September 2022 Weather Recap: Largely Uneventful

 

 

September 2022 had close to average temperatures (+0.3 degrees) and rainfall that was just slightly below average (4.10").   Through 9/22 temperatures were two degrees above average, but then the following eight days were four degrees cooler than average.  11 days had mean temperatures that were very close to average (i.e., between one degree below and one degree above average), the most of any month since September 2016.  The month's biggest daily rainfall, 1.11" on 9/25, poured down in a little less than an hour.  (Ironically, 9/25 is one of the least likely dates of the year to report measurable rain.)

 

The spread between the month's coolest (49° on 9/24) and hottest readings (90° on 9/4) was 41 degrees, the widest spread in September since 2015.   Although the hottest and chilliest readings were 20 days apart, the days with the most above average and most below average mean temperatures were just four days apart (9/19, with a high/low of 85°/68° was nine degrees above average; 9/23, with a high/low of 63°/51°, was ten degrees below average).

 

The 90° reading on 9/4 was the 25th reading of 90+ of the year, making 2022 the 20th year with 25 or more (all since 1936).  Of these years, 2022's hot readings were "coolest", with an average of 91.8° (0.1 degree cooler than 1959, which had 27 days in the 90s).

 

Finally, what was likely the last low of 70° this year  occurred on 9/5.  The last time this occurrence was so early was in 2014.  (FYI, a low in the 70s in October has occurred in nine years since 1869.)  In total, 2022 had 50 days with lows of 70+; only eleven other years have had more (the most was 61 in 1906, and 60 in 2005).  

 

Here are are weather recaps from eight previous Septembers:

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

   

Hurricanes & Tropical Storms That Affected New York Before 1970

 

 

Similar to tropical systems that have lashed NYC since 1970, the average frequency in the years before 1970 is once every two years.  What follows is a year-by-year listing of more than 50 pre-1970 hurricanes (as well as remnants of downgraded storms).  1954 stands out for having four tropical systems that affected the metro area.  At the other end of the spectrum, the 20 years between 1894 and 1914 saw just three tropical systems in total.  Please note that the first named storm to affect New York, Barbara, was in 1953.

 

1869

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

1872

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

1874

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

1876

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

1877

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

 

 

1878

October 23 - The center of a dissipated hurricane and tropical storm, referred to as the "Gale of 1878", moved west of Manhattan.  Shortly after daybreak winds gusted over 50 mph, and 0.73" of rain was measured in Central Park.

1879

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

1880

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

1882

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

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

 

1885

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

1886

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

1888

August 21 - As it traveled just north of the City on its way to New England, the remnants of a category 3 hurricane that struck south Florida and later Louisianar soaked the City with 4.12" of rain (a record for the date that still stands).

1889

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

1893

August 19-20 – A hurricane approached New York during the evening.  A peak gust of 85 mph was clocked and 3.81" of rain fell (1.34" today, and 2.34" on the 20th).

August 23 – Just four days after a hurricane lashed the City, a tropical storm passed to the west and dumped 3.61" of rain.

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

1903

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

October 8-9, 1903 - A stalled hurricane (that weakened to tropical storm status), and a low-pressure system that formed along an approaching cold front, combined to create a tremendous rainstorm that produced 11.63" over 26 hours.  The deluge started late in the morning of the 8th (4.30" was measured) and continued thru mid-afternoon on the 9th (when 7.33" fell).  Rain fell at a rate of an inch every two hours for a large portion of the storm; at its most intense, 2.54" fell from 9-11 AM on the 9th.  At the time the rainfall on the storm's second day was New York's second greatest daily amount (behind 8.28” that fell 21 years earlier on Sept. 23); it's now ranked fourth.

1904

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

1915

August 4 – What was the season’s first hurricane, which developed near Florida, brought 3.25” of rain (mostly between 6-10 AM) as it passed by New York City as a tropical storm.  A gust of 53 mph was clocked at Central Park.  Today’s amount of rain was a record for the date (which still stands).

1916

May 16-17 - The remnants of the year's first (and very early) tropical system produced a record amount of rain for the date (2.66"), with almost all of it falling after 4 PM.  And an additional 0.30" fell in the pre-dawn hours of the 17th. 

1924

August 25-26 - A dissipating hurricane southeast of Long Island, moving in the direction of Cape Cod, brought tropical storm-force winds and 3.03" of rain to New York.  Rain began the evening of the 25^th and continued thru late morning on the 26^th, with 2.29" measured (1.13" fell between midnight and 2 AM).

1925

December 1-5 – A large, meandering, extra-tropical system brought squalls and gusty winds over the course of five days.  2.76” of rain fell during this period, with the wettest day being 12/3, when 1.63” was measured (but none of the rain was torrential; the greatest two-hour totals were 0.41” from midnight-2 AM, and 0.36” between 8-10 PM.  Winds gusting to 35 mph were common on the 3^rd and 4^th.

1928

September 19-20 - Remnants of the Great Okeechobee Hurricane (which killed 2,500+ in central Florida on 9/17) dampened the City with 1.70" of rain; 1.29" fell on the 19th (showers fell throughout the day, with 0.58" falling between 10 AM-noon), and 0.41" fell in the wee hours of the 20th (with 0.29" falling between midnight-1 AM).

 

 

1929

October 1-2 - The remnants of the season's second hurricane moved through eastern Pennsylvania, producing 2.55" of rain.  2.16" of it fell on 10/2, with most of it falling between 5 AM-3 PM.  This amount was a record for the date (which still stands). 

1930  

September 13-14 - A hurricane off the Outer Banks of North Carolina, pushed rain squalls into the area after 10 PM on the 13th that continued through the wee hours of the 14th.  The 0.75" that fell (0.56" of it on the 14th) comprised half of the rainfall of a dry September (at the time, the tenth driest September; now ranked 21st).  This was the smallest amount of rain from a tropical system since 0.73" fell on Oct. 23, 1878.

1932

September 16 - A weakening tropical storm to the southeast of Long Island brought showers.  And although it was just 0.68”, similar to the hurricane of Sept. 1930, it accounted for more than half of the month’s paltry rainfall (8^th driest September; now ranked 15^th).   This was the third September in a row with less than two inches of rain (then Sept. 1933 and 1934 would each have more than ten inches).

October 17-18 - Tropical moisture from a tropical storm that dissipated over West Virginia, produced 3.24” of rain, much of which fell between 9 PM on the 17^th to daybreak on the 18^th (2.58”).  The rain was also accompanied by tropical storm-force winds.  This was the most rain to fall from a tropical system since 3.25" fell on Aug. 4, 1915.

1933

August 23 - The remnants of a hurricane that made landfall on the North Carolina/Virginia border moved north through central PA and upstate NY, dumping 2.23” of rain in Central Park, with much of it falling between 4-10 PM.  (0.14” was added in the wee hours of 8/24).  This came on the heels of a coastal storm on 8/21-22, which produced 3.28” of rain.    

1934

June 19 - 1.91” of rain fell, mostly before 9 AM, as the remnants of a category 2 hurricane that made landfall in Louisiana three days earlier moved just to the southeast of the metro area.  This was a record amount of rain for the date (a record that still stands).

September 8 - The strongest hurricane of the season brought heavy rain to the City when it crossed over the eastern end of Long Island.  There were two periods of heavy rain, the first between 6-10 AM, when 1.23" fell, and then much heavier rain fell from 5-11 PM, when 3.26" poured down.  (An additional 0.37" fell at other times during the day, bringing the day's total rainfall to 4.86".)  During the early evening, winds gusted between 45-50 mph.  This hurricane came four days after remnants of a tropical system brought 0.68” on 9/3-4.

1935

September 6 - The remnants of what was the Great Labor Day hurricane in the Florida Keys (nearly 500 were killed) brought heavy rain this morning, with 1.60” measured between 2-10 AM (most of it fell between 4-8 AM).

1936

September 18 - After receiving just 0.08" of rain in the first two-and-a-half weeks of the month, a weakening hurricane to the southeast dumped nearly four inches, with most of it falling between 2 PM and midnight.  It was also a chilly day, with temperatures falling into the upper 50s during the afternoon. 

1938

September 21 - New York was spared the ravages of the history-making hurricane known as the Long Island Express, which made landfall mid-afternoon, 65 miles to the east.  Still, the City had to contend with near hurricane-force winds and four inches of rain, half of which fell between 1-4 PM.  Besides the wind and rain, it was also chilly, with the temperature dropping slowly all day, from the low-60s to low-50s.  Today's deluge followed two days of steady rain that amounted to 3.45".

 

 

1939

August 19 - The biggest rainfall of the year was produced by the remnants of the season's second hurricane, which made two landfalls in Florida, on the east coast and along the state's Panhandle.  The 2.31" that was measured fell between noon and midnight.  It fell heaviest after 8 PM, when more than half of the rain fell.  

1944

September 14 - "The Great Atlantic Hurricane" raced up the Mid-Atlantic coast and veered to the east of NYC (making landfall near East Hampton on Long Island), dumping 3.82" of rain between 4-11 PM, and lashing the City with gale force winds that gusted between 40 and 50 mph (and 70-80 mph at LaGuardia Airport).  Today's rainfall came on top of 3.94" that fell yesterday and 1.64" the day before for a three-day total of 9.40".  The New York metro area was the bullseye for the heaviest rainfall.

 

 

October 20-21 - The remnants of the season’s 13^th hurricane, that made landfall in North Carolina, produced 1.29” of rain between 7 PM-4 AM.

1950

August 19-20 - The season’s first hurricane brought two periods of heavy rain as it moved from Cape Hatteras to Cape Cod.  The first, from 11 AM-4 PM on the 19^th saw 1.43”, with 1.04” of it falling between 1-2 PM.  Then, on the 20^th, 1.46” was measured between 7 AM-3 PM, with 0.63” falling in the initial hour.  (However, this storm wouldn’t be as severe as Thanksgiving weekend's nor’easter three months later, which blasted the City with winds that gusted to 70 mph.)

1952

February 3-4 – The earliest tropical system on record brought 0.64” of rain late on 2/3 through the morning of 2/4.

September 1 – Remnants of the season’s first hurricane (which made landfall in South Carolina the day before) moved to the west of NYC and brought 1.17” of rain, with most of it falling between 10A-1PM.  This was a little more than half of the month’s total rainfall.

1953

August 14 - Twelve hours of rain from hurricane Barbara between 10 AM-10 PM measured 0.92”, which was almost half of the month’s total rainfall.

1954

June 13 - 0.52” of rain fell between 3-7 AM (most of it between 4-5:00) from a tropical storm out in the Atlantic.  After skies cleared, the mercury rose into the upper 80s.

August 30-31 - Hurricane Carol made landfall on eastern Long Island (as a category 3) and brushed the City with gale force winds and 1.71" of rain, which began last night and continued today through late morning. 

September 11 - Less than two weeks after Hurricane Carol, Hurricane Edna made itself known (as it headed to Cape Cod), dumping 3.30" of rain (nearly twice as much as from Carol), with most of it falling in the twelve hours between midnight and noon.  This was the biggest rainfall of the year.

 

 

October 15 - Powerful hurricane Hazel (category 4 when it made landfall in North Carolina) moved through Pennsylvania on its way to Ontario, Canada.  It brought minimal rain to the City (0.39” was measured, almost all of which fell between 6-7 PM), but winds gusted to 40 mph in Central Park, and 66 mph at La Guardia. 

1955

August 11-13 - Hurricane Connie flooded New York with 7.11" of rain over the course of 39 hours, with the first band of heavy rain moving through late on 8/11.  Although the most rain fell on the 11th (3.62"), the heaviest sustained period of rain would be on the 12th from 3-9 AM, when 2.50" poured down.  Rain was more of an issue than the wind, which gusted between 35-45 mph, well below hurricane force.  This was New York's biggest rainstorm since the Great Hurricane of Sept. 1944.  And while this ranks as one of Central Park's biggest rain totals, LaGuardia Airport picked up five inches more.

August 18-19 - One week after the flooding rains from hurricane Connie, another tropical system, Diane, affected the region, but compared to Connie, Diane moved relatively quickly.  The first band of heavy rain moved in late on the 18th, and by 9 AM on the 19th the rain was over; less than two inches fell, but significant flooding resulted since the ground was over-saturated from the large amounts of rain from Connie.  Sustained winds got no higher than 30 mph (but winds gusted to 54 mph at LaGuardia Airport).

1956

September 27 - Tropical storm Flossy, which was a few hundred miles to the southeast, brought tropical storm-force winds and a small amount of rain (0.21”) from 9 PM-midnight.

1959

June 2 - Remnants of Tropical Storm Arlene produced 1.09” of rain that fell from noon today until 2AM on the 3^rd (0.90” fell from 4-11 PM).

July 10 – Remnants of Hurricane Cindy produced 0.50” of rain between 6 PM on 7/10 and 3AM on the following day.

1960

July 30 – Heavy rain produced by tropical storm Brenda, which moved over NYC, amounted to 3.56” during a 12-hour period between 1 AM and 1 PM.  This was the biggest rainstorm in five years (since Hurricane Connie).  At the time this was the second greatest daily rainfall amount in the month of July (it's now third).

September 12 - Rain and high winds from hurricane Donna, which moved just to the east of Manhattan, lashed the area during the morning through the first half of the afternoon.  2.36" of rain fell (heaviest between 11 AM and 2 PM) and winds gusted between 40-50 mph; at LaGuardia Airport winds gusted to 90 mph, and 3.63" of rain fell.

 

 

 

1961

September 15 – The downgraded hurricane Debbie moved just to the east of NYC, and produced rain for just a three-hour period between 7-10 AM (and only 0.32” was measured).  

Septmber 20-21 – Moving in during the evening of 9/20, what was once Hurricane Esther brought 1.28” of rain, 1.05” of it on the 21^st.  Rain fell hardest between 2-4 AM and 10 AM-noon.  (Before it made landfall in North Carolina a few days earlier, Esther was briefly a category 5 storm.)  Tropical storm-force winds lashed the City at around daybreak.  The rain produced by the storm accounted for 75% of the month’s rain (1.70”).

1962

August 28-29, 1962 – Hurricane Alma brought rain that fell in three stages: in the pre-dawn hours of the morning of the 28th, when 1.35” fell (0.81” of it in a two-hour period), then lighter amounts after 7 PM through 8AM  on the 29^th,  and then a mid-afternoon downpour (0.12”).  In total, 1.95” of rain was measured.

August 2022 Is New York's Third Hottest On Record

 

 

With an average high 86.9°/low of 71.7° (3.2 degrees above average) August 2022 ranks as NYC's third hottest August on record (behind August 1980 and August 2005).  The hottest temperature of the month, and entire year, was 97° on 8/9 (the last time it was this hot in August was in 2006).  This was one of eleven days in the 90s, which was well above the average of four.  This August was the 14th to have 10 or more days with highs of 90° or hotter (August 1980 has the most, with 15).  And its 22 days with lows of 70° or warmer was tied for second most behind 1980, 2005, and 2018, all which had 23.

 

  

With 1.71" of rainfall, this was the driest August since 1995 (when just 0.18" was measured) and the  18th driest August overall.  The rainiest day was 8/1, when 0.48" fell.  (8/1 also had the month's coolest high, 77°).  The driest period of the month was the 15 days between 8/2-8/16 when just 0.30" of rain was measured.

 

August's coolest high temperature on 8/1 was followed by 10 consecutive days with highs of 87° or hotter, the longest such streak in ten years.  Six of the days were in the 90s, and the streak's average high was 91°.

 

The coolest low reading was 62° (on 8/18), making this the ninth August in a row in which there were no low temperatures in the 50s.  (The longest streak of lows in the 50s in August is 14 years between 1878 and 1891, and 13 years from 1915 to 1927).

 

There was a beautiful symmetry to the month's daily lows.  The month started and ended with lows in the upper 60s.  The following 11 days after 8/1 as well as the 11 days preceding 8/31 had lows in the 70s.  And the seven days in between the two streaks were all in the 60s.  One difference between the two streaks of lows in the 70s was that the earlier one was two degrees warmer (75° vs 73°).  Embedded in the first 11-day streak were seven days in a row with lows of 75° or warmer, the second longest such streak in August (after Aug. 1896), while the second streak had just one reading that warm.

JULY-AUGUST

Last year July and August were noteworthy because both months had more than 10 inches of rain; this year it was their hot temperatures that gained attention.  July-Augusts 2022's average temperature tied with 2010 as the third hottest July-August combo (behind July-August 1980 and 2005).  The two months were also one of 12 pairs of months in which both had 10 or more days in the 90s (all pairs were July-August, except in 1966 when it was June-July).  Finally, this July and August combined for the most lows of 70+, at 46 (the average number is 29).

 

SUMMER RECAP

This summer was 8th hottest on record (June-July-August), joining four other summers from this century, including the hottest of all-time in 2010.  Although 2022's rank of average temperature (average of  the average high/low) was 8th, its ranking for average low was higher, at #4.

 

 

MISCELLANEOUS

• This August was the seventh month with 1.71" of rain.  The previous time was in May 1977.
  
• Despite being third warmest for average temperature, Aug. 2022 ranks sixth for warmest high as well as sixth for warmest low.
• With Aug. 2020 entering the top 10, it pushed Aug. 1955 out of the exclusive club.
• Although July 2022 was 0.2 degrees hotter than Aug. 2022, July ranked as 13th hottest among all Julys.

 

Here are monthly recaps for past Augusts:

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

 

 

 

July 2022 - Just The Second July With Highs of 80+ On Every Day

 

 

A typical July in New York has six days with highs cooler than 80°.  However, July 2022 had no such readings and joined July 1944 as the only other July in which every day had a high of 80° or warmer (it also happened in August 2015).  The coolest high was 81°, which occurred twice.  Overall, July 2022 was two degrees warmer than average (high/low of 87.3°/71.8°) and ranks as the 13th hottest July on record; it had the 8th warmest low, and tied for 16th warmest high.  

 

The number of days with highs of 85° or warmer was 25.  Only five other Julys have had more (in 2019, 2010, 1993, 1966, and 1944) and four others have had 25.  The hottest reading was 95°, which occurred on three days, and the warmest low was 79°.  Of the ten Julys with 25+ days of 85+, July 2022 had the fewest days of 87+ as it had 10 highs of 85° (7) and 86° (3).  

 

 

The coolest low was 65° on the Fourth of July.  Only five other Julys have had a chilliest low this mild or milder (the most recent was two years ago when the coolest low of 67° was the mildest coolest July reading on record).

 

During the first half of the month it appeared July's big story would be the very dry conditions as just 0.33" of rain was measured in Central Park through 7/15 - the least to fall in the first half of July since July 2002.  And while a large portion of the metro area continued to suffer through dry conditions in the second half of the month (Newark's July total was just 0.55", JFK's was 1.10"), 4.22" fell in Central Park, which was double the typical amount.  As a result, July's total rainfall ended up being very close to average (0.05" below).  Much of the rain fell from isolated strong thunderstorms. The most to fall on one day, 1.85" on 7/18, was a record for the date. 

 

A six-day heat wave, from 7/19-24, was the longest since the summer of 2013.  The average high/low was 94°/77°.  In addition to these six days, there were four other days with highs in the 90s (on 7/1 and 7/12-14); the total of 10 was three more than average.  The hottest day of the month occurred on the last day of the heat wave, with a high of 95°/79°.  Two other days during the heat wave, 7/20 and 7/23, had  highs/lows of 95°/78°.  (In addition to the large disparity in rain compared to Central Park, Newark also had a reecord-setting five-day streak of triple-digit highs).

 

 

Typically, June averages six lows in the 70s/80s and July averages 16.  This summer the respective numbers were one and twenty-four.  This increase of 23 days compared to June is the greatest increase from any June with 0, 1 , or 2 lows in the 70s.  Only July 2020 and 2010 have had more lows in the 70s/80s than July 2022 (tied with three other years that had 24 such lows).

 

Finally, the 4.55" of rain that fell was the eighth time this amount was a monthly precipitation total.  The most recent occurrence was in April 2019, and there was another July with this amount in 1916. 

 

Here are July recaps from previous years:

July 2021

July 2020

July 2019

July 2018

July 2017

July 2016

July 2015

July 2014

 

  

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 (ironically, the month's four warmest highs and lows were all in the second half of June).  This was the third June in a row with less than three inches of rain, 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 high temperature in June was between 71° and 90°, with the exception being 87°.

 

Here are June recaps from the previous six years:

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

 

 

 

 

Analysis: Temperatures Most Likely to be the Coldest or Hottest of Each Month

 

 

Looking at all of the months of every year since the reporting of weather conditions  began in Central Park in 1869, the temperature that has the distinction of occurring the most times as a month's coldest reading is 52° in June, which has occurred in 25 years (most recently in 2016), or about once every six years.  And the daily high that's most frequently been the hottest of any month is 94° in July as well as in August; it's been the hottest reading in those two months 22 times (most recently in 2017 and 2021, respectively).

 

 

 

Looking across months, the temperature that has had the most designations as hottest reading of a month is 92°, which has had that distinction 76 times across six months.  (Second most is 94°, which has been hottest 72 times across five months.)

 

 

By contrast, the daily low temperature with the most designations as coolest is 57°, which has been the coolest reading 45 times across four months.  Second most is 41 times for the lows of 17° and 52°, occurring in five months and four months, respectively.

 

 

Here are the greatest concentrations by month:

August - 80% of its hottest readings have been between 89°-96° (an 8-degree range)

June - 75% of its hottest readings have been between 89°-96° (an 8-degree range)

June - 75% of its coolest readings have been between 49°-55° (a 7-degree range)

May - 73% of its coolest readings have been between 40°-46° (a 7-degree range), and 50% have been between 41°-44° (just a 4-degree range) 

 

MISCELLANEOUS OBSERVATIONS

• February and March have had the most different temperatures that have been coldest (both with 30) or warmest (both with 34), while June has had the fewest (15 and 19), with July having practically the same amount (16 and 19) .

• The most frequent chilliest temperature in July, 60° (22 times), last happened in 1995, which is the longest current hiatus of any month for a temperature that has been coldest or warmest.  But despite this lengthy hiatus, it's still comfortably ahead of 58° and 59°, which have both happened 19 times.  Looking at warmest reading, the last time February's most frequent mildest reading occurred (58°) was in 2005.

• For five years in a row (1989-1993), September's chilliest reading was 44°.  In five of the six years between 1946-1951 the hottest temperature in July was 94° (the outlier was 102° in 1949).  Also in July, five of the six years between 1973-78 had 58° as the coolest reading; the outlier was a low of 59° in 1974. 

• Half of the 16 occurrences of the low of 13°, which is the most frequent coldest low temperature in December, were concentrated in the 15 years between 1886-1900.  The other eight 13° readings occurred in the course of the other 137 years.

• Despite it being April's most frequent coldest low, there was a 31-year period between 1874-1904 when the low of 33° wasn't the coldest reading.  And the low of 42° in May (tied for the month's second most frequent low) had a hiatus of 36 years between 1893-1928.
  

 

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

 

 

 

Today in New York Weather History: May 21

 

1924

On a showery day, the high/low was only 50°/47°.  The high was 20 degrees below average.

1971

Although just 0.03" of rain fell today (between 3-4 PM), it was the first measurable rainfall on this date in 17 years.  The day was gray and coo,l with a high of only 60°.

1985

Heavy rain fell between 5-11 PM, amounting to 1.60".  During one 15-minute period (between 6:55-7:10 PM), 0.48" of rain poured down.

1996

This was the second day in a row with a record high as the mercury topped out at 93°.  The next 90-degree day wouldn't be for another two months (and it would be the only other 90-degree day of the summer.) 

 

2002

This was the last of four consecutive days with morning lows in the chilly low 40s, well below the average of 55°.

2012

After four days in a row of sunny and mild weather, today was a gray, rainy Monday.  1.40" of rain fell, with a particularly heavy downpour occurring during AM rush hour, with 0.57" measured between 9-10:00.

2013

Today was just the second 80-degree day of the year, coming six weeks after the first (4/9).  This was the greatest number of days between the first and second 80-degree day in eight years, when there was a gap of 45 days.  (The longest gap, in the years since 1900, was 58 days in 1928).  Today's high of 86° was the warmest reading since the first week of September 2012.

 

 

2022

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

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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

 

 

Months With Warmest & Coldest Readings Just A Few Days Apart

 

 

For the purposes of this analysis, I've gathered together months that had their coldest and warmest temperature one or two days apart.  On average, this has happened about once every two-and-a-half years.  The difference between the coldest and warmest reading has been, on average, 42 degrees (ranging between swings of 29 and 61 degrees).  I've limited the months in this analysis to those with "solo" occurrences, i.e., months in which the hottest and coldest temperature occurred on just one date.  Through March 2022, there were 58 months that met this criterion.  The last time it happened was in Nov. 2009, when the month's coldest temperature occurred on 11/7 (35°), and mildest reading on 11/8 (69°).  Here are a few other observations:

 

• By month, February has had the most instances (nine), while September had the fewest (one).  By season, winter has had 20 such months, spring and summer have each had 14, and fall has had 10 months.
  

 

• Although the average time between occurrences has been 2-1/2 years, in 1961 it happened in consecutive months (May and June).  And there have been three instances in which this type of month was just a month apart from the other:  Oct./Dec. 1871; Dec. 1882/Feb. 1883; and Aug./Oct. 1894.  (There are no instances in which a month's temperature extremes occurred on the same day). 

 

• We're presently in the midst of the longest hiatus, which started in December 2009.  This is in contrast to the 15-year period between 1887-1901 when there were 13 months which had their warmest and coldest readings 1-2 days apart.  (Including five consecutive years, 1891-1895.)
  

 

GREATEST SWINGS IN A MONTH'S WARMEST-COLDEST TEMPERATURE WHEN 2 DAYS APART

>  March 1987/ 61 degrees/ from 76° to 15°

>  March 1988/59 degrees/ from 17° to 76°

>  Dec. 1871/ 57 degrees/ from -2° to 55°

>  Feb. 1967/ 56 degrees/ from 4° to 60°

>  April 1880/ 54 degrees/ from 26° to 80° 

 

GREATEST SWINGS IN A MONTH'S WARMEST-COLDEST  TEMPERATURE WHEN 1 DAY APART

>  Jan. 1934/ 52 degrees/ from 58˜ to 6°

>  Jan. 1913/ 45 degrees/ from 18° to 63°

>  June 1961/43 degrees/ from 96° to 43°

>  Feb. 1947/ 43 degrees/ from 50° to 7°

 

Finally, there have been nine months in which the temperature extremes occurred on the first and last day of the month, most recently in June 2009.