It was wet and windy on Wednesday in New York City with 0.73 inches of rain measured in Central Park. Below is a short time-lapse video that was sent to us by @dmadeo showing the Empire State Building peeking through the thick clouds as they moved through the city.
Tag Archives: nyc
NYC Monthly Summary: January 2016
January is usually the coldest month on the calendar for New York City, but this year it felt like a weather rollercoaster. We had highs that ranged from an unseasonably balmy 59°F to a frosty 27°F. In the end though, with 19 out of 31 days posting above average readings, the warmth won out. These multiple extended warm spells helped push the city’s mean temperature for the month up to 34.5°F, which is 1.9°F above normal.
On the precipitation side of things, snowfall was abundant. In all 27.2 inches was measured in Central Park this January. Most of this impressive total fell during a single storm – The Blizzard of 2016. This classic nor’easter moved up the coast during one the city’s cold snaps and brought us 26.8 inches of snow – the second largest snowfall total from a single storm on record. On average, the city normally sees 7 inches of snow during the month of January and 25.8 inches for the entire winter season.
Rainfall was also plentiful during the first month of the year. The city received 4.41 inches, which is 0.76 inches above normal. Again, most of this came down during a few heavy precipitation events, including January 10th when 1.8 inches was measured in Central Park setting a new daily rainfall record for the date. As a result of all this precipitation, the city is no longer listed in any category on the US drought monitor.
Temperatures in NYC this January felt like they were on a rollercoaster. Credit: The Weather Gamut
Blizzard of 2016: Fourth Most Powerful Snowstorm on Record in Northeast
The blizzard that slammed a large section of the northeastern US, including NYC, last weekend was one of the most powerful winter storms to hit the region in decades.
According to NOAA, the storm was given a value of 7.66 on the Northeast Snowfall Impact Scale (NESIS). That is considered a category 4 or “crippling” snow event. It was also the 4th most powerful winter storm to impact the northeast since 1950.
Covering 434,000 square miles across 26 states, the storm impacted more than 102 million people. Of those, approximately 24 million people saw more than 20 inches of snow.
The region’s strongest storm on record was the so called “Super-Storm” of March 1993.
Source: NCEI
Source: NOAA
Blizzard of 2016: The Second Biggest Snowstorm on Record for NYC
A massive winter storm slammed the eastern United States this weekend. With some areas getting more than two feet of snow, records fell across the region.
Here in New York City, a whopping 26.8 inches of snow was measured in Central Park – the city’s second highest storm total since record keeping began in 1869. This storm, according to the NWS, was only one-tenth of an inch shy of tying the city’s all time record of 26.9 inches set in February 2006.
To put this event into perspective, consider that, on average, NYC normally sees 7 inches of snow during the month of January and 25.8 inches for the entire winter season.
The cause of this historic event involved a few key players. First, an area of low pressure moved up the east coast funneling in relatively warm and humid air from the southeast. At the same time, an area of high pressure to the north pushed cold air south. When the two air masses met, the warmer air was forced to rise and cool. Since cool air holds less moisture than warm air, the moisture was wrung out of the atmosphere as precipitation – snow, in this case. While developing as a classic nor’easter, this storm gained an extra boost of both energy and moisture from a warmer than normal Atlantic Ocean. Sea surface temperatures off the coast have been running about 5°F to 6°F above average for this time of year.
The pressure differences between the low and high also produced powerful winds. In Central Park, wind gusts peaked at 42 mph.
Dramatically ending the region’s so-called snow drought and impacting tens of millions of people, this storm garnered a great deal of media attention. Known by a few different names – The Blizzard of 2016, Winter Storm Jonas, and Snowzilla – this storm will not be forgotten anytime soon, regardless of its moniker.
Three of the city’s top five snow producing storms have occurred in the past ten years. Credit: NWS/NOAA
What is a Blizzard?
A blizzard is expected to blast a large part of the northeastern United States, including NYC, this weekend. Different than a typical winter storm, a blizzard is characterized more by its winds than the amount of snow it produces.
According to the NWS, the three key factors in a blizzard are wind, visibility, and time. More specifically, they are:
- Wind – Sustained winds or frequent gusts of 35mph or higher.
- Visibility – Falling and/or blowing snow that reduces visibility to ¼ mile or less.
- Time – Wind and reduced visibility conditions must prevail for at least 3 hours.
These conditions heighten the risk for power outages and often produce whiteout conditions on roadways, making travel extremely dangerous. Stay Safe!
First Snowfall of the Season for NYC
The first measurable snowfall of the 2015-2016 winter season has finally arrived in New York City!
According to the NWS, 0.4 inches fell in Central Park on Sunday. With the snow sticking only to grassy areas and parked cars, it was not a blockbuster event by any stretch of the imagination. But, after this winter’s mild start, it was exciting to see flakes fill the air.
This first snowfall arrived rather late by local standards, but it was not the latest. That record belongs to January 29, 1973. On average, the city should have already seen about 9 inches of snow at this point in the season.
First snowfall of the season in NYC. Credit: The Weather Gamut.
Panel Discussion: “The Paris Climate Agreement – Our Take”
Last month’s climate change agreement, COP21, was an historic event. Nearly 200 countries came together and agreed to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions over time. Looking at ways to harness this positive momentum at the local level, the non-proft group, NYC Metro Climate Reality Leaders, is hosting a panel discussion this Tuesday, January 12th, at Civic Hall called, “The Paris Agreement: COP 21 – Our Take.”
As a member of the panel, I will be speaking about the benefits of cross-disciplinary collaborations in the arts and sciences. Offering observations and opinions from their own unique perspectives, my fellow panelists include:
- Lilly Belanger, Program Director, No Impact Project
- Lew Blaustein, President, Green Sports Blog
- Olena Horcajo, Program Manager, Climate Reality Leadership Corps
- Paul Reale, Sustainability Consultant
- Narayan S. Subramanian, Climate Policy Officer, Independent Diplomat
Harriet Shugarman, Founder and Executive Director of Climate Mama will moderate the panel. Mrs. Shugarman and Simone Rothman, Founder and CEO of Future Air, are co-producers of the event.
The discussion begins at 5PM and will be followed a Q&A session. This event is free, but does require registration. Seats are limited. Hope you can join us.
Civic Hall
156 Fifth Ave, 2nd Floor
(Between 20th and 21st Streets)
New York, NY 10010
First Arctic Blast of the Season for NYC
After a delayed start, winter is off and running in the northeastern US. An arctic outbreak has sent the region into a deep freeze with many cities dealing with the coldest temperatures they have seen all season.
Here in New York City, the mercury fell to 11°F in Central Park this morning – the coldest reading the city has seen since February of last year. The high only made it to 29°F. While this type of cold pattern is not that uncommon in January, it feels rather jarring after a record warm December. The city’s normal high for this time of year is 38°F and the normal low is 27°F.
Produced by a deep dip in the jet stream, these current frigid conditions are not expected to last much longer. But, after a brief warm-up, another shot of arctic air is forecast to hit the city next week. Keep those coats and gloves handy!
2015: The 7th Warmest Year on Record for NYC
New York City experienced some noteworthy weather in 2015, especially swinging between the extremes of record cold and record warmth. In the end, though, the warmth won out. The city’s average annual temperature in Central Park was 56.7°F, which is 1.7°F above normal. That means 2015 tied 2010 as NYC’s 7th warmest year on record!
Starting off brutally cold, the winter of 2015 brought the city a number of extended arctic outbreaks and the term polar vortex seemed to be on everyone’s lips. The coldest day of the year came on February 20th when the temperature dropped to 2°F – a new record low for the date. Visible signs of the prolonged cold conditions were seen all over the city, from frozen fountains to ice filling both the Hudson and East Rivers. In the end, February 2015 ranked as our 3rd coldest February on record.
When the summer finally arrived, there were a number of very warm and humid days, but the first official heat wave – 3 consecutive days with readings of 90°F or higher – did not develop until August. The city typically sees 15 days per year with temperatures in the 90s, but 2015 produced a sweltering 20 – mostly in August and September. The hottest day did not arrive until September 8th when the mercury soared to 97°F in Central Park. After August 2015 became the city’s third warmest August on record, the heat just kept coming. September, November, and December were all record warm.
Precipitation was also erratic in NYC during 2015. While we had a number of heavy rain events, including some that broke daily rainfall records, such as the 2.10 inches that came down on January 18th, the city was mostly dry. Overall, we received 40.97 inches of rain in Central Park for the entire year. That is 8.97 inches below normal. This dearth of rain caused a moderate drought during the last few moths of the year. Snowfall, however, was abundant. March 2015 was our 6th snowiest March on record with 18.6 inches measured in Central Park. January and February also delivered above average snow totals with 16.9 inches and 13.6 inches, respectively. For the calendar year as a whole, the city accumulated 49.1 inches of snow, which is an astounding 23.3 inches above average.
Given that El Niño conditions developed and strengthened in 2015 and are forecast to last through the winter months of the new year, it will be interesting to see what type of weather events 2016 will bring.
Temperatures went from significantly below average to significantly above average in NYC during 2015. Credit: The Weather Gamut.
Rainfall was mostly below average in NYC during 2015. Credit: The Weather Gamut.
NYC Monthly Summary: December 2015
It was down right balmy in New York City this December! With an average temperature of 50.8°F in Central Park, which is a staggering 13.3°F above average, it was the city’s warmest December on record. The previous record of 44.1°F was set in 2001.
Overall, we had thirty out of thirty-one days with high temperatures above average. Five of those days tied or broke daily high temperature records, including Christmas Eve when the mercury soared to a spring-like 72°F in Central Park. Overnight lows were also above average throughout the month. In fact, this was the first December on record that overnight temperatures did not fall below freezing at least once.
While a few warm days in December is not that uncommon, this extended pattern of sustained warmth was very unusual. Driven primarily by El Niño, a persistent ridge in the jet stream over the eastern US allowed warm southern air to flow further north than it normally would at this time of year.
Given this unseasonable warmth, it is not surprising that only a trace of snow was measured in Central Park this December. On average, NYC usually receives 4.8 inches of snow for the month. Rain, on the other hand, was plentiful. In fact, December marked the first time since June that we saw above average rainfall. In all, the city received 4.72 inches of rain, which is 0.72 inches above normal. The majority of this total fell during two separate heavy rain events, which seem to be getting more common. Nonetheless, according to the latest report (12/29) from the US Drought Monitor, the city remains in a moderate drought.
Credit: The Weather Gamut
Credit: The Weather Gamut