of 32° or colder.)

 

1948 (Friday)

This was the rainiest as well as snowiest New Year's Eve on record as the temperature fell during the day from 52° to 25°.  Total precipitation was 1.40"; four inches of snow fell during the evening (and an additional 1.5" fell after midnight).  The second half of December was, like today, very wet and snowy, with six inches of precipitation measured, and 25.3" of snow. 

 

 

1962 (Monday)

With a high/low of just 13°/4° (25 degrees below average), this was the second coldest New Year's Eve on record (as mentioned earlier, 1917 was the coldest).  The cold was made even more bitter by high winds that gusted between 35-45 mph.  When the ball dropped at midnight in Times Square the temperature was 11°, with a wind chill of around 15° below zero.  This last day of 1962 was the coldest of the entire year, much colder than Feb. 11, the previous coldest day, which had a high/low of 25°/4°.

 

 

1966 (Saturday)

This was the 13th day in a row in which lows were in the 20s, ranging between 22° and 28°.  (During these days, daily highs ranged from 26° to 48°.)

 

1967 (Sunday)

December ended much like November, with light snow falling from mid-afternoon to a little past midnight on New Year's Day.  In total, 3.3" fell, with three inches of it accumulating today.

 

1970 (Thursday)

High temperatures over the past ten days ranged between 30° and 34°, about eight degrees colder than average. 

 

1972 (Sunday)

Today was the nineteenth day this month to have measurable precipitation (0.36" fell), the most for any month in the 20th century (tied just five months later in May 1973, and many years later in May 2019).  The temperature rose throughout the day, and when the ball dropped in Times Square it was a very mild 59°.

 

1973 (Monday)

The year ended on a raw and damp note.  Between 11 PM and midnight 0.05" of rain fell, and the temperature was 33° when the ball dropped in Times Square.  Today's 0.29" of rainfall brought the month's total precipitation to just under ten inches (9.98").

 

1975 (Wednesday)

Showers moved in after dark, and between 11 PM and midnight 0.05" of cold rain fell.  When the countdown to 1976 took place, the temperature was in the mid-30s.  This was the fourth year in a row to have rain falling when the ball dropped at Times Square.

 

1980 (Wednesday)

The year ended on a shivery note, with a high/low of 27°/14°.  The morning low was the coldest for the date since 1962's +4°.

 

1987 (Thursday)

After a quite cold morning low of 15°, the temperature rose to 40° by midnight.

 

 

 

1989 (Sunday)

This was the only day of this very cold month with an above average mean temperature (high of 53°/low of 31°).  It was also the wettest New Year's Eve since 1948 as 0.52" fell - the only significant rainfall of a bone dry month in which just 0.31" was measured before today. 

(Going into December it appeared 1989 would go down as the wettest year on record as only 2.76" was needed to pass 1972's total of 67.03", but it was not to be as just 0.83" was measured.)

 

1992 (Thursday)

The temperature rose to a very mild 61°, one degree warmer than last year, and the mildest reading on the last day of the year since 1965's record of 63°.

 

1993 (Friday)

It was a very cold end to the year as today and the past five days averaged 11 degrees below average (high of 27°/low of 16°).  This frigid trend would continue in January.

 

1996 (Tuesday)

A cold front moved through during the afternoon and by midnight the temperature had plummeted to 15°, with a wind chill near zero.

 

1998 (Thursday)

Today's high/low of 25°/17° made this the coldest day of the month.  The previous three years also had very cold morning lows on this date: 17°, 17°, and 15°.

 

2001 (Monday)

Whereas 1989's bitterly cold December ended on a mild note, this December, which was the mildest on record (until 2015), ended cold, with a high/low of 31°/20°.  This would be the coldest day of a mild winter.  Five of the past six New Year's Eves had temperatures well below average (the exception being 1999's high/low of 43°/34°).

 

 

 

2003 (Wednesday)

The last ten days of the year were close to 10 degrees milder than average (high 51°/low 38°).

 

2006 (Sunday)

The year ended with twenty-one days in a row with above average temperatures, which averaged 12 degrees milder than normal.  During these days no temperature of freezing or colder was reported.  This was also just the second December to have no measurable snow, not even a "trace".

 

2008 (Wednesday)

This morning's low of 18° was the coldest on this date in ten years.  

 

2009 (Thursday)

1.5" of snow fell, the first measurable snowfall on New Year's Eve since 1967, when three inches accumulated.  2009 was the seventh year in a row with more than 50 inches of precipitation.  The average over these years was 56.40", seven inches above average.  This December's total precipitation of 7.27" surpassed the previous December's 6.62", making it the wettest since 1973.  (Dec. 2009 and 2008 both ranked among the ten wettest)  

 

 

 

2011 (Saturday)

The year ended on a mild note, with a high of 54°/low of 46°, the tenth day of the month in which temperatures were ten degrees or more above average.  Today was sixteen degrees above the norm.  The month ended up being the fourth mildest December on record (now ranked seventh).  It was also just the third December since 1900 to have no measurable snow, or even a "trace" (the second such December was five years ago). 

 

2012 (Monday)

The morning low of 28° tied 12/30 and 12/26 as the coldest reading of the month.  No December had its coldest temperature this mild (a record broken in 2015, when the coldest temperature in Dec. 2015 was 34°).  The typical coldest temperature in December is 16°.     

 

2014 (Wednesday)

Under sunny skies, it was a frosty close to the year, with a high/low of 32°/27°.  (Last year also ended with a high of 32°.)  Today's high was the first this winter at 32° or colder, nine days later than average. 

 

2015 (Thursday)

With a high/low of 48°/42°, today was the 18th day this month with a mean temperature that was 10 degrees or more above average.  Thus ended the first month on record in which no day reported a below average mean temperature.  (December's chilliest day, 12/19, was two degrees above average, with a high/low of 40°/35°).  

 

2017 (Sunday)

The coldest reading of the entire year occurred tonight when the temperature fell to 9° shortly before midnight (wind chill was -5°).  This was the second coldest reading for the ball-drop at Times Square, besting 1962's temperature by two degrees (2017 was also the 100-year anniversary of the coldest ball-drop reading).  Today, with a high/low of 20°/9°, was the sixth day in a row with a high colder than 32°, and the fifth in a row colder than 25°.  The last time New York experienced this many consecutive days with highs of 25° or colder was in January 2004.

 

 

2018 (Monday)

Light rain that moved in mid-afternoon became a soaking rain after 7:30.  Not only was this the first New Year's Eve since 1994 in which rain fell during the ball drop in Times Square, it was also the wettest New Year's Eve since 1948.  This was the fourth day since 12/16 to have more than an inch of rain and it brought December's rainfall well above six inches (no measurable snow fell this month), making it the fifth month of the past six to have six inches or more.  Finally, today's 1.02" rainfall moved 2018 up to fourth place on the all-time list of wettest years (65.55", more than fifteen inches above average). 

 

2021 (Friday)

It was an overcast day, but temperatures were unseasonably mild, with a high/low of 55°/48°.  The high was the mildest 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 2022 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).

 

2022 (Saturday)

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.'s  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.

 

 

2024 (Tuesday)

After thunderstorms (accompanied by rare December lightning) moved through between 8:30-11 PM (producing 0.40" of rain), dry conditions returned before the ball-drop in Times Square (the temperature was in the mid-40s).  Today was the 17th day this month with measurable precipitation in Central Park, the most such days in a month since July 2021 (which had 18).  Despite this high number, the amount of precipitation (4.53") was an average amount for the month.       

 

 

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Today in New York Weather History: Christmas Day Highlights (December 25)

 

 

1897 (Saturday)

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. 

 

1902 (Wednesday)

6.5" of snow fell, the biggest snowfall on Christmas Day until 1909, and it came 12 days after a snowfall of 6.1".

 

1909 (Saturday)

Snow began falling mid-afternoon, and by midnight seven inches had accumulated (an additional inch fell after midnight).  After 9 PM winds gusted to 30 mph.  This snowfall exceeded the Christmas snowfall of 1902 by half an inch, making this the snowiest Christmas Day on record (a record that still stands).

 

1910 (Sunday)

Today was the thirteenth (and last) day this month with a high of 32° or colder.

 

1920 (Saturday)

Today had the winter's first high of 32° or colder (but there was no white Christmas - the winter's first measurable snowfall would arrive tomorrow evening).

 

1940 (Wednesday)

Under clear skies, today's very mild high of 62° (two degrees shy of the 1889 record) was twice as warm as Easter's bitingly cold high of 31° (the only Easter with a sub-freezing high). 

 

1945 (Tuesday)

A two-week deep-freeze loosened its grip as the temperature climbed from 20° to 51° after dark.  (The average high/low of the previous two weeks was 28°/17°.)  The milder air was drawn up by a coastal storm that lashed the area in the PM hours with 50 mph winds and 1.26" of rain. 

 

 

1955 (Sunday)

Every day between Dec. 19 and Jan. 2 had well below average temperatures except for today, which had a high of 51° under mostly sunny skies.

 

1963 (Wednesday)

With a high/low of 39°/33°, this was the first Christmas since 1955 that was completely above freezing.  Despite these temperatures the day dawned with a thick mantle of white left from the snowstorm of 12/23-24, that dumped 6.6" of snow on the City.  This was the fourth Christmas Day of the past five to have an inch or more of snow on the ground.

 

1965 (Saturday)

One year after the high reached 60° on Christmas Day, today's high was 59°.  It was also rainy, with 0.65" falling between 11 AM and 9 PM.  Today's high was seven degrees warmer than Easter Sunday's.  The rain that fell today was the last measurable precipitation to fall this year, which was by far the driest year on record - just 26.09" was measured at Central Park, nearly seven inches less than the previous driest year - which was 1964.

 

1966 (Sunday)

Yesterday's snowstorm ended in the wee hours of Christmas morning, leaving seven inches on the ground at daybreak.  Skies cleared in the morning, and temperatures were well below average, with a high/low of 32°/23°. 

 

1968 (Wednesday)

Under clear skies it was windy and very cold, with a high/low of 23°/13° (sixteen degrees below average).  Wind chills were between zero and +5° for much of the day.

 

1969 (Thursday)

The day started sunny, but as an intense winter storm approached, clouds moved in during the afternoon and light snow began falling after dark, with 2.1" on the ground by midnight.  Temperatures were quite cold, with a high/low of 29°/14°.  (The worst of the storm would be on the 26th, with the City getting an additional 4.2" of snow, and then a lashing of rain accompanied by winds gusting over 40 mph.) 

 

1970 (Friday)

Just three degrees separated today's high and low (32°/29°), the fifth day since Dec. 11 to have such a narrow diurnal variation - highly unusual since a typical year averages just two days with a variation this narrow.  This was the third year in a row in which Christmas Day had a high of 32° or colder, just the second time with a streak this long on 12/25 (the other occurred in 1883, 1884 and 1885).  

 

1974 (Wednesday)

One month after the first measurable snow of the season fell, the second snowfall of the season occurred early in the evening.  And like last month, it was the same insignificant amount - 0.1".

 

1975 (Thursday)

Most of the 1.8" of snow that fell on Dec. 23 was gone, but a mix of sleet/snow/freezing rain this afternoon and evening accumulated 0.5", giving the City a touch of a white Christmas.  The day's high occurred as midnight approached, with the temperature reaching 33°.

 

1976 (Saturday)

The first snow of the season arrived tonight, and by daybreak on 12/26, 3.1" had accumulated (just 0.4" fell on 12/25).  This was the third year in a row in which measurable snow fell on Christmas Day, the only time snow has fallen on the holiday in three consecutive years (but none of the years had an inch or more of accumulation).

 

1978 (Monday)

Santa needed an umbrella as steady rain in the pre-dawn hours amounted to 0.79" (this was on top of 0.69" that fell yesterday evening).  The rest of the day was overcast and raw, with a high/low of 45°/35° - which was almost identical to Easter's high/low (44°/34°).

 

 

 

1979 (Tuesday)

It was a very mild holiday that started off rainy; 0.87" fell, mostly around daybreak (5-8 AM).  While the day's high of 61° was the mildest since Christmas Day 1940's 62°, the morning low of 50° was the mildest ever on Dec. 25 (until 2015).  Today's high/low was nearly identical to that of this year's mild Thanksgiving Day (61°/50° vs. 60°/51°) - and it was milder than this year's Easter Sunday (55°/42°).

 

1980 (Thursday)

This morning's frigid morning low of 1° below zero (30 degrees below average) was the coldest reading of the year, and a record for Christmas Day.  And making  the cold even more stinging, gale force winds produced a "feels like" temperature of -25°.

 

 

 

1982 (Saturday)

Two years after the coldest temperature on record for Christmas Day, today's high of 64° tied 1889 as the mildest Christmas reading on record (until 2015).  It was also eight degrees milder than this year's Easter Sunday.

 

 

 

1983 (Sunday)

Similar to three years ago, Christmas Day turned out to be the coldest day of the year, with a high of 13°/low of 4°.  The day was 27 degrees colder than a typical Dec. 25 (41°/29°).

 

1984 (Tuesday)

Today was the twentieth day this year in which 0.01" of precipitation was measured (between 1-2 AM), the most of any year in the 1970-2023 period.  The annual average is eleven days.

 

1985 (Wednesday)

The temperature tumbled all day, from a morning high of 48°, to a biting cold 20° by midnight.

 

1986 (Thursday)

It was a wet Christmas Eve/Christmas morning as 1.05" of rain fell during Santa's peak travel time, 7PM (yesterday)-3AM (today).

 

1988 (Sunday)

This was the third year in a row in which Christmas Day had the mild high temperature of 53°.

 

1990 (Tuesday)

Just two days after a high/low of 66°/57°, today's high was a frosty 31° - the first day of the winter with a high temperature of 32° or colder. 

 

1994 (Sunday)

Today's high of 59°/low of 41°, fifteen degrees above average, made this the mildest Christmas in twelve years.  The high/low was on-par with this year's Easter Sunday (61°/43°).

 

1999 (Saturday)

Today's high of 28°/low of 19° made this the coldest day of the month.

 

2000 (Monday)

With a high of 27°/low of 15°, this was the coldest Christmas Day since 1989.  It was also the coldest day of the winter (later tied by Feb. 22).

 

2002 (Wednesday)

A sloppy winter storm produced the most precipitation on record on Christmas Day (1.30"), and the most snow (five inches) since 1909 (when seven inches fell).  Morning/afternoon rain changed to snow later in the afternoon.  This was the first Christmas Day snowfall of an inch or more in thirty-three years - and the last time measurable snow fell on the holiday (through 2023).

 

 

 

2010 (Saturday)

It was calm and cold (high 32°/low 25°) the day before a blizzard moved up the coast, a storm that seemed to come from out of nowhere.    

 

2013 (Wednesday)

With a high of 31°/19°, this was the coldest Christmas Day since 2000.  This was quite a contrast from three days earlier when the high/low was 71°/61°.  

 

2014 (Thursday)

Today's mild high of 62° (reached shortly before 4 AM) was twice as warm as last Christmas - and two degrees warmer than Easter Sunday 2014.  Showers in the early morning hours made this the fifteenth day with precipitation this month - the most of any month his year. 

 

2015 (Friday)

For the second day in a row a record high maximum and minimum temperature were set.  The high of 66° occurred just after midnight.  The low of 57° was seven degrees milder than the previous record.  This was the month's fourth record daily maximum and fifth record minimum.  And for the second year in a row Christmas Day was warmer than Easter Sunday.

 

2016 (Sunday)

At 43° today's mean temperature (eight degrees above average) was identical to that of Thanksgiving Day (one degree above average).  However, the high/low were slightly different, with today's high of 50° two degrees warmer than Thanksgiving Day, and the low of 36° two degrees colder.

 

2020 (Friday)

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°).

 

2022 (Sunday)

The day featured clear skies and cold temperatures, but today's high/low of 28°/14° was nearly twice as warm as yesterday's frigid 15°/7°.  This was the first Christmas Day with a high of 32° or colder since 2013.  The last time the low temperature was so cold on 12/25 was in 1989.

 

2024 (Wednesday)

After snowfalls of 1.8" on 12/21, and an inch yesterday, enough snow covered the ground to give New York its first "white Christmas" since 2009.  The day's temperatures were slightly colder than average, with a high/low of 35°/28° (the low was reached shortly before midnight).  Today was colder than two-thirds of New York's previous Christmas Days (going back to 1869).

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Today in New York Weather History: Christmas Eve (December 24)

  

 

1912 (Tuesday)

A morning snowstorm dumped 11.4", Christmas Eve's biggest snowfall on record.  Snow fell heaviest between 4-9 AM, when it fell at a rate of 1.5" per hour.

 

1961 (Sunday)

The biggest snowfall of the winter began after dark on the 23rd and continued off and on, occasionally mixing with sleet overnight,  then becoming more steady in the PM hours today, lasting until midnight.  All told, 6.2" of snow accumulated.  Temperatures ranged between the upper-20s and mid-30s. 

 

1966 (Saturday)

Snow and sleet began falling around noon and by the time it ended in the wee hours of Christmas morning, 7.1" had piled up (6.7" fell today).  There were two heavy periods of snow, one between noon and 3 PM, the second between 6-9 PM.  Temperatures were quite cold, with a high/low of 26°/22°.  More than a foot of snow fell in eastern PA, western NJ, and the Hudson Valley in NY State.

 

 

1975 (Saturday)

A high of 23°/low of 16° made this the coldest day of the entire year, 13 degrees colder than average.

 

1980 (Wednesday)

An inch of snow fell during the afternoon, triggered by the arrival of a mass of Arctic air.  The temperature dropped from 37° in the morning to 20° by midnight (and would bottom out at -1° by sunrise on Christmas morning).

 

1983 (Saturday)

After Arctic air swooped in yesterday, today's temperature fell throughout the day, and by midnight it was a bone-chilling +6°, a record for the date.  Just under an inch of snow fell, delivering somewhat of a white Christmas.  This was quite a contrast to springlike temperatures experienced a year earlier at Christmas time.

 

 

1984 (Monday)

Today was the last of fifteen mild days in a row, a stretch in which temperatures were 11 degrees above average.

 

1985 (Tuesday)

Today's high of 55° was the mildest reading of the month.

 

1989 (Sunday)

This morning's low of 9° made it the third day in a row that dawned with a low in the single digits (it was 6° yesterday, and 8° two days ago).

 

 

1990 (Monday)

High temperatures over the past four days: 59° on 12/21; 61° on 12/22; 66° on 12/23; and 63° today.   These highs were 20 degrees above average.  Today's high was reached before sunrise then fell all day and was at 29° by midnight.  This was the seventh day this year to have a swing in temperature of 33 degrees or more - the most of any year on record (through 2024). 

 

1996 (Tuesday)

Today's high was a very mild, and un-Christmas-like, 63°, tying the record for the date - and more typical of holiday temperatures in Atlanta. 

 

1998 (Thursday)

Two inches of snow fell before daybreak, the first snowfall of the winter.  With a high of 32°/low of 23°, this was only the second colder-than-average day of a very mild December .

 

 

 

1999 (Friday)

Today's high of 30°, ten degrees colder than average, was the first high temperature of 32° or colder this winter.

 

2001 (Monday)

Today's 0.51" of rain was the last precipitation of the year, the driest year since 1970.  The year's total of 35.56" was 14 inches below average.  The past three months had only 4.26" of rain, one-third the normal amount. 

 

2003 (Wednesday)

It was a rainy Christmas Eve as 1.42" fell during the daylight hours (5 AM-6 PM), a record for the date.  The day's mean temperature of 51° was the mildest of the month (high of 56°/low of 46°).

 

2013 (Tuesday)

For the second day in a row temperatures fell throughout the day.  After falling from 64° to 42° yesterday, today's temperature fell from 42° to 26°.  It was also windy (gusts to 30 mph), so temperatures in the afternoon and evening felt like they were in the low and mid-teens.

 

2014 (Wednesday)

It was a rainy day (0.80" fell), the fifth gloomy day in a row.  The mild high of 58° was reached at 9 PM.

 

2015 (Thursday)

It was an extraordinarily mild day, with a record high of 72°, which followed a record-warm low of 63° (the warmest low temperature ever recorded in December.)  This low temperature was the same as the previous record high for the date.  The day's mean temperature was 33 degrees above average.  These spring-like conditions came just two years after a high/low of 71°/62° on Dec. 22.

 

 

2021 (Friday)

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).  And it was the smallest first snowfall since the winter of 2014-15, when it was also 0.2" (but occurred a month earlier, on 11/26).   By contrast, last winter's first snowfall, on 12/16-17, amounted to 10.5".

 

2022 (Saturday)

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 temperature 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).  

 

2024 (Tuesday)

An inch of snow fell between 7-9 AM, which was just the second time this century that measurable snow fell on Christmas Eve day.  And it was the most on this date since 1998, when 2.4" accumulated in Central Park.  By lunchtime, the sun was out and the high reached a seasonable 39°. 

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Today in New York Weather History: Thanksgiving Day Weather Highlights

 

 

1901 (11/28)

Today would have been quite cold even by the standards of mid-winter as the high/low was only 26°/19°, making this the second coldest Thanksgiving Day of all time (based on mean temperature).  The day's low reading tied Thanksgiving 1876 for the second coldest minimum temperature reported on the holiday.  (The coldest Thanksgiving was in 1871, with a frigid high/low of 22°/15°.)

 

1924 (11/27)

Sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 30s greeted spectators of the first Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.  The day's high and low was a seasonable 49°/34°. 

 

1926 (11/25)

For the second year in a row, the high/low on Thanksgiving Day was 43°/32°; skies were clear in both years as well.

 

1927 (11/24)

Although it was just 0.14", the light rain on Thanksgiving Day fell during the fourth Macy's Christmas Parade.  The rain put somewhat of a damper on the debut of the parade's famous helium balloons.  

 

1933 (11/30)

Today's high of 69° was not only Nov. 1933's mildest reading, it was the mildest reading of any Thanksgiving Day (a record that's still standing).  Ironically, this touch of springtime occurred during the 10th coldest November on record (now ranked 11th).

 

1935 (11/28)

This was the third year in a row with a very mild Thanksgiving Day.  In fact, all three are still ranked among the ten mildest: 1933 (high/low of 69°/50°); 1934 (60°/54°); and 1935 (62°/50°).

 

 

1938 (11/24)

It was a raw, cold and windy Thanksgiving Day (high/low of 34°/21°), with snow and sleet moving in late in the afternoon and continuing into the following day.  3.9" accumulated today, and 4.9" the following morning.

 

1971 (11/25)

Beginning late last night and continuing through this morning, a nor'easter lashed the area.  1.06" of rain fell, making this the rainiest Thanksgiving Day since 1935.  Besides the wind and rain, it was also cold, with a high/low of 39°/33°.  Ferocious winds that gusted to 63 mph in Central Park produced wind chills that were in the low 20s.  These high winds also forced parade officials to ground Macy's famed parade balloons - the only time this has happened.  

 

1972 (11/23)

With a high/low of 35°/21°, this was the coldest Thanksgiving Day since 1941.  It was also the coldest day this November.  One bright spot was that skies were clear.

 

1973 (11/22)

A year after the coldest Thanksgiving Day in many years, this year's was the mildest in 40 years as the high/low was 64°/53°, fourteen degrees above average.  Skies were mostly sunny.

 

1975 (11/27)

0.45" of rain fell between 5 AM-1 PM, making for a damp Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

 

 

1978 (11/23)

Rain moved in after 3 PM, long after the parade had ended, and by midnight 0.77" had been measured.  Temperatures were chillier than average, with a high/low of 49°/31°.

 

1985 (11/28)

1.15" of rain fell during a dreary afternoon and evening.  At the time this amount tied 1935 as the wettest Turkey Day.  

 

1989 (11/23)

This was the snowiest Thanksgiving on record as 4.4" fell during the morning (but was mostly over by the start of the Macy's parade).  The previous record was in 1938 when 3.9" fell.  This very early snowfall (4.7" when including what fell the previous night) would be greater than any in the the upcoming winter.

 

  

 

1994 (11/25)

Thanksgiving Day was the coldest day of this November, with a high/low of 41°/25° (12 degrees colder than average).  And it was as equally cold as last Thanksgiving, which had a high/low of 40°/26°.

 

1996 (11/28)

Today's winter-like high/low of 31°/23° was 16 degrees below average, with a dusting of snow.  The morning low was the coldest recorded on Thanksgiving since 1972's 21°.

 

1997 (11/27)

High winds resulted in four spectators watching the Macy's Thanksgiving parade being injured when the Cat in the Hat balloon was blown into a street lamp at 72nd St.  (A piece of the lamp struck a young woman, putting her in a coma for more than three weeks).

 

1998 (11/26)

Two-thirds of the month's below-average rainfall was reported today (0.97"), most of it falling between 7 AM-noon.  More than half of it poured down during the Macy's parade (10 AM-noon).  Up until today it appeared this was the going to be the second driest November on record. 

 

2002 (11/28)

Thanksgiving Day 2002 was the coldest day of November (similar to Thanksgiving 1994), with a high/low of 35°/24°, thirteen degrees below average.

 

2004 (11/25)

It was a mild Thanksgiving Day through early afternoon, with temperatures in the 60s during the morning hours, but after the temperature peaked at 65° in the early afternoon, a cold front moved through and the mercury fell 30 degrees by midnight.  The day's high was the mildest Thanksgiving Day reading since 1966, when the high was also 65°.

 

2005 (11/24)

A strong cold front blew through during the afternoon and the temperature plummeted from 49° to 24° by midnight.  There were light showers before and after the Macy's parade.

 

2006 (11/23)

An all-day rain totaling 1.72" made this the wettest Thanksgiving on record, easily topping 1985's and 1935's previous record of 1.15".  Temperatures were chilly, with a high/low of 44°/40°.

 

 

 

2007 (11/22)

Today's high of 66° was the second mildest reading on Thanksgiving Day, behind 1933's high of 69°.

 

2013 (11/28)

This was the third consecutive Thanksgiving that fell on 11/28 with a subfreezing temperature at the start of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.  This year it was 30° at 9 AM (in 2002 it was 27°, and in 1996 it was 26°).

 

2014 (11/27)

It was a raw and gray day, with temperatures stuck in the 30s (high/low of 38°/34°).  Snow flurries fell during the Macy's parade.

 

2018 (11/22)

A week after one of the biggest November snowfalls on record (6.4"), today, with a winter-like high/low of 28°/17° (the low occurred just before midnight), became the second coldest Thanksgiving Day on record; only Thanksgiving 1871 was colder.

 

 

2020 (11/26)

A pre-dawn deluge was a distant memory when the sun came out in the afternoon, and the temperature rose into the mid-60s.  Not only was today's high of 65° tied for third warmest on Thanksgiving Day (behind 1933's 69° and 2007's 66°), the 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 most since 2006 (which was the rainiest Thanksgiving on record.  

 

2022 (11/24)

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 belting out the number "Don’t Rain On My Parade".  The day had close to seasonable temperatures, with a high/low of 54°/40°.

 

 

2024 (11/28)

It was a soggy day as 0.86" of rain fell between sunrise and early afternoon, covering the entirety of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.  This was the rainiest Thanksgiving Day since 2006, and the seventh rainiest on record.  From 8 AM until noon visibility was less two miles.

 

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Today in New York Weather History: Halloween (October 31)

 

 

1933 (Tuesday)

Today's high of 76° was the warmest reading since 10/1 and occurred less than a week after two days had morning lows of 32°. 

 

1946 (Thursday)

Today's weather was an absolute treat as the temperature soared to a record 81°.  This followed yesterday's record high of 82°.

 

1947 (Friday)

Today's chilly high of 47° was the first day this month with a high below 60°.  Ironically, 10/1 had the month's first, and only, low in the 30s (today's low was 44°).  In between, the days were mild enough to make this the mildest October on record (later tied by Oct. 2007, and bested by Oct. 2017).

 

1956 (Wednesday)

2.41" of rain fell, making this the rainiest Halloween on record (meanwhile, 3.30" rain was measured at LaGuardia Airport).  And although the bulk of the rain occurred between 11 AM and 4 PM, when 1.74" was measured, rain was still falling in the evening hours (0.33" was measured between 7-11 PM).  Until today, October had received just 1.20" of rain.

 

1972 (Tuesday)

Partly cloudy and chilly, with a high/low of 48°/35°, eleven degrees below average.  When the kiddies were out at 7 PM ringing doorbells and collecting their treats the temperature was a brisk 42°.  This was an appropriate end to the most below average October (-4.8 degrees) since 1925.

 

1974 (Thursday)

A very chilly October (4.6 degrees below average) ended on a mild note, with a high/low of 70°/60° (11 degrees above average).  This was the only day with a low temperature of 60° or milder.  At peak trick-or-treat time (7 PM) the temperature was still a pleasant 66°.

 

 

1975 (Friday)

Sunny and brisk, with a high/low of 50°/31°, eleven degrees below average.  When trick-or-treaters were out and about, the temperature was a nippy 43°.  The morning low was the first temperature of 32° or colder this fall, a few weeks earlier than usual.

 

1984 (Wednesday)

Temperatures during the past two weeks were 10 degrees above average.  Half of the days had highs in the 70s, including today which topped out at 72° (versus an average high around 60°).

 

1988 (Monday)

This morning's low of 31° was the earliest sub-freezing reading since 1976.  And it matched the 31° low of Halloween 1975.

 

1989 (Tuesday)

It was a rainy Halloween.  Over a 12-hour period (11 AM-11 PM), 0.89" fell.  On the positive side, it was the sixth day in a row with temperatures ten degrees or more above average (high/low of 66°/60°).  Today's rain was the first to fall on this date since 1976.

 

1991 (Thursday)

An intense nor'easter (made famous by Sebastian Junger's book The Perfect Storm) brought gusty winds of 30-40 mph, but stayed far enough offshore that NYC received just a a trace of rain.  

 

 

 

1993 (Sunday)

Rain that began yesterday morning continued thru 11:00 tonight.  During this day-and-a-half of inclement weather, 1.68" of rain fell, 0.71" of which fell today.  For the entire event, the rain came down hardest during the Greenwich Village Halloween Parade as 0.25" fell between 8-9 PM.

 

1994 (Monday)

Today's high of 73° made this the warmest Halloween since 1961 (when the high reached 76°).

 

2007 (Wednesday)

This October tied October 1947 as the mildest on record, a whopping seven degrees above average.  And today was one of the twenty-five days this month with above-average temps (average high/low of 64°/49°, five degrees above average).

 

2009 (Saturday)

It was a very mild day (high of 71°), but light rain began falling just as the Greenwich Village Halloween parade was getting underway.  Although just 0.17" fell over five hours, this was the first rain to fall on Halloween night in 14 years.    

 

2012 (Wednesday)

In 2011 many of New York's suburbs postponed or cancelled trick-or-treating because of power outages caused by the unprecedented snowstorm two days earlier.  This year, most Halloween festivities were once again cancelled, this time due to power outages caused by superstorm Sandy which struck two days earlier. 

And for the first time in its 39-year history Greenwich Village's Halloween parade was cancelled.  The day itself was chilly and mostly overcast with a high of just 50°. 

 

 

2013 (Thursday)

The 0.06" of rain that fell from showers during lunchtime and after 11 PM was just enough to keep this month from becoming one of the ten driest on record.  With only 0.36", October 2013 ranked twelfth and was the driest month since August 1995 (when 0.18" was measured).

 

2017 (Tuesday)

As the warmest October on record came to a close, today had the chilliest high temperature of the month.  But at 57° it was only two degrees chillier than average.  And it was a beautiful day under clear skies. 

 

2019 (Friday)

It was a very mild day, with the warmest readings occurring after dark.  The high of 71° didn't occur until close to midnight.  This was the mildest reading since 10/14 and the mildest reading on Halloween in ten years (another high of 71°). 

Besides being so mild (the low was 60°) it was also uncomfortably humid, with the dew point in the mid-60s, and humidity in the 85-90% range.  Luckily for trick-or-treaters, showers that produced 0.54" of rain were over by noon.  (Also, a strong cold front that triggered some violent storms didn't reach the City until after midnight.) 

 

2020 (Saturday)

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 three weeks earlier than the average date of the first low of 32° or below.  And it was the coldest reading this year since March 1 (when the low was 25°). 

 

2024 (Thursday)

Today was a pure "treat" as skies were sunny and the high temperature reached 81°, tying the 1946 record.  Only 1993, 1974 and 1950 had their last 80-degree reading on a later date.  (2023's last 80-degree high occurred very late as well, on 10/28.)  Today had the 94th reading of 80+ this year, the most since 2016 (average number is 86).

This unseasonable warmth drew attention away from this October becoming the driest month on record in Central Park, with just 0.01" of rainfall (it fell on 10/29).  The previous driest month was June 1949, when 0.02" was measured.   

 

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New York City Marathon Weather Highlights (1970 - 2024)

 

 

The New York City Marathon is one of the highlights of autumn in New York.  On Marathon Sunday the day's high/low has averaged 62°/47°, with the temperature at the start of the race typically in the low 50s.  Temperatures have warmed into the upper 60s or higher during fifteen of the races, and they've been in the cold low 40s or colder at start time in half a dozen years.  (Many runners consider temperatures in the 45°-55° range optimal.)  Rain has rarely been a factor as it's fallen during the race only five times - the last time was in 2017 (but it was a light mist that amounted to just 0.01") 

 

The average temperature on race day masks a difference between earlier and more recent races.  During the race's first 25 years the average high/low was 65°/51°, but since 1995 temperatures have been considerably cooler, averaging 56°/43°.  This is largely due to the fact that early races were held in September and October; now they're run in the first week of November.  What follows are weather highlights of past races:   

 

 

• 1970 (Sept. 13) - The first New York City Marathon took place under sunny skies and warm temperatures.  Although the morning low was a refreshing 58°, when the race got underway the temperature had risen into the low 70s.  During the afternoon it warmed to 80°, which was a few degrees above average.

• 1974 (Sept. 29) - This was the first Marathon to see rain as thundershowers produced 0.32" of rain between 2-3:00 PM and 0.10" between 4-5:00 PM.  It was also a warm day, with a start-time temperature of 74°.

• 1975 (Sept. 28) - Runners breathed a sigh of relief as the City dried out from a string of rainy days that produced 8.50" of rain over eight consecutive days, ending Friday.  This included an unprecedented four days in row in which more than an inch of rain fell.  Today, however, was sunny with near seasonable temperatures (high/low of 69°/57°). 

• 1976 (Oct. 24) - A raw, gray and damp day.  When the race started the temperature was in the upper 40s and light showers moved in after 2:00 PM.  This was the first race to go through each of NYC's five boroughs - and the first time the race was held in late October.

 

 

 

• 1977 (Oct. 23) - A cold front moved through during the early afternoon, dropping the temperature from 56° at 1 PM to 44° at 4 PM.

• 1979 (Oct. 21) - This was the marathon run in the warmest conditions, with temperatures in the 70s throughout and topping off at 80°, twenty-three degrees above average.  (At least it was cooler than the next day when the afternoon high soared to 88°.)

• 1980 (Oct. 26) - Quite a contrast from last year's race.  Although it wasn't rainy like yesterday morning, when 1.76" fell, runners had to contend with temperatures in the 40s and winds that gusted between 25-40 mph.

• 1983 (Oct. 23) - Rain moved in shortly before noon and 0.69" had fallen by 6:00 PM (and continued through the night).

• 1984 (Oct. 28) - With a high/low of 79°/62°, today was the warmest day of October and one of the warmest Marathon Sundays on record.  Besides the warm temperatures, it was also on the humid side.
  

• 1990 (Nov. 4) - Following a Saturday that had an unseasonably warm high of 78°, today was also very mild, with a high/low of 73°/58° - fifteen degrees above average.  Skies were a mix of sun and clouds.  

• 1992 (Nov. 1) - With a high/low of 51°/40°, seven degrees below average, today was the chilliest Marathon Sunday in ten years.  It was also breezy, with winds coming off the ocean. 

• 1993 (Nov. 14) - Although this was the latest date of any Marathon, the day was very mild, with a high/low of 72°/54° - 15 degrees warmer than average.  (The following day the high soared to 80°.)

• 1994 (Nov. 6) - Although just 0.01" of rain fell, it came just as the winner of the mens' race, German Silva of Mexico, was running his last mile.

• 1995 (Nov. 12) - This was the race with the coldest conditions as the temperature at race time was 40°, and only went up a few degrees as the race went on.  Winds gusting between 30-45 mph produced wind chills in the upper 20s.

• 1997 (Nov. 2) - A hard rain fell between 1:30-2:30 PM, amounting to 0.52".  This was the last time rain fell during the race until 2017 (when only 0.01" was measured).

• 2003 (Nov. 2) - Today's high of 68° made this the race with the mildest temperature since the 1994 Marathon.  But although today's high was ten degrees above average, it was considerably cooler than yesterday's and tomorrow's respective highs of 77° and 79°.

 

 

 

• 2005 (Nov. 6) - This was the third year in a row in which temperatures rose into the upper 60s (ten degrees above average).  Temperatures wouldn't rise into the 60s on race day for another ten years. 
  

• 2010 (Nov. 7) - The morning low was 36°, six degrees colder than average.  Only three race days have started out chillier.

• 2011 (Nov. 6) - One week after a record-breaking early season snowstorm (2.9" fell), conditions were perfect for the race, with bright blue skies and temperatures in the optimal 45°-55° range.

  

 

• 2012 (Nov. 4) - Controversy arose over this year's race as a result of it falling a week after Hurricane Sandy struck the region.  It was finally cancelled two days before race day.  If it had been held, runners would have experienced weather similar to the previous two years with temperatures in the mid-to-upper 40s.
  

• 2013 (Nov. 3) - Sunny and brisk with temperatures steady in the upper 40s throughout the race (10 AM thru 4 PM).

• 2014 (Nov. 2) - Runners were buffeted by high winds, with gusts of 30-45 mph, depending on the neighborhood they were running through.  These winds resulted in the slowest times for the winners since the 1984 event (when conditions were warm and humid).  Besides the high winds, it was also chilly, with a starting time temperature at 43° and wind chills in the mid to upper 30s.

• 2015 (Nov. 1) - Weather conditions were great for runners as skies were lightly overcast and temperatures ranged from upper 50s at the start of the race to mid-60s by 4:00.  The last time temperatures were this pleasant for the event was ten years ago.   

• 2016 (Nov. 6) - Near-perfect conditions greeted runners, with sunny skies and temperatures in the 50s for the bulk of the race (thru late afternoon).  Breezy conditions (20-25 mph gusts) was the only fly in the ointment.

 

 

• 2017 (Nov. 5) - The race was run in gray, foggy conditions with light drizzle moving in shortly before noon (just as the top women and men runners were finishing their races).  Temperatures held steady in the upper 50s throughout the race, with afternoon humidity above 90%.  And although it was only 0.01", this was the first measurable rain to fall in 20 years during the race (between 10 AM-4 PM).

• 2018 (Nov. 4) - Skies were mostly clear and temperatures a few degrees chillier than average.  The day's high/low of 55°/43° is what the average temperature has been for the races of the 2010s.  The afternoon humidity was around 40%, which was more than 50% lower than that of last year's race.  The following year's conditions on race day (11/2) were very similar but a few degrees chillier (high/low of 53°/40°).

• 2020 (Nov. 1) - For the second time in the past nine years the race was cancelled.  This time it was because of the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the nation.  If the race had been run, the elite runners would have been happy because most would have completed the course before rain moved in early in the afternoon (0.40" fell).  Temperatures were good for running as they were in the low-to-mid 50s.

• 2021 (Nov. 7) - Conditions were close to optimal for runners as temperatures were in the mid-40s to low-50s range, wind was minimal, mid-day humidity was on the low side, and skies were fair (transitioning from clear in the morning to hazy during the afternoon).  The temperature at the start of the race was in the mid-40s, and rose slowly into the low 50s during the afternoon.

 

 

 

• 2022 (Nov. 6) - The race 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.

 

 

• 2024 (Nov. 3) - Conditions were similar to those in 2021 as the race was run under clear skies, with very low humidity (down to 21% at 3 PM), and chillier than average temperatures.  The high of 54° and low of 42° were the chilliest in Central Park since 4/21 (when it was also 54°/42°). 

 

 

Today in New York Weather History: Labor Day Weekend (1970 - 2024)

 

 

On average, Labor Day weekend is about five degrees warmer than Memorial Day (high of around 80° vs. 75°).  However, hot temperatures on Labor Day itself aren't overly common.  Since 1970 the afternoon high has topped 90° just six times (most recently in 2018 and 2022).  In terms of inclement weather, chances are 2 in 5 that the entire weekend will be dry, better odds than Memorial Day weekend's 1 in 3 chance.  Tropical systems have brushed the area twice (Edouard in 1996, Ernesto in 2006).  What follows is a recap of 20 holiday weekends that had weather conditions worthy of note.

 

• 1973 (Sept. 1-3) - This Labor Day weekend has the distinction of being the hottest of the 1970-2022 period - and the only one in which each day's high was in the 90s (95°-94°-96°).  Overall, temperatures averaged thirteen degrees above average.  Saturday's heat had a tropical component to it, which fueled late-afternoon thunderstorms that amounted to 0.25".

 

   

 

• 1980 (Aug. 30-Sept. 1) - This was the second hottest Labor Day weekend of the period as highs reached: 86°-90°-95°.  After a stifling low of 76° on the morning of Labor Day, the high topped out at 95°, the hottest reading for the holiday since 1973, when it was 96°.   

• 1983 (Sept. 3-5) - Monday's high was 91°, the last Labor Day to get into the 90s until 2015 (highs in 1996 and 1998 reached 89°). 

• 1984 (Sept. 1-3) - The weather was good all weekend until the evening of Labor Day when 1.20" of rain poured down during a thunderstorm after 8 PM.

• 1986 (Aug. 30-Sept. 1) - Saturday's low of 51° is the chilliest reading of any day during Labor Day weekends of the 1970-2019 period.  The entire weekend was cool, with temperatures averaging eight degrees below normal.

 

 

• 1991 (Aug. 31-Sept. 2) - Monday's morning low of 53° tied 1976 and 1883 as the chilliest reading on Labor Day.  

• 1994 (Sept. 3-5) - This was one of the coolest Labor Day weekends on record, with temperatures seven degrees below average.  It is also one of two Labor Day weekends between 1980-2019 in which each day's morning low was in the 50s (the other was in 1986).    

• 1996 (Aug. 31-Sept. 2) - There was cause for concern on Saturday of Labor Day weekend when Hurricane Edouard was predicted to make landfall on Long Island.  However, the storm stayed away and the only effect from the hurricane was heavy surf, especially out in the Hamptons.  Although Sunday's conditions were somewhat overcast, Saturday and Labor Day were spectacular (Monday's high reached 89°).

• 1998 (Sept. 5-7) - The long holiday weekend ended with severe thunderstorms on Monday afternoon and again later that night.  2.07" of rain was measured, making this the second rainiest Labor Day on record, topped only by 1926, when 2.24" fell. 

 

 

 

• 2000 (Sept. 2-4) - Each day of the extended holiday had above average temperatures as well as a thunderstorm.  In total, these storms produced nearly two inches of rain.  In the 1980-2022 measurement period this is the only Labor Day weekend to have rain fall on each day.

• 2002 (Aug. 31-Sept. 2) - With an average high of just 68° degrees (11 degrees below average) this is the coolest Labor Day weekend between 1970-2019.  And Labor Day itself was a washout, with 1.63" of rain falling.

• 2003 (Aug. 30-Sept. 1) - For the second year in a row the temperature never got out of the 60s on Labor Day.  And like the previous year it rained, but not nearly as much fell (0.59"). 

• 2006 (Sept. 2-4) - The extended weekend started off cool and wet as tropical storm Ernesto moved through, dropping 1.24" of rain; the day's high was just 66°, thirteen degrees below average.  Sunday and Monday, however, were very nice, but cooler than average (mid-70s). 

• 2011 (Sept. 3-5) - This was the eighth year in a row in which no rain fell on Labor Day, the longest such streak since one of ten years between 1958-1967.  This was also the mildest three-day weekend since 1983, five degrees warmer than average. 

 

 

• 2012 (Sept 1-3) - After a sunny and hot Saturday (the high of 91° was the first 90-degree reading during Labor Day weekend since 1998), Sunday and Monday were overcast - but Labor Day's dry streak continued.  The three-day weekend's mean temperature was six degrees warmer than average, the most above average LD since 1983.      

• 2013 (Aug 31-Sept 2) - Conditions all weekend were sultry with hazy sunshine and uncomfortable levels of humidity.  Scattered thunderstorms occurred throughout the area on every day, but Manhattan was spared until Monday afternoon when rain fell for a few hours - the first rain to fall on Labor Day in ten years.  The overnight hours were especially warm, with AM lows of 73°-75°-74° averaging nine degrees above average.  However, the diurnal variation was just ten degrees. 

• 2014 (Aug. 30-Sept 1) - This was the warmest Labor Day weekend since 1983 (and fourth warmest since 1970).  The weekend started out mostly overcast with seasonable temperatures (high/low of 80°/65°) but hot and humid air moved in overnight and Sunday and Monday saw highs/lows of 90°/73° and 88°/75°.  On Sunday a half-hour downpour late in the afternoon dumped 0.62" of rain.

• 2015 (Sept. 5-7) - Sunny and warm throughout with each day warmer than the next (highs of 83°-87°-92°).  Labor Day's high was the first in the 90s since 1983.

• 2016 (Sept. 3-5) - It was a rain-free weekend, with highs of 75° on Saturday, 80° on Sunday and 84° on Labor Day - which was the same high as 4th of July (and Memorial Day wasn't far behind, with a high of 82°).  It was a nice surprise that the holiday weekend ended up being so nice since earlier forecasts predicted tropical storm Hermine would stall off the Mid-Atlantic on Sunday and Monday, but it moved further east and posed no threat.  
  

• 2017 (Sept. 2-4) - After a cool and mostly overcast Saturday and Sunday (which included 1.27" of rain on Saturday evening thru early Sunday AM), Labor Day turned out beautiful, with mostly clear skies and seasonable temperatures.  All told, this was the coolest Labor Day weekend since 2004).

• 2018 (Sept. 1-3) - After close to seasonable temperatures on Saturday and Sunday, Labor Day featured summertime heat, with a high/low of 90°/75°.

• 2020 (Sept. 5-7) - Cookie cutter conditions prevailed as each day of the extended weekend was sunny, with comfortable humidity and temperatures that were slightly above average (+2 degrees).  Each day had very similar highs/lows: 80°/65° (Saturday), 82°/66° (Sunday), and 79°/66° (Labor Day).

• 2022 (Sept. 3-5) - After a seasonably warm Saturday, Sunday and Monday heated up, with highs/lows of 90°/71° and 88°/73°.  The weekend was dry (and sunny/partly cloudy for the most part) until after dark on Labor Day when a few showers produced 0.06".  All told, the weekend was six degrees warmer than average (high/low of 87°/70°).

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Today in New York Weather History: Yom Kippur Weather Highlights (1970 - 2024)

 

 

Because of the time of year Yom Kippur falls (mid-September thru mid-October) the weather is relatively undramatic, with few temperature extremes or notable storms to speak of (based on the period 1970-2020).  However, with that said, this post remembers a number of years that had memorable weather conditions on the Day of Atonement. 

 

• 1972 (Sept. 17-18) - This was the warmest Yom Kippur of the 1970-2022 period as the high on the 17th reached 92° while the 18th saw a high of 86°.    

• 1979 (Sept. 30 - Oct. 1) - 0.81" of rain fell on 10/1 between 1-9 PM, making this the wettest Yom Kippur in the years since 1970 (until 2005).

• 1989 (Oct. 8-9) - This was the chilliest observance of Yom Kippur until 2000.  The high on the 8th was 59°, while the high/low on the 9th was only 55°/40°, twelve degrees below average.

• 1991 (Sept. 17-18) - Falling on the same dates as the hottest Yom Kippur of the period, in 1972, this year's was the second warmest.  It featured the hottest temperature on the first evening of Yom Kippur, 93° (a record for 9/17), which was nineteen degrees above average.  The next day was more comfortable, but still a warmer than average 83°.

• 2000 (Oct. 8-9) - The morning of the 9th had a low of 38°, sixteen degrees below average and the chilliest reading on Yom Kippur in the 1970-2022 period.  This reading was just one degree shy of tying the record for the date.

• 2002 (Sept. 15-16) - It was mild and rainy during the first half of the holiday.  Although not all of the rain fell between sunsets, nearly one inch fell between 2 PM on the 15th and 10 AM on the 16th.  The high was 79° on 9/15 and 81° the following day, about five degrees above average.

• 2005 (Oct. 12-13) - The holiday fell in the midst of a huge rainstorm.  Seven inches of rain fell on the two days, with two inches of it pouring down between sundown on the 12th and sundown on the 13th.  

• 2014 (Oct. 3-4) - Skies were clear and temperatures seasonable the evening of 10/3, but 10/4 saw 1.18" of rain fall between 10 AM and 5 PM, making it the second rainiest Yom Kippur in the years since 1970.  However, skies cleared rapidly after 5 PM and conditions were as nice as the evening before. 

• 2017 (Sept. 29-30) - After a streak of sixteen unseasonably warm days in a row (with a high/low of 87°/69°, nine degrees above average), today and tomorrow had seasonable temperatures (under sunny skies), i.e., highs in the upper 60s/lows in the mid-50s.

• 2018 (Sept. 18-19) - The remnants of Hurricane Florence brought a series of heavy downpours from lunchtime thru late afternoon on the 18th (dropping a little over an inch of rain), but by sundown skies had cleared and the following day was partly cloudy, with above average temperatures (high/low of 81°/68°).

• 2019 (Oct. 8-9) - After a dry and cool evening on the 8th, the 9th became raw, rainy and breezy after sunrise as a coastal storm brought a little more than a half inch of rain, mostly between 10 AM-2 PM.  This was the largest daily rainfall in the past seven weeks. Temperatures stayed in the 50s all day (high/low of 59°/51°, four degrees below average).

• 2020 (Sept. 27-28) - The longest stretch of days with no measurable rain since the fall of 2017, sixteen, ended just before midnight on the 27th when a light shower produced 0.03" of rain.   Both days had temperatures that were well above average, with highs/lows of 79°/67° and 77°/69°, respectively.

• 2022 (Oct. 4-5) - It was showery and cool with temperatures stuck in the 50s for the entirety of the holiday (sundown to sundown); showers produced half an inch of rain (in 2019 Yom Kippur had temperatures and rainfall that were very similar).  These inclement conditions were from the remnants of hurricane Ivan, which first affected the area on the first of the month.  Skies cleared shortly after the holiday ended.

 

 

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Today in New York Weather History: 4th of July Weather Highlights

 

 

Along with hot dogs and fireworks, July 4th is also equated with hot weather, and since 1970 the temperature has risen into the nineties ten times, or about once every five years (most recently in 2019).  Back-to-back years with 90-degree readings on the holiday have occurred three times, the most recent being in 2002 and 2003.  And there was a three-year streak in 1898-1900.  1949 is the only year to see a high in triple digits. 

Rain has fallen about once every three years (again, since 1970), but just two of those years, 1978 and 1981, were washouts.  In 2014 the weather was somewhat affected by Hurricane Arthur.

Finally, of summer's three holidays (Memorial Day and Labor Day are the others), the 4th of July has had the hottest high temperature in 60% of the years.

 

1898 (Monday)

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

 

1900 (Thursday)

Today's high was 91°, and was the third year in a row with a high in the 90s - the longest such streak on the holiday.

 

1925 (Saturday)

This was the fourth year in a row with highs in the 70s on the holiday - the longest such stretch of a reading below 80°.

 

1928 (Wednesday)

Today had the year's first reading in the 90s, the third year in a row the first 90 was in July (in 1927 it happened on the 13th, the year before that it fell on the 9th).  Typically, the first 90+ (between 1870-1925) occurred around June 14.  Today's high was 90°.

 

1941 (Friday)

Just two days after a torrid high/low of 98°/78°, today was rainy, foggy and cool with a high/low of just 64°/62° (the high was 18 degrees below average).  The 0.78" of rain that fell (between 2 AM and  7 PM) made this the rainiest day of the month.  Today's high would be July 4th's coolest until 1978.

 

1949 (Monday)

The 1940s started with July 4th's coolest high temperature and ended with the hottest as today's high soared to 102°.

 

1966 (Monday)

As hot as it was, today's high of 98° was somewhat of a cool-down from yesterday's 103° and July 2's 100°.  (With an average high temperature of 100.3°, this is New York's hottest three-day heat wave on record.)  Today was also the fifth day in a row with clear skies. 

 

1967 (Tuesday)

Showers moved in during the early evening and put a damper on fireworks exhibitions as 0.18" fell between 8-10 PM.  Then the skies really opened up between 11 and midnight, with an additional 0.90" pouring down (actually, this rainstorm occurred between midnight and 1 AM on 7/5, but the National Weather Service uses Standard Time year-round and doesn't recognize Daylight Saving Time).

 

1974 (Thursday)

Today would be the hottest day of the year, with a high/low of 95°/78° under sunny skies.  And although three other days this summer had highs of 95°, today's low was the warmest, giving this day the year's highest mean temperature.

 

1976 (Sunday)

New York's Bicentennial celebration (which included the parade of 'Tall Ships' in New York Harbor) took place under partly cloudy skies, with temperatures a bit cooler than average (high of 82°/low of 63°).  A brief thunderstorm put a slight damper on festivities during mid-afternoon, but it produced very little rainfall in Central Park (0.01").

 

 

1978 (Tuesday)

It was a truly miserable holiday as rain fell all morning (totaling 1.19").  Because of clouds and a northeasterly breeze, the high temperature reached only 62°, the coolest high on record for 7/4 (twenty-two degrees cooler than average).

 

1981 (Saturday)

This was the rainiest 4th of July on record.  Rain began around noontime and continued for much of the day, totaling 1.76".  (But no rain fell during prime fireworks time.)  The first four days of the month all had rain, which amounted to nearly three inches.  After this rainy stretch, the next two weeks would be hot and dry, with ten days in the 90s.   

 

1983 (Monday)

After a sultry morning low of 78°, today's high soared to 95°.  On this broiling hot afternoon, Yankees pitcher Dave Righetti pitched a no-hitter against the arch-rival Red Sox at Yankee Stadium.  

 

 

1986 (Friday)

Although hot weather and July 4th seem synonymous, the day's low temperature was a chilly 55°, twelve degrees below average and the coolest 4th of July reading on record.  (Two days later the high would reach 98°.)

 

1993 (Sunday)

Just two days after a cool high of 69°, today's high reached 95°, the first of twenty 90-degree days in July.  Despite the heat, I spent the evening in Central Park with my brother and his family to listen to the New York Philharmonic's free 4th of July concert.

 

 

 

1999 (Sunday)

With a high of 96°, this was the hottest 4th of July in 33 years.  Not only was it hot, but unbearably humid as the dew point in the afternoon was in the low 70s, which produced a heat index of 110°.  Today was the first of eighteen 90-degree days in July (eleven of which were 95°+). 

 

2002 (Thursday)

Although four other 4th of Julys had high temperatures that were hotter (in 1966, 1955, 1949 and 1911), today's mean temperature of 88.5° (based on a high/low of 96°/81°) was the hottest of any 7/4.

 

2009 (Saturday)

In the sixteen days between June 19 and today, morning lows fell in the narrow range of 63° to 66°, two degrees cooler than average.

  

2010 (Sunday)

Today's high of 96° tied 2002 and 1999 as the hottest July 4th since I moved to NYC in 1979.  It was also the first of sixteen 90-degree days this month, which occurred in a 24-day period between July 4-27.  However, because the humidity in the afternoon dropped to 19%, the "feels like" temperature was four degrees cooler than the air temperature.

 

 

2012 (Wednesday)

Mostly sunny, hot, and oh-so-humid.  The high temperature reached 92° but it felt like 98°.  Thunderstorms were all around NYC in the evening, but none hit Manhattan.

 

2014 (Friday)

Skies were gray and light showers fell through mid-afternoon, the result of New York being on the northwestern fringe of Hurricane Arthur's rain shield.  It was also on the windy side.  However, by late afternoon the sun began breaking through and skies were mostly clear by the time Macy's fireworks exhibition got underway.  Although the amount of rain was light, just 0.14", it was the most rain to fall on the 4th of July in six years.  And the high of 74° was the coolest in seven years (and 12 degrees cooler than this year's Memorial Day).    

 

2015 (Saturday)

Skies were overcast through mid-afternoon (including some light rain from 1:30-2:30), but then the sun broke through and the rest of the day was very pleasant, but the high only reached 75°.  This was the second year in a row in which the weather on Memorial Day was much nicer.

 

2016 (Monday)

It was seasonably warm, and skies were partly cloudy until after 5:00 when clouds moved in, then light showers began around 8:00.  However, despite the rain, Macy's fireworks extravaganza went on as planned as steadier rain held off until after 10:00 when close to an inch fell through 4 AM on 7/5.   (The 0.49" that fell before midnight was the most to fall on 7/4 since 1981.)

 

 

2019 (Thursday)

Today's high reached 90°, the first time in the 90s on 7/4 in seven years.  Skies were mostly clear, but the heat wasn't stifling as humidity levels were bearable during the afternoon hours.

 

2021 (Sunday)

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 has 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.   

 

  

2022 (Monday)

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°.

 

2023 (Tuesday)

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 this morning deluge the dew point reached 75°.  By mid-afternoon skies cleared and the evening was ideal for watching fireworks.

 

 

2024 (Thursday)

Sunny, very warm and humid with a high of 89° (the first 4th of July with this high since 1980).  However, late in the day, after the Macy's fireworks exhibition, a shower moved through and dropped 0.04" of rain.  Today's high was the hottest on the holiday in five years. 

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