No Thunderstorms in Central Park for the Past 15 Years? So Says the National Weather Service

 

 

I've lived in Manhattan since 1981, so I can attest to the fact that we get our fair share of thunderstorms; through 1995 the average number each year was nineteen.  However, while doing research on thunderstorms, I was very surprised to discover that since 1996 only three were reported in Central Park (and none since 2003).  This is according to NOAA's annual Local Climatological report for CPK (which is the official reporting site for New York City).  Yet, during these same years the reporting stations at LaGuardia, Kennedy and Newark airports each averaged 25 per year.  I thought, perhaps, this was just an egregious oversight, so I contacted NOAA and I was told that it wasn't an error but, rather, the result of "automation and a lack of human augmentation since the mid 1990s."

 

I was taken aback by this explanation.  So, the most populous city in the nation no longer reports the incidence of thunderstorms because a human can't be found to do it?   What added to my consternation was that the "Reference Notices" section found in the monthly and annual reports makes no mention that thunderstorms are no longer reported, nor is there an asterisk in the report's month-by-month line for thunderstorms explaining why the number is '0' every month.  Confounding me further is the fact that an annual average is still reported - a number that grows smaller each year since all of the years with no thunderstorms reported are factored in.  So, the most current average listed, 11.1, is completely bogus. 

 

 

Of course, in the grand scheme of things a statistic indicating how often thunderstorms occur is not a crucial one (and it should be noted that any rainfall from a thunderstorm is reported).  However, what troubles me is that there is no explanation that thunderstorms are no longer reported.  Someone not familiar with the New York's climate may think the City actually gets no thunderstorms (and not be aware measurement sites at the three airports collect such information).  And as for the "lack of human augmentation" - isn't that what interns are for?  

 

 

Although thunderstorms are no longer reported in Central Park, the way it is displayed on NOAA's annual summary leaves the impression that they are, but there just weren't any storms in 2017.

 

Curiously, the end of tracking thunderstorms in Central Park coincides with the reporting of days of Heavy Fog for the first time.  In other words, before 1996 the average number of days each year with heavy fog reported (1/4 mile or less) was zero, but since 1996 there have been, on average, 14 such days.  It seems an odd coincidence that the jump in the number of foggy days somewhat coincides with the number of thunderstorms before 1996 while the number of thunderstorms in the present day is what the number of foggy days used to be before 1996.      

The Towering Clouds & Beautiful Sunsets During Summer 2016

 

 

I've always had an appreciation for clouds and sunsets.  Five years ago I probably wouldn't have been able to write this post because I didn't have my smartphone with its camera.  Now I'm able to snap photos at a moments notice, enabling me to capture this summer's overabundance of photo-ready thunderheads and stunning sunsets.  And because I live in the West Village I probably notice them more since the low-rise buildings make the sky much more accessible than in Midtown Manhattan.  I hope you enjoy the photo revue that follows ... 

 

The photo display begins with one of me along the Westside Highway at dusk during Memorial Day weekend.

 

Rays of the setting sun stream over Sheridan Square in Greenwich Village.

 

I took this photo during a June visit to Pittsburgh to see my mother. These clouds brought to mind those I'd often see over the Atlantic Ocean close to sundown on Fire Island.

 

Taken on July 1, this photo shows a thundercloud from a storm that struck half an hour earlier. Although it was around 9PM the top of the cloud was catching the rays of sun that was below the horizon.

 

Early evening sun filtered through a slate gray sky over Sheridan Square.

 

This isn't a cloud formation in New York but it deserves an honorable mention.  I snapped the photo of this breathtaking thunderhead during a weekend visit to south central Pennsylvania in the midst of a late July heat wave.

 

Taken from my kitchen looking east as the full moon was rising.

 

This was the view on 7/28 looking east from the 44th floor of an apartment building on the  Upper West Side. The light pastel coloring was the result of a fire in a warehouse in Long Island City (Queens) an hour earlier.

 

Taken as I was walking to the subway after work on 42nd St. across from across from Grand Central Terminal.

 

Looking west from Sheridan Square at around 6PM in mid-August. Seeing it I felt I was in the presence of the Divine.

 

Early evening on a hot day in mid-August.  These mountainous clouds brought a quick downpour to upper Manhattan, but not to Greenwich Village.

 

Similar view and thunderclouds as the previous photo but on a different day one month later.

 

The same cloud formation as it moved behind the apartment building at 10 Charles St.

 

Wispy and puffy clouds over the West Village.

 

Sunset on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend, taken on Christopher St. pier, which looks out across the Hudson River.

 

This is how the sun's rays from the above sunset reflected on the bank of towering clouds in the east.  Reminds me of rainbow sherbet.

 

I snapped this photo shortly after I came out of the Christopher St. subway station in the early evening. This view is looking east.

 

Taken the evening of Sept. 11 as I left the gym on Seventh Ave. South.

 

Taken on Sept. 14 close to the West Side Highway in Chelsea, shortly after a late afternoon thunderstorm. A few hours earlier the temperature was in the low 90s, the last 90-degree day of the year.

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6PM on Sept. 15, awaiting take-off at LaGuardia Airport.

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Finally, a golden sunset on Sept. 17 during a visit to my childhood neighborhood in McKees Rocks, PA.

 

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Hot, Wet New York Summers

 

 

During the summer months clouds, thunderstorms or winds coming off the ocean often prevent temperatures from rising into the 90s.  However, there are occasional stifling days when high temperatures and thunderstorms co-exist, creating tropical conditions that wouldn't be out of place in Bangkok or Manila.  On average New York experiences about four of these days every year; most occur in July and August.  These downpours are usually of short duration (15 minutes up to a few hours).  This post takes a look at some of these summertime days that featured a combination of wicked heat as well as heavy rainfall. 

 

In the summer of 2019 the most tropical conditions were experienced on July 17.  On that day a severe thunderstorm between 8-9 PM dumped more rain (1.14") than what fell in the previous three weeks.  Earlier in the day sauna-like conditions prevailed as the dew point reached the mid-70s, the temperature rose to 93° and the heat index reached 105°.  It also appeared today would be one of those rare summer days with a low of 80°+, but when tonight's storm moved in the temperature dropped to 73°.  Rain continued after the initial storm, adding an additional 0.68", making this the wettest day of the year.  This moisture was from the remnants of what was hurricane Barry, which had flooded Louisiana earlier in the week. 

 

Three days have had highs of 100° or hotter and thunderstorms:

• July 18, 2012 - High/Low of 100°/73°. 1.76" of rain fell from  severe thunderstorms that moved through between 2:30 and 5:00; most of the rain fell in the two hours between 2:40 and 4:40.  By 4:00 the temperature had fallen to 73°.  Before the storms moved in the heat index was close to 110° and during the early part of the thunderstorms the dew point was in the mid-70s.

• July 21, 1991 - High/Low of 102°/74°.  0.46" of rain fell during a thunderstorm between 6-7 PM.  The heat index was between 105° and 110°.

• July 14, 1954 - High/Low of 100°/69°.  0.37" of rain fell during thunderstorms between 10:30 PM -12:30 AM.  This was also the rainiest day of a dry July.

 

The following six days had hot temperatures and more than two inches of rain (ranked in descending chronological order):

• Aug. 14, 2005 - High/Low of 96°/72°.  After the high temperature was reached around 2:30 PM three thunderstorms between 3 PM and 1 AM dumped 3.10" of rain.  The storm between 7-8 PM produced 1.70" (with nearly an inch falling in a 20-minute period) while the third storm dumped 0.83" between 10-11 PM.  Dew points were in the low to mid-70s and the heat index rose to 104° in the early afternoon.

• Aug. 8, 2007 - This hot, wet day was different from the others in that torrential rain fell at dawn.  2.50" poured down between 5-7:00 AM, flooding (and shutting down large portions of the subway system).  And a tornado touched down in Brooklyn.  After a low of 73° the temperature rose to 90° in the afternoon.

 

 

• July 21 , 1983 - High/Low of 95°/69°.  The 2.26" of rain that fell in the evening became known as the 'Diana Ross Thunderstorm' because it forced Ross to stop her free concert in Central Park when a severe storm bore down shortly after her performance began.  The rain fell heavily for three hours, from 6:30 until 9:30.

• Aug. 26 1941 - On a day that had a high/low of 93°/68°, 2.30" of rain fell, most of it between 6:15 and 8 PM.  The day before 1.83" of rain in the early afternoon, but the high was only 75°.

• July 1, 1933 - After a high of 94°, a heat index in the low 100s and dew points in the low 70s, 2.16" of rain poured down between 8:25 (when the temperature was 88°) and 10:45 PM.

• June 27, 1932 - High/Low of 90°/72°.  Much of the day's 2.11" of rain fell between 8:00 and 10 PM, but there was also a quick downpour between 5:00 and 6 PM.  During the first half of the afternoon the dew point was in the mid-70s.  

 

And here are other days with highs mostly in the mid-to-upper 90s along with significant rainfall:

• July 22, 2020 - High/Low of 92°/72° and 1.42" of rain, most of which fell between 6:30 and 7:30 PM during a severe thunderstorm.  The day's low had been 77° but fell into the low 70s during the storm.
• July 25, 2016 - High/Low of 93°/73° and an inch of rain, which fell from 2:45 until 5:45 PM. During the thunderstorms the dew point rose to 77°
• July 30, 2015 - A sultry high/low of 87°/76° was accompanied by a series of downpours and thunderstorms that produced 1.95" of rain between 1:00 and 5:00 PM.  During a 20-minute period between 1:24 and 1:44 an inch of rain poured down.  Afternoon dew points were in the oppressive mid-70s and the heat index reached the mid-90s before the rain moved in.J
• July 7, 2012 - High/Low of 97°/72° and 0.50" of rain.  The rain fell during a late thunderstorm between 10 PM and midnight.
• July 18, 2006 - High/Low of 95°/71° and 0.69" of rain.  Most of the rain was measured between 10-11 PM.
• Aug. 2, 2002 - High/Low of 97°/70° and 0.70" of rain.  0.42" poured down in a 15-minute period between 8:15 and 8:30 PM.
• July 8, 1994 - High/Low of 94°/73° and 0.82" inches of rain.  Much of the rain (0.70") fell from a thunderstorm between 3-4 PM.
• Aug. 28, 1993 - High/Low of 95°/71° and 0.53" of rain.  All of the rain fell in an hour between 5-6 PM.
• July 23, 1991 - High/Low of 99°/72° and 0.53" of rain.  A thunderstorm between 5:30 and 7 PM brought all of the rain.
• July 17, 1988 - High/Low of 94°/71° and 1.21" of rain.  A strong thunderstorm dumped an inch of rain in an hour between 6:30 and 7:30 PM.  Earlier in the day there had also been showers in the wee hours of the morning.
• July 1, 1971 - High/Low of 94°/73° and 1.56" of rain.  Thunderstorms moved in after 3 PM, with much of the rain falling from two storms between 3-4:00 (0.42") and 6-7:00 (0.65"). 
• July 18, 1969 - High/Low of 94°/77° and 0.88" of rain.  All of the rain poured down in the hour between 4-5 PM.
• Aug. 7, 1955 - High/Low of 93°/73° and 0.97" of rain.  The rain fell from a mid-afternoon thunderstorm between 3-4 PM and a nighttime thunderstorm between 9:30-midnight.
• July 28, 1949 - High/Low of 97°/77° and 1.10" of rain.  (No hourly information is available for this month.)
• Aug 16, 1944 - High/Low of 96°/73° and 0.88" of rain.  The rain fell between 5:30-8:40 PM.  This was the seventh day in a row with a high of 95° or hotter (and tomorrow would be the eighth).
• July 11, 1940 - High/Low of 92°/67° and 1.94" of rain. (No hourly information is available for this month.)
• July 7, 1934 - High/Low of 97°/74° and 0.83" of rain.  Rain fell during two thunderstorms between 8-9 PM and midnight-1 AM.  (The National Weather Service doesn't recognize Daylight Time and uses Standard Time year-round for its official records.)  Before the storms moved in the humidity was around 45% range but then jumped above 90% once the clouds opened up.
• July 28, 1931 - High/Low of 97°/78° and 0.26" of rain.  The heat index was around 100°, and just before a mid-afternoon thunderstorm moved in it was in the low 100s as the humidity rose from 40% to 80%.  The rain fell in a short period of time, between 4:05 and 4:40 PM.
• July 13, 1916 - High/Low of 94°/70° and 0.97" of rain.  Two thunderstorms produced the rain, between 4-5 PM and 6-8 PM.  Shortly before the storms moved in the dew point was an incredibly uncomfortable 80° and heat index at 3 PM was a wicked 112°.

 

For an entire summer, the hottest and wettest summer is that of 1991.  It was the 12th hottest and had 15.86" of rain (average amount is 12.50").  Second is the summer of 1983 which was fifth hottest and had 13.48" of rain.  Other warm and wet summers include 2011, 2006 and 1984.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Extreme Weather: New York's Greatest One-Hour Rainfalls Since 1970

 

 

I've written posts about New York's biggest rainstorms, its greatest daily rainfall totals and rainiest months.  This post adds to the genre by examining the City's most torrential one-hour rainfalls.  Although an inch of rain falling over the course of a day is a generous amount, a few times each year this amount pours down in just an hour - or less; occasionally the amounts exceed 1.50".

 

Although nor'easters and tropical systems are responsible for the greatest rainfall, these amounts are usually spread out over twelve hours or more.  Thunderstorms, on the other hand, are most likely to produce copious amounts of rain in short periods of time.  August has had the highest propensity for these torrential downpours.

 

 

The greatest one-hour rainfall to occur in New York since 1970 was measured during the evening of Aug. 10, 2006 when 2.46" fell between 6:11-7:11 PM.  Five other huge 60-minute deluges have occurred around this date as well: 1.91" fell on Aug. 8, 2007; 1.40" fell on Aug. 9, 1976; 1.92" fell on Aug. 10, 1990, 2.09" fell on Aug. 12, 1989 and 1.76" fell on Aug. 12, 2020.  The most recent one-hour downpour of an inch or more occurred on July 8, 2021 when 1.56" fell between 5-6 PM.

 

(Like all of the previous analyses I've written about heavy precipitation, 1983 is a problem because it's rainfall totals were disavowed due to a malfunctioning rain gauge for most of the year.)

 

HIGH INTENSITY RAINFALL - 1 HOUR
(1970 - 2013)
Date	Amount	Time
Aug 10, 2006	2.46"	6:11-7:11 PM
July 17, 1995	2.09"	10:19-11:19 PM
Aug 12, 1989	2.09"	12:45-1:45 PM
Aug 10, 1990	1.92"	6:17-7:17 PM
Aug 8, 2007	1.91"	4:36-5:36 AM
July 29, 1980	1.78"	8:30-9:30 PM
Sept 8, 2004	1.76"	6-7AM
June 3, 1991	1.75"	9:06-10:06 PM
.June 2, 2006	1.73"	2:35-3:35 PM
Aug 14, 2005	1.73"	5:56-6:56 PM
Aug 2, 1973	1.65"	8:30-9:30 AM
Aug 16, 1993	1.58"	5:37-6:37 PM
Oct 1, 2010	1.55"	4:05-5:05 AM
July 6, 1975	1.43"	4-5PM
Aug 9, 1976	1.40"	10-11PM
June 22, 1973	1.40"	1-2PM
June 6, 1989	1.35"	1:25-2:25 PM
May 23, 2013	1.32"	2:25-3:25 PM
Aug 14, 2011	1.30"	1:02-2:02 AM
July 6, 2005	1.26"	Midnight-1AM
Oct 21, 1995	1.26"	10:45-11:45 AM
Note: Excludes 1983

Beginning in 1982, the most drenching rains by 5-minute, 10-minute, 15-minute, half hour, and 45-minute intervals was reported in the monthly Local Climatological Data report.  The greatest amount of rain to fall in five minute's time was 0.63" on Oct. 14, 2011 between 12:36 and 12:41 AM.  (That's an hourly rate of 7.56".)  And there have been three instances where more than an inch of rain fell in just 15 minutes.  Frustratingly, this information is reported on an inconsistent basis (i.e., since 2000 this information is unavailable for 39 months). 

 

 

HIGH INTENSITY RAINFALL - 5 MINUTES
(1982 - 2013)
Date	Amount	Time
Oct 14, 2011	0.63"	12:36-12:41 AM
June 2, 2006	0.54"	2:46-2:51 PM
July 26, 2009	0.46"	5:23-5:28 PM
Aug 3, 2007	0.46"	10:16-10:21 PM
Sept 10, 1992	0.45"	11:15-11:20 PM
15 MINUTES (1982 - 2013)
Date	Amount	Time
June 2, 2006	1.25"	2:39-2:54 PM
Aug 3, 2007	1.06"	10:06-10:21 PM
Aug 12, 1989	1.02"	12:56-1:11 PM
Aug 19, 2011	0.94"	6:26-6:41 PM
Sept 10, 1992	0.92"	11:06-11:21 PM
30 MINUTES (1982 - 2013)
Date	Amount	Time
Aug 12, 1989	1.64"	12:53-1:23 PM
June 2, 2006	1.51"	2:35-3:05 PM
June 3, 1991	1.47"	9:22-9:52 PM
Aug 10, 2006	1.33"	6:12-6:42 PM
Aug 10, 1990	1.22"	6:46-7:16 PM

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Today in New York Weather History: June 13

 

1927 (Monday)

It was a beautiful day for the ticker tape parade held in Lower Manhattan to honor Charles Lindbergh after his non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean.  Skies were mostly sunny, the humidity was low, and the high/low was a seasonable of 77°/60°.

 

 

1982 (Sunday)

It was a damp and very cool day as 1.65" of rain fell and the high was just 55°, twenty-three degrees below average.  Only three degrees separated the high from the morning low.

 

1984 (Wednesday)

I was at the Waverly Theater in Greenwich Village to see Ghostbusters when a fierce thunderstorm struck between 5-6 PM.  (For a while the thunder outside coincided with a scene in the movie with thunder and lightning.)  Before the storm struck it had been a stifling hot afternoon, with a high of 94°.

 

 

 

1989 (Tuesday)

1.16" of rain poured down in a two-hour period during a thunderstorm in the wee hours of the morning (2-4 AM).  

 

1998 (Saturday)

1.31" of rain fell between 11 AM-1 PM.  It came down especially hard in the second hour when 0.85" fell.  This heavy rainfall followed a steady rain yesterday that amounted to 1.29".

 

2000 (Tuesday)

Just two days after a sweltering high of 92°, today's high was an autumn-like 60°.

 

2013 (Thursday)

The day was dreary, wet, and cool, with two periods of heavy rain, one in the morning between 9:30 and 11:00, and the second in the evening.  In total, a little more than an inch of rain was measured in Central Park, bringing the month's total rainfall to more than nine inches.  Coming after eight inches of rain fell in May, this was only the seventh time NYC had experienced consecutive months with eight inches or more of precipitation.  

 

 

2014 (Friday)

It was a somewhat turbulent Friday the 13th as heavy showers moved through the area around 9 AM and a severe thunderstorm struck between 5:45 and 7:30 PM.  In between, during the afternoon, the sun broke through for the first time in five days.  The 1.28" of rain that fell came one year after 1.26" fell on the same date.

 

2017 (Tuesday)

Today was  the third day in a row with temperatures in the 90s, with today being the hottest (high/low of 94°/77°).  However, compared to LaGuardia and Newark Airports, with their respective highs of 101° and 99°, Central Park was in a relative comfort zone.  With today's heat, this became the first year since 1976 to have its first 90-degree days come in back-to-back heat waves (the first heat wave was May 17-19).  Finally, yesterday's and today's lows of 76° and 77° were the first that were 75°+ on these dates in the 1970-2024 period.

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Today in New York Weather History: June 12

 

1958 (Thursday)

Today and yesterday had the year's first back-to-back days with highs in the 80s, the latest occurrence in the 1950-2024 period (it happened one day earlier in 1997).

 

1967 (Monday)

This was the eleventh day in a row with highs of 80° or warmer.  Today was the hottest, with a high of 92° (the previous two days were also in the 90s).  The average high during this warm streak was close to 86°, nine degrees above average.  But perhaps even more impressive was the fact that today was the fourteenth day in a row in which skies were clear or mostly clear.

 

 

1973 (Tuesday)

Today was the fourth day in a row with a high in the 90s.  The highs were: 92°, 91°, 95° (a record for the date) and today's 93° (which tied the 1933 record).

 

1975 (Thursday)

A steady, all-day rain amounted to 1.98".  Because of the clouds and rain, the high temperature got no higher than 63°, fifteen degrees below average.

 

1979 (Tuesday)

The day started off chilly, with a low of 48°, fourteen degrees below average, and a record for the date.  This was the latest date for a reading in the 40s since 1950.

 

1983 (Sunday)

Today's high was 91°, the year's first high in the 90s.  It came about two weeks later than the average date of this occurrence.  Despite this late start, the year would have 36 days with highs in the 90s, the most since 1944's 37.

 

1988 (Sunday)

This was the first of twelve consecutive days with much above average temperatures, including seven which had highs in the 90s, like today.  Temperatures would average eight degrees above average during this extended period of hot weather.

 

1995 (Monday)

In just fifteen minutes a torrential downpour during a thunderstorm dumped 0.68" of rain between 1:28-1:43 AM.  Showers later in the afternoon brought the day's rainfall total to 0.99", which accounted for half of the month's rainfall.

 

2000 (Monday)

The temperature this afternoon was only in the low 60s, quite a contrast from yesterday's sizzling high of 92°.

 

 

2007 (Tuesday)

0.85" of rain poured down in just 15 minutes between 3:07-3:22 PM.  (This was even greater than the 15-minute deluge of 0.68" on this date in 1995).

 

2009 (Friday)

Today was the last day this month with an above-average mean temperature.  The next above-average day wouldn't be until July 28, a stretch of 46 days.

 

2012 (Tuesday)

Rain began late in the morning and by the time it ended, at 4 AM on 6/13, 1.32" had fallen.  The day's high was 72°, after a mild low of 65°.

 

2017 (Monday)

Today's high of 93° tied 1973 and 1933 for the record high, but it had the warmest mean temperature of the three years: 84.5° (93°/76°) versus 82.5° in '73 (93°/72°) and 80.0° in '33 (93°/67°).  This record is the "coolest" reading for a record high in June.  Less than a week after a mean temperature that was 14 degrees below average (on 6/6 when the high/low was 58°/55°), today was 14 degrees above average.  This was the fifth 90-degree day of the year, the most at this point in the year since 2000 (when there were six by 6/11).

 

2021 (Saturday)

Today's high/low of 69°/62° was the same as yesterday's (and skies were overcast both days).  This followed another pair of days with the same high/low just just a few days earlier, as June 8 and 9 each had a high/low of 90°/72°.   (And June 6 and 7 missed being "twin" days by one degree, as the highs/lows were 92°/76° and 91°/76°).   Two weeks earlier, on Memorial Day weekend, the high/low on both days was 51°/47°.  (A typical years has two or three of these temperature "twins".) 

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Today in New York Weather History: June 6

 

1923 (Wednesday)

Highs today and the previous four days: 89°-88°-89°-92°-91°(today), sixteen degrees above average.  Strong thunderstorms struck during the afternoons of the 3rd (0.61" rain fell) and today (0.59").

 

 

1945 (Tuesday)

For the fifth time in the past six days the low was in the 40s (and the one day that didn't drop into the 40s had a low of 50°).  No other June has had this many days with temperatures in the 40s.  What made this streak even more noteworthy is the fact that it came only a few months after the mildest March on record (a record which still stands).  Today's high of 70° was the first that warmed into the 70s since 5/29.

 

 

1989 (Tuesday)

During an afternoon thunderstorm, 1.18" of rain fell in just half an hour (2:30-3:00). 

 

 

2000 (Tuesday)

A rare June nor'easter dumped 2.62" of rain, with 1.10" of it falling between 7:30-10:30 AM.

 

2002 (Thursday)

0.32" of rain poured down in just 10 minutes between 8:50-9:00 PM.

 

2010 (Sunday)

Today was the eighth day in a row in which afternoon temperatures rose into the mid-to-upper 80s (but no 90s).  These readings were eleven degrees above average.

 

 

2017 (Tuesday)

Measurable rain fell for the eighth day of the last nine, but the total amount was unimpressive - just 0.41" (by comparison, the deluge of May 5 saw 2.72" fall in just two hours).  Today's light rainfall was 0.06", which fell throughout the day.  Temperatures during these nine days were  five degrees below average.

 

2020 (Saturday)

Warm and uncomfortably humid, with a high of 86°; the dew point was in the 68°-70° range all morning thru mid-afternoon.  This was the first reading of 85° or warmer this year, the latest date for this occurrence since 2008 (when it happened on 6/7).   Today also had the year's first low of 70°+, which was just a few days later than the average date.  The humidity dropped sharply after a mid-afternoon shower.  Meanwhile, Newark and LaGuardia airports had their first readings in the 90s.

 

2021 (Sunday)

Central Park had its first reading in the 90s this year (92°), as well its first low in the 70s (76°) -  the first time since 2013 that both occurred on the same date.  Today's first low in the 70s fell on the same date as last year's; the last time this happened was in 1988 and 1989 (when the date was 5/30). 

This weekend's highs of 89° and 92°, and those of two weeks ago, 89° and 88°, were in very stark contrast to last weekend's highs of 51° and 51° (Memorial Day weekend).

 

 

2024 (Thursday)

It was a day of wicked humidity as the dew point held steady at 72° for nearly six hours between 7:30 AM and 1 PM and then rose to 76° for a few hours late in the afternoon.  The only saving grace was that the temperature got no higher than 81°.  Heavy showers before sunrise, during mid-afternoon, and between 9:30-10 PM produced 0.77" of rain.  

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A Look Back at New York Weather: June 3

 

June 3 is the average date of the year's first low temperature in the 70s.  It's happened as early as April 14 (in 2023) and as late as July 16 (in 2009).  A little more than half of the days with the first 70-degree low also had afternoon highs in the 90s. 

Additionally, in the years since 1960, June 3 has been the calendar date most likely to see measurable precipitation, with measurable rain (0.01" or more) falling in 39 of the 63 years, or 62% of them.  (A typical date during these years has had measurable precipitation in one-third of the years.)  However, looking at every year since record keeping began in Central Park in 1869, July 29 is the day most likely to see rain, with three more days than 6/3; however, since 1960 June 3 has had rain in 13 more years than 7/29.

 

1895 (Monday)

This was the last day of an early season heat wave, which lasted five days.  After starting with a high of 90°, three highs of 96° followed; and today's high was 95° (but after a cold front moved through, the temperature dropped to 63° by midnight).  The highs of June 1-3 were all records that are still standing.

 

1980 (Tuesday)

Two thunderstorms produced significant amounts of rain; the first dumped 0.52" from 9-10 AM, and then 0.43" fell between 3-4 PM.  It was also a warm day, with a high of 84°/low of 67°, eight degrees above average.  Total rainfall for the day was 1.08", the first time an inch of rain fell on this date (it's happened three additional times since then).

 

 

1983 (Friday)

This was the seventh year in a row that rain fell on this date.  This year's rain began after dark and amounted to 0.16" by midnight (and 0.43" poured down between midnight and 1 AM on 6/4).

 

1985 (Monday)

Today's high of 85° would be the warmest reading of the entire month, the coolest maximum temperature for any June since 1916 (when the warmest reading was 84°).

 

1991 (Monday)

During a nighttime thunderstorm, 1.72" of rain poured down in the 45 minutes between 10:07-10:52 PM.  And in a 15-minute period between 10:23-10:38 PM, 0.84" fell.  Today was also the eleventh day in a row in which the high temperature was 80° or warmer.  (As well as 20 of the past 24 days.)

 

 

1996 (Monday)

3.01" of rain fell in a 12-hour period (8 AM-8 PM), more than what fell during the entire month of May.  It was also a record for the date, and the biggest June rainstorm since 1984.  Today's high was only 61°, fifteen degrees below average.  The AM low of 54° was the third and last day of the month with a low in the 50s - the fewest in June in the years since 1970 (thru 2023).  This would also be the last low in the 50s until 9/14, the longest period on record with lows of 60°+.

 

2006 (Saturday)

Between 7 PM on June 1 and 3 PM today, 4.52" of rain fell.

 

2007 (Sunday)

Rain from the remnants of tropical storm Barry began in the evening and by midnight 1.62" had fallen.  This was the fifth year in a row in which rain fell on this date.  An additional 2.29" would fall during the morning of 6/4.

 

 

 

2021 (Thursday)

Showers late in the morning, and during the evening (amounting to 0.38") made this the 15th year of the past 21 (since 2001) to have measurable rain on this date.

 

2023 (Friday)

After yesterday's sunny and hot conditions (high of 91°) today was overcast and cool with afternoon temperatures only in the mid-60s after winds shifted to an easterly-northeasterly direction. 

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Today in New York Weather History: June 2

 

1928 (Saturday)

Today's high of 83° was the second reading in the 80s of the year and came nearly two months after the year's first, on April 5 (a record for the date).  In the years since 1900 (thru 2024) this 57-day hiatus is the longest on record.

 

1946 (Sunday)

Two days after a summery high of 86°, today was more than 30 degrees colder, along with a soaking rain of more than two inches (six days after another two-inch rainfall).  Today's high was just 52°, twenty-four degrees below average and came one year after an equally chilly three-day period from June 3-5 that saw an average high/low of 53°/49°.     

 

1967 (Friday)

Like yesterday, today's diurnal variation was 30 degrees, but today's high/low of 88°/58° was ten degrees warmer.  Both days featured clear skies.

 

1988 (Thursday)

Today's high of 63° was twenty-seven degrees cooler than yesterday's high of 90°.

 

 

1997 (Monday)

An all-day rain produced 0.99" of rain and would be more than half of the month's total (1.93").  This was the first measurable rainfall on this date in 10 years.

 

2005 (Thursday)

Although it was on the cool-ish side (high/low of 69°/54°), skies were clear and it was a beautiful evening for an after-work excursion around Manhattan on the Forbes yacht.

 

2006 (Friday)

A severe thunderstorm struck shortly after lunchtime on Friday and dumped 1.73" in an hour (2:35-3:35 PM).  During this hour, 0.54" fell in five minutes, and 1.02" in ten minutes.  Total rainfall for the day was 2.79", a record for the date.  

 

 

2007 (Saturday)

This was the tenth day in a row with a high temperature of 80° or warmer.  The average high during these days was 86°, twelve degrees warmer than normal.

 

2011 (Thursday)

Similar to four years ago, the past ten days were nice and balmy, with sunny skies predominating.  Afternoon highs averaged close to 84°,  ten degrees above average.

 

 

2013 (Sunday)

A day that was very warm (upper 80s) and humid was capped off by a late night thunderstorm featuring vivid lightning that dumped a half-inch of rain in just fifteen minutes (10:25-10:40).  

 

2015 (Tuesday)

One day after a chilly high/low of 58°/51°, today was even chillier.  With a high/low of just 55°/50° this was the chilliest day in June since June 2, 1946 (52°/48°).  Today's high was twenty-three degrees below average.  Drizzle and light rain fell throughout the day, bringing Central Park's total rainfall since 6 PM on 5/31 to 2.55" - more than what fell during the previous sixty days. 

 

2019 (Sunday)

A nighttime thunderstorm dumped 0.78" of rain in the 30 minutes between 9:45 and 10:15.  This was the greatest amount in such a brief period so far this year.  Central Park appeared to be the bulls-eye for the heaviest rain as Newark Airport reported 0.31", LaGuardia had 0.30" and JFK just 0.03".  (And at Yankee Stadium there was no rain delay for its game).      

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Today in New York Weather History: May 29

 

1968 (Wednesday)

After starting last night at around 10:00, heavy rain continued thru this morning.  By the time it ended, shortly before 12:00-noon, 4.88" had flooded the City, snarling the morning commute.  The 3.99" that fell today set the daily record for the month of May (breaking the previous record of 3.82" on May 9, 1908).

 

 

1969 (Thursday)

Not only did today have the first reading in the 90s this year, but with a high of 97° it would be the hottest reading all year (there would be highs of 96° on June 28 and July 17).

 

1987 (Friday)

Today, with a sizzling high of 96°, was the first day of an early heat wave that lasted four days; the other three days had highs of 97°, 94° and 93°.  There hasn't been a reading in the 90s on 5/29 since (through 2024).

 

1990 (Tuesday)

Beginning at 9 AM, and continuing for the rest of the day, 2.40" of rain fell.  This was a little less than two weeks after 2.32" fell, and brought the month's rainfall up to nine inches.  Today's heavy rain kept the temperature well below average, as the high was only 60°, fourteen degrees below average.

 

 

1995 (Monday)

During a severe nighttime thunderstorm on Memorial Day, 0.50" of rain fell in just 30 minutes (11:40-12:10 AM).  The storm was also accompanied by hail.   

 

1999 (Saturday)

The Memorial Day weekend began today, and all three days were marked by sunny skies and high temperatures in the upper 80s (87°-88°-89°).

 

 

2001 (Tuesday)

Including today's 0.18" of rain, all but 0.07" of the month's 2.03" rainfall came in the past nine days (the first seventeen days of the month had no measurable rain).

 

2006 (Monday)

Today was Memorial Day, and for the first time since 1999 the temperature rose into the 80s.  The afternoon high of 88° was fourteen degrees above average.

 

 

2012 (Tuesday)

Under sunny skies, chances appeared very good that the year's first reading in the 90s would happen today.  Alas, the high came up short by one degree, mirroring yesterday's high of 89°.  However, very high humidity (the dew point was in the low 70s) pushed the heat index into the mid-90s.

 

2016 (Sunday)

Today was the fifth day in a row with a high temperature of 87° or warmer, and a mean temperature that was ten degrees or more above average (two days had highs in the 90s).  Temperatures during this five-day period were 14 degrees above average.

 

2017 (Monday)

Overcast skies and light rain from 6 AM until 1 PM kept temperatures on Memorial Day stuck in the upper 50s for much of the day (the official high, 61°, occurred shortly after midnight).  This was the chilliest Memorial Day since 2003, when the high was 56°.

 

2023 (Monday)

It was a beautiful Memorial Day, with sunny skies and a high/low that was identical to yesterday's (79°/59°).  

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