June 2022 Weather Recap - Largely Uneventful, on the Dry Side

 

June 2022 was slightly cooler than average (-0.6 degrees), and rainfall of 2.92" was 1.62" below average.  The first half of the month was 1.4 degrees above average, the second half was 2.6 degrees below average (despite the fact that four warmest highs and lows were all in the second half of June).  This was the third June in a row in which less than three inches of rain fell, but this June had more than the previous two (2.62" in 2021, 1.76" in 2020).  More than 70% of the month's rain fell in the first nine days of the month; less than an inch fell in the last three weeks.  Other observations:

 

• The month's hottest reading was 90° on 6/25, which came six days after the coolest reading (54°).

 

• The warmest mean temperature came the day after the hottest high.  At 89°/74°, it was also the most above average day of the month (+7 degrees).  The low was the only low in the 70s during the month.
  

 

• Father's Day had the coolest low in  June (at 54°, it was the coolest reading on Father's Day since 1958).  And with a high of 73°, it was the first Father's Day in ten years not to have a  high of 80° or warmer.  A week later, the low on the day of the Gay Pride Parade, 74°, was the warmest of the month (and tied for second warmest low on Gay Pride Sunday).

 

• In between highs of 88° on 6/17, and 90° and 89° on 6/25 and 6/26, the seven days in between were six degrees cooler than average with a high/low of 75°/60°.

 

• Every reading between between 71° and 90° was a high temperature in June, except for 87°.

 

Here are June recaps from the previous six years:

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

 

 

 

 

May 2022 Weather Recap - Late First 80, Followed by Early First 90 & First 70

 

 

 

May 2022 was 0.8 degrees milder than average, and rainfall was somewhat above average (4.52").  The coolest reading was 45° on 5/7 and 5/8, the hottest was 93° on the last day of the month.  The last time the temperature was this hot in May was in 2000 (on 5/7); the last time it was hotter was in 1996 (96° on 5/20).   

 

The first 20 days of the month were about a degree below average, but then from May 21 onward temperatures were four above average.  For the entire month, eight days were five degrees or more warmer than average, four were five degrees or more cooler than average.  The most above average day was 5/22, with a high/low of 89°/72° (16 degrees above average); the most below average day was 5/7, with a high/low of 50°/45° (13 degrees below average).

 

The year's first reading of 80°+ occurred very late, on 5/21, the latest since 1988 and tenth latest on record; that date also had the year's first reading in the 90s, (90°),  just the fourth time that the first 80 and first 90 shared the same date.  Regarding days in the 90s, since 1960 Mays with two or more days with highs in the 90s occur about once every three years.  (Before 1960, it happened once every seven years.) 

 

The day after the first 80/90, Central Park had its first low in the 70s (72°), which was about two weeks ahead of schedule (the first 90 was about a week ahead of schedule). 

 

May's rainfall of 4.52" was 0.01" less than what fell in April.  This was the tenth time there was a 0.01" difference between consecutive months.  The previous time it occurred was in January and February 2016 when 4.41" and 4.40" was measured.  There have been five pairs of consecutive months with the same amount of precipitation (the last time it happened was in September and October 1997).

 

Finally, Memorial Day's high of 84° was the warmest reading on the holiday since 2015 (when it was 85°), while the high of 58° on Mother's Day (5/8), was the chilliest since 2018 (when it was 54°).

 

Here are recaps of the previous seven Mays:

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

 

 

 

April 2022 Weather Recap - Rainy, Then Dry

 

April was 0.9 degrees chillier than average and somewhat rainier (despite there being practically no rainfall in the month's last 11 days).  The chilliest reading was 38° (on 4/2), the mildest was 79° (4/14).  The last time the chilliest reading was this mild was in 2012.  Only two other Aprils have had a milder reading for their coldest reading: in 1878 (42°) and 2010 (40°).  The month's temperature range was 41 degrees, well below the usual range of 50 degrees (since 1980, 32° to 82°).  On the day the high reached 79° in Central Park, the high at Newark Airport soared to 88° (and it was in the low 70s at LaGuardia and Kennedy airports).  

 

The month's rainfall of 4.53" was similar to that of April 2020 (4.49") and April 2019 (4.55").  Much of the rain fell from two storm systems that brought 1.15" on 4/7-8, and 2.09" on 4/18-19.  Just 0.02" of rain fell between 4/20-30, which was the least to fall in the last third of April since 1942, when no measurable rain fell after 4/11 (that April is the second driest on record).   

 

Six days had highs in the 70s, an average number, with five of them on consecutive days (4/12-4/16).  The average high of 73° during the streak was twelve degrees above average.  This was the lengthiest such streak in April in 11 years.  The streak ended the day before Easter Sunday, which, with a high/low of 51°/41°, was the chilliest since 2009.  

 

Finally, the last three days of the month had afternoon humidity levels that bottomed out at 11%, 9%, and 14%.  The 9% reading on 4/29 tied for the third lowest in the years since 2000.  This was the most arid three-day streak since March 28-30, 2007.  Very low humidity was also reported on the 15th and 22nd (13% and 15%, respectively).  

 

Here are April recaps of the past six years:

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

 

 

March 2022 Weather Recap: Somewhat Mild & Dry

 

 

March 2022 was the 16th mildest March on record in New York.  (March 2020 and 2021 are among the 16 that were milder.)   The month was 2.5 degrees above average, with the high and low being 3.7 and 1.2 degrees above average, respectively.  This March would probably have ranked among the ten mildest if it weren't for four cold days:

 

•             March 4 -  37°/21°, 11 degrees below average 
•             March 13 - 35°/22°, 13 degrees below average
•             March 28 - 33°/23°, 19 degrees below average 
•             March 29 - 38°/24°, 15 degrees below average

      

March 28th's high was the coldest this late into the year in 40 years, since a high of 30° on April 7, 1982.  (Temperatures rebounded on the 31st, and from late morning into the wee hours of 4/1, they were in the 60s.)  And the last time a low of 23° occurred later than 3/28 was in 1995, on 4/6.

 

 

March 7 and 18 were the mildest days of the month, with both having the same high/low of 74°/50°.  The eight-day period from March 15-22 was 12 degrees above average (high/low of 64°/46°).  This was followed five days later by a four-day stretch of unseasonably cold temperatures, from March 27-30, 13 degrees below average (41°/26°).

 

Below average precipitation, 2.39" (about two inches below average), made this NYC's 29th driest March (tied with March 1897).  Much of the rain, 1.99", fell on three days (0.56" on 3/9, 0.50" on 3/12, and 0.93" on 3/24).  Only 0.4" of snow fell (3/9), but it was the most in March in three years.  33 other Marches have had less snow.

 

There was a wind gust of 49 mph the night of 3/7, the highest gust recorded in Central Park since one of  62 mph during superstorm Sandy on Oct. 29, 2012.   

 

Finally, on 3/22 afternoon humidity drop to 11% (fourth lowest of this century).

 

Here are March recaps from previous years:

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

 

 

 

 

 

 

February 2022 Weather Recap: Minimal Snow, Wide Variation in Average High & Low

 

Last winter, February had much more snow than January (26.0" vs. 2.1"), but this winter the tables were turned as February had just 2.0" compared to January's 15.3".  Although snowfall was minimal, there have been 31 other winters with even less snow in February (and two-thirds of those had less than an inch). 

 

Temperature patterns were also reversed, as February of last year was 1.7° below average and  January was 1.1° above, while this winter February was 1.4° above average and January was 3.4° below.  Feb. 2022 was the 21st mildest on record.  Five recent Februarys in 2020, 2018, 2017, 2016, and 2012, were milder.

 

 

Another very big difference between Feb. 2022 and 2021 was in its diurnal variation, i.e., the difference between the daily high and low temperature.  Last February's was just 9.5 degrees, which tied for the second smallest reported in February.  This year's however, was 16.9 degrees, which was the widest variation in February since 1990, and the third widest for any February (average variation is 12.7 degrees).  Part of the reason was that it had three days with temperature variations of 30 degrees or more; only February 1918 has had more (four). 

The difference between the average high and low of Feb. 2022 and 2021 is fascinating, as this February's average high was 6.9 degrees milder than last February, but its average low was 0.5 degrees chillier.

 

 

February's above average temperature was driven by the average high, which was 3.5 degrees above average; by contrast, the average low was 0.6 degrees below average.  Eight days had highs of 55° or milder, with four of them above 60°, including two climbing to 68° (on 2/17 and 2/23).  The first 68° was a record for the date. 

 

Looking at cold conditions, eight days had highs in the 30s or colder, and four of these days had highs of 32° or colder.  Similar to the month's warmest reading, the coldest reading (16°) was also reported on two days, 2/14 and 2/15.   (January's coldest reading also occurred on back to back days).

 

Eleven days were 10 degrees or more above or below average (seven were above, four were below).  The most above average was +23 degrees on 2/17, when the high/low was 68°/49°; the most below average day came three days before that, with a high/low that was 15 degrees below average (25°/16°).  

 

During the three weeks between Feb. 4-24, four dramatic swings in temperature occurred:

• Feb. 4-5: From 8° above average (high/low of 57°/26°), to 11° below average (27°/19°)
• Feb. 12-14: From 16° above average (59°/42°), to 1° below average (42°/25°), to 15° below average (25°/16°)
• Feb. 15-17: From 13° below average (30°/16°), to 3° above average (49°/28°), to 23° above average (68°/49°)
• Feb. 23-24: From 15° above average (68°/35°), to 6° below average (35°/29°) 

 

Finally, precipitation was very close to average, with 3.23" measured (vs. an average of 3.19").  The days with the most precipitation were Feb. 3 and Feb. 20, with 0.72" and 0.74", respectively.  The month's measurable snow fell on two days: 2/13 (1.6") and 2/25 (0.4").  Of the Februarys with two inches of snow or less, Feb. 2022 had the fourth biggest drop-off from January.

 

 

Here are other February recaps:

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2015

 

 

January 2022 Weather Recap - Coldest in 7 Years, Snowiest in 6

 

 

After a December that was the third mildest on record, the first two days of January 2022 saw a continuation of these mild conditions, with highs of 56° and 59°.  Then the jet stream shifted, winter-like conditions arrived, and the month became the coldest January since 2015.  At 3.4 degrees colder than average, it was the most below average of any month in more than two years, since November 2019 (which was 4.1 degrees below average).  Subtracting the first two days of the month, which were 16 degrees milder than average, the rest of January was 4.5 degrees below average. 

 

Besides cold temperatures, snowfall was also above average, with 15.3" measured (after just 0.2" fell in December); most of it was produced by two snowstorms, as 5.8" fell on Jan. 7, and 8.3" was measured on Jan. 28-29.  This was the snowiest January since 2016 (which is the second snowiest January), and tied for 20th snowiest January overall.  Its snowfall was greater than the combined amount of the three preceding Januarys (5.5").

 

 

January was 13.5 degrees colder than December.  Only three other Januarys have had a bigger drop in  temperature from December: Jan. 2016, Jan. 1912, and Jan. 1985.  (On average, January is five or six degrees colder than December.)

 

January's average low of 23.5° was 4.4 degrees colder than average, while the high was 2.4 degrees colder.  January's average high of 37.1° was 1.2 degrees colder than December's average low.  The coldest reading was 10° on 1/15 and on 1/16.  The coldest day (based on mean temperature), was on 1/15, when the high/low was 21°/10° (17 degrees colder than average).  Overall, there were 12 days that were 8 degrees or more below average; half of them were 12 or more degrees below average.  

 

Finally, 11 days had highs of 32° or colder, including the last six days of the month, the longest streak since one of 14 days during the winter of 2017-18.  This streak's average high/low was 30°/19° (nine degrees below average).

 

Here are previous January recaps since 2014 (there was no recap published for Jan. 2016).

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2015

2014

 

 

 

 

December 2021 Weather Recap: Mild & Dry

 

 
December 2021 was the third mildest on record (behind 2015 and 2001, and 0.1 degree ahead of 1984), and tied for fourteenth driest.  At 4.7 degrees above average, it was the most above average month of 2021 (passing October, which was 4.1 above average).  Although it ranked third for mean temperature (average of high/low), the month had the second mildest average low, and was tied for seventh mildest average high.

 

Seven days had mean temperatures that were 10+ degrees above average, and eight days had highs of 55° or milder (half of these days were in the 60s).  The mildest reading was 66° on 12/11, which was a record for the date.  Two extended periods of mild temperatures were largely responsible for the month being so mild, as Dec. 11-18 was 11 degrees above average (high/low of 56°/44°), and the last week of December was 8 degrees milder than average (48°/40°).  This was just the seventh December to have no temperatures of 32° or colder in the last seven days of the month. 

 

Six days had lows of 32° or colder (average number for December is 14), with the coldest reading being 25° on 12/20.  Only three other Decembers have had a milder reading as their coldest reading:  2015 (34°); 2012 (28°); and 1974 (26°).  And Dec. 1984's coldest reading was also 25°.  (On average, the coldest reading in December is in the upper teens; before 1970 it was in the low teens). 

 

Like November, December was quite dry, with just 1.39" of precipitation  measured.  Combined, these two months became Central Park's driest Nov.-Dec. on record.  Ironically, this dry combo occurred in one of the ten wettest years on record.  By contrast, the nine driest November-Decembers behind 2021 had about twenty inches less annual precipitation than 2021.

 

 

With the exception of the last week in October, which had 4.71" of rainfall (the wettest last week of October on record), the other 12 weeks between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31 had only 3.06". 

 

December had just 0.2" of snow, which occurred in the pre-dawn hours of 12/24.  However, meager snowfall in December isn't uncommon, as smaller amounts (or none at all) have occurred in five Decembers  since 2001, and nine since 1994 (once every three years).

 

Unusually low humidity was reported on two dates - 20% on 12/14, and 14% on 12/17 (both in the afternoon).  Going back to the early 1940s, 14% is the lowest humidity ever reported in December (the previous low was 16% on Dec. 8, 1981).  Humidity levels below 25% are very rare in December (most instances of low humidity occur in March and April).

 

Finally, the month, and year, ended on a mild note as the temperature at the stroke of midnight was 51° (after a high of 55°).  This was the mildest reading during the ball drop at Times Square since 2004 (and the fifth mildest ball-drop reading on record).

 

 

Other December recaps:

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

 

 

November 2021 Weather Recap: Dry & Chilly

 

With just 1.12" of rain, November 2021 was the driest November since 1976 (the driest November on record).  The month was also 1.8 degrees chillier than average, making it the most below average month of the year (February and July were  1.7  and 1.5 degrees below average, respectively).  This November was significantly chillier than last November (the mildest on record), as it was 6.8 degrees colder - the biggest temperature drop from the previous November since Nov. 2012.  Only eight other Novembers have had a bigger drop in average temperature compared to the November immediately preceding it.

 

 

Despite its big difference from last November, Nov. 2021 was far from the ranks of the coldest, as it tied for 80th chilliest.  (Fun Fact: Every November between 1869-1894 was colder than Nov. 2021.)  Still, it had 14 days that were five or more degrees below average.

The month's warmest reading was 69° on 11/18, followed six days later by the coldest reading (30°).  Although this was the latest date for a temperature this mild in six years, it was the first time since 2014 that the warmest November reading failed to be in the 70s.  Of note is that this warmest reading didn't occur during the 6-day period Nov. 8-13, which was six degrees milder than average.

In October, the first low in the 40s wasn't until 10/18, which was the second latest date on record.  In November, however, the fall's first reading of 32° or colder (32° on 11/23) was close to the average date of this occurrence. 

Most of the month's 1.12" of rain fell during two rain events on consecutive days:  0.48" on 11/12, and 0.33" on 11/13.  On the 13th, an uncharacteristic precipitation type for November, hail, fell for a few minutes during a quick-moving thunderstorm.  Another type of frozen precipitation, snow flurries, was reported on the last three days of the month  - but there was no accumulation in Central Park (Newark Airport reported 0.1" on the 28th).

Here are recaps of previous Novembers:

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

 

 

 

 

October 2021 Weather Recap: 6th Mildest October Ends With Soaking Rains

 

 

After unprecedented rainfall in July, August, and September (each month had more than ten inches), it appeared a respite was in store during October, as the first half of the month was the driest since Oct. 2000, with just 0.15" of rain measured.  However, these dry conditions came to an abrupt end in the last week of the month, as 4.71" was measured - the wettest last week of October on record (and eight of the last nine days had measurable rainfall).  Much of the week's rain was produced by a nor'easter on the 25th-26th that dumped 3.69" of rain. 

 

 

The month's other storyline was its mild nighttime temperatures.  There was a record streak of lows in the 60s (13 days), which was also the month's total number of days with lows in the 60s, tying Oct. 1879 for the most on record (the average number of lows of 60+ in October is 4).  Lows during the first 12 days of the streak were in the narrow 60°-62° range; Day 13's low was 63°.  Of the eight longest streaks of lows in the 60s/70s in October, this year's record streak was the coolest.

 

 

Overall, the month was 4.1 degrees above average, and became the sixth mildest October on record (it ranked fourth for average low, and tied for 19th for average high).  17 days were five degrees or more above average; seven days had  below average mean temperatures.  The most above average day was 10/15, which was thirteen degrees warmer than average (high/low of 79°/63°); the most below average day was 10/1 , which was five degrees below average (67°/51°).

 

Temperatures during October ranged from 47° (on 10/19, 10/24, and 10/29) to 79° (on 10/15).  Only three other Octobers have had a smaller temperature range: 1977 (30 degrees); 2004 (31 degrees); and 1894 (31).    This mirrored September, which had a 31-degree variation, and was tied for third smallest variation.

 

In an oddity, there were six days with temperatures stuck in the 60s - the most on record for any month.  They occurred in three pairs, and were concentrated in the nine-day period between Oct. 3-11.  This narrow temperature range was largely due to persistent overcast skies.

 

The season's first low chillier than 50° was reported on 10/18, which was the second latest day for this occurrence (latest is 10/20).  Additionally, the month's chilliest reading of 47° (reported on three days), was the mildest chilliest reading on record for October (on average, the coldest reading in October is in the upper thirties). 

 

Here are previous recaps of October's weather:

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

September 2021 Weather Recap: A Record-Setting 3rd Month in a Row with 10+ Inches of Rain

 

 

September 2021 will long be remembered for the torrential rain that fell the night of 9/1, submerging streets, highways, subway tunnels and residences.  Nearly 50 deaths in the metro area were attributed to the storm (13 of them were in NYC).  This unprecedented deluge was produced by the remnants of hurricane Ida pushing up against a mass of cool air.  Between 5 PM and 1 AM, a little more than seven inches of rain poured down (with three inches falling between 9-10 PM). 

 

Although heavy rain had been predicted, its intensity in such a brief period of time took residents by surprise.  (And although hurricane Henri, two weeks earlier, produced an inch more of rain than Ida, it fell over the course of 48 hours). 

 

Never before had a month started with so much rain, easily breaking the previous record amount on the first day of a month, 4.98" on Oct. 1, 1913.  The 7.13" measured on 9/1 was the fifth greatest amount to fall on a calendar date.  (Earlier this year, February began with a record amount of snow for the first day of any month, 14.8".)

 

 

The rest of the month had slightly below average rainfall, but just enough to bring September's total to 10.03".  This was the most rain to fall in September since 2004, and it became the sixth rainiest September on record.  It followed the fourth wettest August (10.32"), and third wettest July (11.09").  Never before had Central Park had three months in a row in which each month had more than ten inches of rain. 

 

More than 90% of the month’s of rain was produced by two storms:  7.23” on 9/1-2 and 2.03” on 9/23-24.  0.77” fell on the other 26 days.

 

Looking at temperatures, September was 1.1 degrees milder than average, and was the 26th mildest September (tied with four other years).  However, it ranked 13th for mildest average low, and 55th for warmest high.  12 days in a row (Sept. 12-23) had above average temperatures, a streak of days that was four degrees above average.  The rest of the month was one degree cooler than average.

 

The warmest reading was 85° (on 9/15), the same warmest reading as last September (but it had two days with that high).  Also, both Septembers had seven days with highs in the 80s (the average is eleven).

 

Half of the days in September had highs between 75°-79°, which was double the average number - and the most to be in this narrow temperature range on record (second most is 13 days in Sept. 1999, 1927 and 1908).  Just five days had lows cooler than 60°, eight fewer than average.  Only Sept. 1971, 1930, 1908, and 1881 had fewer days (all had four). 

 

Finally, the month was also characterized by a narrow range in its temperature extremes.  Typically, September's chilliest reading is around 50°, the hottest around 90°, but this September it ranged from 54° (on 9/29) to 85° (on 9/15).  Only two other Septembers have had a range that was smaller.  (The greatest range in temperatures in September was 55 degrees in 1929, ranging from 44° to 99°.) 

 

 

Here are previous September recaps:

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014