Today in New York Weather History: October 23

 

1878

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

1893

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

1923

Rain began falling at daybreak, and by the time it ended in the early afternoon the following day, nearly four inches had been measured (3.92").  Temperatures this afternoon were only in the mid-40s, but then rose after midnight to 67° late in the morning on the 24th.

1969

Three days after a record high of 80° this morning's low was a record 32°, and the high recovered to just 41°.  Tomorrow would see another record established, with a low of 31°.  (All three records are still standing.)

 

1978

Today's high of 76° was the warmest reading of the month, but a strong cold front passed through during the evening and by midnight the temperature had fallen to 45° (on its way to 36° at daybreak on 10/24 - the coldest reading of the month.)

1990

2.53" of rain fell, beginning at 4:00 AM and continuing all day, ending shortly before 1:00 AM on 10/24.  At its heaviest, 0.80" poured down in the hour between 8:41-9:41 PM.  The storm's amount was more than what fell in the entire month of September (2.24").

 

 

2007

The morning low was a balmy 66°, 19 degrees above average and five degrees warmer than the typical high for the date.  The afternoon high got up to 78°.  Today was the 12th day this month with a low in the 60s, the most in October since Oct. 1879, which had 13 (Oct. 2017 would also have 12 such lows).

2013

Today was the first day this fall with a high temperature chillier than 60° - the second latest date for this occurrence in the years since 1970.  (The latest date was in 2007, when it occurred on Oct. 25.)

 

2014

Yesterday's nor'easter continued into today, with breezy conditions and showers thru early afternoon; temperatures were stuck in the low 50s.  In total, 2.12" of rain fell from the storm (0.61" of it fell today), which was the greatest amount measured in the tri-state area.  Areas out on Long Island, however, reported much higher wind gusts (40-50 mph).

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Today in New York Weather History: October 22

 

1884

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

1940

This was the fourth day in a row with very chilly temperatures.  The average high/low during these four days was 48°/32°, which was 15 degrees below average.  Today's low of 30° and the 30° low of 10/19 are records that are still standing.

1972

This was the sixteenth day in a row with below average temperatures.  During this long stretch, temperatures were eight degrees colder than average.

1974

For the fifth morning in a row the low temperature was in the 30s. During these five days the readings were: 35° (10/18)-32°-31°-32°-37° (today).  The average low during this time in October is in the upper 40s.

1977

Today, with a high/low of 70°/50°, was the only day from 10/2 to 10/24 with an above average mean temperature.  During this period, temperatures were eight degrees below average.  And today's high of 70° was the first in the 70s since 10/1.

1979

A flashback to summer as the temperature soared to 88°, twenty-seven degrees above average.  This was the warmest reading in October since 1959 (and there wouldn't be a hotter reading in October until 2019, when the high on 10/2 reached 93°).  Fortunately for runners, this freakish warmth occurred the day following the New York City Marathon (but even on that day it was a toasty 80°).  But despite these few days of summer-like conditions, the month overall would be cooler than average by 1.4 degrees.

 

1984

In a 15-minute period (9:30-9:45 PM), 0.55" of rain poured down, and 1.01" fell between 9:30-10:30 PM.  It was also very mild, with a high/low of 77°/62°.  The day's total rainfall was 1.45", enough to set a record for the date (broken 30 years later).  This was also the first time in fourteen years to see measurable rain on this date.

2013

In the past 30 days, just 0.30" of rain was measured in Central Park.  If this were a calendar month, it would be tied for ninth driest on record. 

 

2014

It was a raw, windy and rainy day as a nor'easter slowly worked its way up the mid-Atlantic coast.  Temperatures for much of the day were in the low 50s.  By midnight, with rain still falling, 1.51" had been measured, a record for the date (0.06" more than 1984's amount).  This was the third one-inch rainfall of the month.

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Today in New York Weather History: October 21

 

1974

This was the third morning in a row with a low of 32° or colder, the longest such streak so early in the season since a four-day streak occurred between Oct. 29 - Nov. 1, 1925.

 

1979

Today was the running of the New York City Marathon, and it would be the marathon with the warmest conditions as temperatures were in the 70s throughout the race, topping out at 80°, eighteen degrees above average.  (But the day was eight degrees cooler than the next day, when the afternoon high soared to 88°.)

 

1995

2.17" of rain fell between 11:00 AM-6:00 PM, but much of it fell in a very short period of time.  A torrential downpour dumped 0.41" in just five minutes (11:41-11:46 AM), and then shortly afterwards, 0.99" fell in thirty minutes (noon-12:30 PM).  The day's total rainfall was a record for the date - and the third rainfall record set this month.

 

 

2008

Although it was an inconsequential amount, the 0.01" of rain that fell during lunchtime was the first rain on this date in 12 years.

 

 

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Today in New York Weather History: October 20

 

1905

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

1927

The 0.12" of rain that fell this afternoon brought the total rainfall since 10/3 to nine inches.  During this eighteen-day period there were four nor'easters, each which dumped more than an inch of rain: 1.60" on 10/3-4; 1.44" on 10/8-9; 2.04" on 10/12-13; and 3.80" on 10/17-19.

1972

This morning's low of 32° was one of the earliest freezing temperatures on record in Central Park and came a month earlier than the typical date for the first such frosty reading.  (The earliest frost on record occurred in 1876 on 10/15.)

 

1974

This morning's low was 31°, breaking the record set just two years earlier.  This was the third earliest date for a temperature of freezing or colder. 

1977

The afternoon high reached 58° for the third day in a row.  (However, each day had a different low.)

1989

2.78" of wind-swept rain fell today, and 5.34" fell over the past four days.  With today's rainfall (a record for the date), Central Park's total precipitation for the year topped 60 inches, making 1989 one of the five wettest years on record - with more than two months remaining in the year.  (Average annual rainfall is about 46 inches.)  Today's winds gusted to 40 mph.

 

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2005

This morning's low of 49° was the first reading in the 40s of the fall, the latest date on record for this occurrence.  (The previous latest date was 10/16, which occurred in 1995 and 1955, later joined by 2017; then in 2021, the first low in the 40s occurred on 10/18.)  The first autumn low in the 40s typically occurs by the end of September.

2017

Humidity levels dropped below 20% during the first half of the afternoon, a rarity in October, which is the month least likely to experience humidity below 25%.

2018

Light showers in the pre-dawn hours amounted to 0.06", bringing the year's precipitation to 50.05" - just the seventh year (since 1869) with 50 inches or more thru 10/20 (later joined by 2021).

 

 

 

 

 

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Today in New York Weather History: October 19

 

1927

48 hours of rain, that amounted to 3.80", ended around noon.  It missed being the year's biggest rainstorm, which was on 9/1, by 0.05".  This was the fourth storm of one-inch or more since 10/3 (totaling nearly nine inches). 

1963

Today was the eleventh day in a row in which skies were either clear or sunny.  And for the fourth time this month the high reached 83°, the warmest reading of the month (today's high was twenty degrees above average).

1974

The morning low of 32° tied 1940 for New York's second earliest freezing temperature on record (the temperature dipped to 30° in 1940, also on 10/19).  And the afternoon high of 49° was close to what the typical low should be.

1976

The high temperature was a chilly 50° for the third day in a row - thirteen degrees below average.

1996

Moving in a few hours before daybreak, a nor'easter dumped 4.35" of rain, forcing postponement of Game 1 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium between the Braves and Yankees.  Nearly half of the rain poured down between 3:30-6:30 PM, with 1.07" falling in the hour between 4-5:00.  Not surprisingly, this was a record rainfall for the date.

 

 

2004

It was damp and chilly, with a high of 51°/low of 48°.  The 0.70" of rain that fell accounted for more than half of the month's paltry total of 1.15".  This followed a very wet September (11.51").

2012

For the second year in a row temperatures were stuck in the 60s all day, and there was significant rainfall.  This year had a high/low of 66°/61°, and 0.89" of rain was measured; last year on this date the high/low was 62°/60°, with 1.12" of rain.  Almost all of today's rain fell in the morning while last year's fell throughout the day.

2015

This morning's low was 35°, the chilliest reading this early in autumn since back in 1976 when the low fell to 34° on the same date as today. 

2016

Today's high reached 85°, a record for the date, and the third day in a row with a high in the 80s.  With this streak, this became just the third October on record to have three 80-degree days after 10/15, joining 1963 (which had five) and 1947 (which had four).

 

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Today in New York Weather History: October 18

 

1879

Today's low of 63° (sixteen degrees above average) was the thirteenth low in the 60s or milder this month, the most such days on record for October (later tied in Oct. 2021; Oct. 2007 and 2017 would have 12). 

1899

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

1928

Today's high and low of 82°/69° were both records for the date, as was yesterday's low of 67°.  These readings were twenty degrees above average.

1980

A late afternoon thunderstorm dumped 0.66" of rain between 5-6:00 PM.  It was a mild day, with a high/low of 73°/60°.

1987

Today's low of 53° was the mildest low temperature of the month (it also occurred on 10/7) - the chilliest reading to have this distinction.  (On average, October's mildest low is 64°.)  The previous chilliest reading to be the mildest low in October was 55° in October 1888. 

1989

It was an overcast and raw day with afternoon temperatures in the upper 40s, just 24 hours after the high reached 70°.

1990

For the third day in a row the low temperature was 52°, close to average.  High temperatures were also very similar, but not the same (69°, 72°, 73°).  Today was also different from the other two days in that there was rain, with 0.85" falling during the evening.

2009

This was the fourth day in a row in which temperatures failed to get out of the 40s.  It was also the sixth day of the past seven in which temperatures were 10 degrees or more colder than average. 

 

2014

Today had a high in the 70s for the fifth day in a row.  During these days the average high/low was 73°/62°, eleven degrees above average.  Since Sept. 27, temperatures were nearly five degrees above average.

2016

For the second day in a row it was sunny with a high of 81°, making this the first October since 1979 to have two 80-degree days after 10/15.  Average high on this date is 63°.

 

2021

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

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Today in New York Weather History: October 16

 

1897

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

1908

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

1969

Temperatures were in the seasonable mid-60s, and skies a mix of sun and clouds, when the "Miracle Mets" won their first World Series this afternoon at Shea Stadium, defeating the Baltimore Orioles.

 

 

1974

The 2.15" of rain that fell today, a record for the date, accounted for almost all of October's rainfall (2.59").  It fell throughout the day, and was over by 9:00 PM.

 

 

1992

It appeared this was going to be the fourteenth year in a row with no measurable precipitation on this date, but then a shower produced 0.01" of rain between 11PM and midnight.  The day itself, with a high/low of 77°/61°, was the mildest of the month.  The previous time rain fell on this date, in 1978, the amount was also 0.01".  (It's worth noting that the the rain that fell before midnight was in Standard Time, which is what the National Weather Service uses year-round; however, based on Daylight Saving Time, which was in effect on this date, the rain fell after midnight on 10/17).

2017

The temperature fell into the 40s for the first time this fall (at around 10:00 PM), the latest date since 2005 (when it occurred on 10/20, the latest date on record), and tied with 1995 and 1955 for the second latest date. This came one week after the latest date for a low in the 70s was recorded (a mark that was bested in 2018).

2019

A nor'easter lashed the area from mid-afternoon until about 11 PM, dumping 1.83" of rain; howling winds gusted between 30-40 mph at Central Park (50-60 mph gusts were clocked elsewhere).  Today's rainfall total was greater than the amount that fell in the previous six weeks.  It was also the biggest daily rainfall of the year, besting 7/17's amount by 0.01".  However, this wasn't the year's greatest storm total as two storm systems in July, each encompassing two calendar dates, dropped more than two inches (2.33" on 7/17-18 and 2.19" on 7/22-23).

2020

Starting this morning at around 10:00 a steady rain moved in, and by midnight 1.36" had fallen.  Two-thirds of this amount (0.91") came down between 11 AM and 2PM.  The day's high of 66° occurred in the overnight hours, but quickly dropped into the low 50s once the rain started.  This rainfall came four days after one of 1.30".  

2021

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

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Today in New York Weather History: October 15

 

 

October 15 is the date of New York's earliest measurable snowfall, which occurred in 1876 when 0.5" fell.  And although that was 145 years ago, NYC's earliest two-inch, four-inch and six-inch snowfalls occurred very recently - in 2011 (Oct. 29), 2012 (Nov. 7), and 2018 (Nov. 15), respectively.

 

1954

Powerful Hurricane Hazel (a 'category 4' when it made landfall in North Carolina) affected New York's weather as it moved through Pennsylvania, on its way to Ontario, Canada.  Although it produced minimal rain in the City, most of the 0.39” that fell poured down between 6-7 PM.  Winds gusted to 40 mph in Central Park, and 66 mph at La Guardia.  This was the fourth tropical system (three of them hurricanes) to impact the New York metro area this year (a tropical storm in June; Hurricane Carol on the last day of August, and Hurricane Edna in September).

1970

Today's high was 70°, the tenth day in a row with a high of 70° or warmer.  The average high during this string of days was 74° - eight degrees above average.

1973

Thirteen of the first fifteen days of October had highs in the 70s.  Today's high was 76°, twelve degrees above average.

1974

Today had the first rainfall of the month, 0.20", which moved in after 9 PM.

1975

Today was the second day in a row with sunny and unseasonably warm conditions.  Although today's high of 82° was one degree lower than yesterday, the morning low of 66° was eight degrees warmer. 

1985

Today's high was an unseasonably warm 80°, sixteen degrees above average.  This was the eighth month in a row to report a high in the 80s, joining 1945 as the only other year in which this occurred.  (These two years would later be joined by 1990.) 

1987

Today was the 15th day in a row in which the daily mean temperature never rose above average.  During these days temperatures were nearly seven degrees chillier than average.

1990

Today was the tenth day in a row with a mean temperature 10 degrees or more warmer than average - the longest such streak in the years since 1970.  During this stretch, temperatures were 13 degrees above average.  This was also the thirteenth day in a row with a high in the 70s. 

 

2009

Today was raw, windy, rainy, and unseasonably cold (high of 48°/low of 37°).  Outlying suburbs of New Jersey picked up one to two inches of snow.  This came in the midst of a nine-day stretch (10/12-19) in which temperatures were 11 degrees below the norm for mid-October. 

2014

It appeared today was going to become the latest date on record with a low in the 70s, but it was not to be as the temperature fell to 69° shortly after 11 PM during a brief downpour.  So the record set on Oct. 7, 2005 remained intact (until 2017).

2021

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

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Today in New York Weather History: October 14

 

1949

Today was the eleventh day in a row with highs of 70° or warmer (including four in a row in the 80s).  The average high/low during this extended period of unseasonable warmth was 78°/62°, eleven degrees warmer than average.  And a week later there would be a three-day period with an average high/low of 77°/57°.  This October would end up being the second warmest on record (now ranked fourth), two years after the warmest on record (now ranked second).   

1975

Today's high, under sunny skies, was a balmy 83°, just one degree shy of the record for the date.  This reading was warmer than any in September.  The last time it was warmer than today was seven weeks ago, on Aug. 27.

 

1981

This was the fourth day in a row with a chilly morning low of 43° - eight degrees chillier than average.  This came one month after four days in a row with a low of 66° (Sept. 4-7).

1988

Temperatures over the past nine days averaged 10 degrees below average (high of 58°/low of 42°).  Four of the days had lows of 37°, three of which were records for their respective dates.

1990

Today was the seventh day in a row in which the day's low was 66° or higher, 15 degrees above mid-October's norm.

1995

Much of the evening's 1.76" of rain, a record for the date, fell between 7-11 PM. 

2005

8.55" of rain fell in the past three days (4.26" on 10/12; 2.75" on 10/13; 1.54" today) - and 13.35" over the past eight days.

 

 

2008

The mildest low of the month was 58°, which happened today and on three previous days (all since 10/9).  This was the last year the mildest low in October failed to reach 60° or milder (thru 2021).

2011

Between 1:00 and 2:00 AM, a thunderstorm dumped 0.85" of rain, most of which poured down in a five-minute period.  Between 1:37-1:42 AM, 0.63" fell, making this the heaviest 5-minute downpour in the 1970-2015 period (topping the 0.54" which fell on June 2, 2006, but topped on July 30, 2016, when 0.81" poured down).

 

2021

This was the twelfth day in a row with a low in the 60s, a record streak for the month of October (breaking a tie with October 2018).  Interestingly, the low temperatures during this streak were all in the narrow 60°-62° range (but highs ranged between 65°-77°).  This streak's average high/low was not nearly as mild as the seven streaks behind it. 

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Today in New York Weather History: October 13

 

1885

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

1930

This was the third day in a row with very similar, and well above average, highs/lows: 77°/59° (two days ago); 77°/58° (yesterday); and 78°/57° (today).  Skies were clear on all three days.

1975

The 0.11" of rain that fell during a late night thundershower was the first measurable rain to fall on this date in sixteen years. 

1983

The morning low was 67°, sixteen degrees above average - and more typical of the average high for the date.  Mostly overcast skies and scattered showers in the afternoon prevented the temperature from rising very much, as it topped off at 74°. 

1990

Nearly three inches of rain fell over the past six days.  These days were also unseasonably mild, 14 degrees warmer than normal.  And today's morning low was a summer-like 69°, eighteen degrees warmer than average.

 

 

1995

Today's high hit 86°, twenty degrees above the average high for the middle of October.

2005

Following yesterday's record 4.26" rainfall, a record was set for this date as well as rain fell for much of the day, amounting to 2.75".

2012

The AM low of 38° was the earliest occurrence of a temperature this chilly since 2000, when the mercury dropped to 38° on 10/9.  This was also the 16th day in a row in which no low temperature was duplicated.

2021

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

 

 

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