The weather system that clobbered the Deep South yesterday also delivered a glancing blow of wintry precipitation to New York City. The NWS reported a dusting of 0.8 inches of snow in Central Park.
Courtesy of a prolonged cold snap, this modest accumulation fell on top of the snow cover still in place from our last major storm. For some winter weary New Yorkers, it was too much.
Message written on a snow covered car in mid-town Manhattan. Image Credit: The Weather Gamut.
The New York City section of the Hudson River almost never freezes completely. But, with high temperatures only in the teens the past few days, the river is currently churning with ice.
Near the city, the Hudson is an estuary. Fresh water flows down from the north and salt water moves in from the Atlantic Ocean to the south. Since salt water has a lower freezing point than fresh water, it is usually only the fresh water, floating on top of the denser salt water, which freezes. This process forms ice floes – sheets of floating ice that oscillate with the tide.
The last time the Hudson River froze completely, according to historical records, was January 25, 1821. The temperature in the city that day was a frigid -14°F.
Looking west, toward NJ, a NY Waterway Ferry navigates the Icy Hudson River. Image sent in by David M, a Weather Gamut reader.
Detail of ice floes on Hudson River, January 23, 2014. Image Credit: The Weather Gamut.
A major winter storm dumped heavy snow from the Mid-Atlantic states to New England yesterday. With some areas getting more than a foot of accumulation, records fell across the region.
Here in New York City, we received 11 inches of powdery snow in Central Park. That is a new snowfall record for the date, according to the NWS. The previous record of 6 inches was set in 2001. The city’s snow total for the month is now 17.4 inches. On average, we normally get 7 inches for the entire month of January.
Moving in from the mid-west, this storm started out as an Alberta Clipper. This type of system does not typically produce much snow, as it originates over land. This one, however, intensified when it reached the eastern seaboard and morphed into a nor’easter with heavy precipitation.
NYC taxi making its way through heavy snowfall. Image Credit: The Weather Gamut.
Heavy snow is forecast to blanket the east coast from Virginia to Maine later today. As the storm passes, temperatures are expected to plummet.
A weakened polar vortex has allowed frigid arctic air to push southward for the second time this month. Temperatures are likely to drop below freezing as far south as northern Florida. The core of the cold, however, will be centered in the mid-west and northeast. Here in NYC, daily high temperatures are forecast to be 15°F to 20°F below average for the remainder of the week.
While conditions are not expected to be as brutal as they were during the last arctic outbreak, the frigid weather will linger this time. Today’s snow will likely stick around for awhile.
New York City was on a temperature roller coaster this week. From unseasonably warm to brutally cold, we saw it all.
On Monday, it was 55°F in Central Park. Then, in a matter of twenty-four hours, from 8 A.M. on Monday to 8 A.M. on Tuesday, the temperature in the city dropped 51°F! With a low reading of 4°F on Tuesday morning, the Big Apple set a new record low for the date. This dramatic change was ushered in by a weakened polar vortex and a deep dip in the jet stream. After a few days of bitterly cold conditions, the mercury climbed above freezing on Friday and then continued to rise. On Saturday, the city’s temperature reached a relative balmy 58°F! Our average high for this time of year is 38°F.
From the mid-50s to the single digits and back again in a matter of six days, it felt like weather whiplash! Temperature swings of this magnitude in NYC are very unusual.
Graph Credit: The Weather Gamut
A massive arctic outbreak has sent most of the U.S. into a deep freeze. From the Mid-West to the Gulf Coast and along the eastern seaboard, many cities are dealing with the coldest temperatures they have seen in nearly two decades.
Here in New York City, the mercury fell to 4°F in Central Park this morning – a new record low for the date. The previous record of 6°F was set in 1896. Our normal low temperature for this time of year is 27°F.
While it certainly was bitterly cold today, it was not the coldest day the Big Apple has ever experienced. That dubious honor, according to the NWS, belongs to February 9, 1934, when the low was a brutal -15°F.
Our current frigid conditions are the product of a weakened polar vortex – the pattern of winds around the North Pole. As it slowed down, arctic air pushed southward and caused a deep dip in the jet stream. This frosty air is not likely to stick around much longer, though. As the jet stream retreats northward, temperatures are forecast to rebound to more seasonable, and even above average, levels by the end of week.
Image Credit: Mesonet
The first major winter storm of 2014 blasted a large area of the U.S. overnight. Packing heavy snow, high winds, and bitterly cold air, it impacted nearly twenty states from the Mid-West to New England.
Locally, the storm brought New York City 6.4 inches of powdery snow. On average, the city usually receives 7 inches for the entire month of January. The storm also sent temperatures plummeting. The high reading in the Central Park today was only 18°F. Tonight, the temperature is expected to drop to a frigid 5°F. When you factor in the wind chill, it will feel like -10°F. Our normal high for this time of year is 39°F and our normal low is 28°F.
Central Park’s Bow Bridge in the snow. Image Credit: The Weather Gamut.
View of midtown Manhattan’s skyline from snow-covered Central Park. Image Credit: The Weather Gamut.
New York City experienced some noteworthy weather in 2013. We bounced between the extremes of our coldest March in seventeen years and a July with extended heat waves. In fact, we had 17 days this summer with readings at or above 90°F, which is two above normal. Despite these superlatives, the city’s average temperature for the year was 55.34°F. That is only 0.5°F above our long-term norm.
Precipitation in the Big Apple this year was erratic. We fluctuated between our second wettest June on record and our third driest October. In the end, though, we were mostly dry. The city received a total of 46.32 inches of rain for the entire year. That is 3.62 inches below normal. Snowfall, however, was abundant. February brought the city a blizzard that dumped 11.4 inches of snow in Central Park. March and December also delivered above average snow totals. For the year as a whole, the city accumulated 29.6 inches, which is 4.5 inches above average.
On the storm front, the 2013 Atlantic Hurricane season left NYC unscathed. This was a welcome relief after being hit by major storms two years in a row – Irene in 2011 and Sandy in 2012.
Moving into 2014, we are off to an active start. A winter storm warning is currently in effect for the city as a nor’easter makes its way up the coast.
Graph Credit: The Weather Gamut
New York City experienced a wide array of temperatures this December. We had highs that ranged from a chilly 30°F to a record warm 71°F. These extremes balanced each other out in the end, though. The city’s mean temperature for the month was 38.6°F, which is only 0.65°F above average.
On the precipitation side of things, NYC collected 4.85 inches of rain, which is 0.85 inches above normal. This was the first time since June that we received above average rainfall. In terms of snow, the city saw 8.6 inches accumulate in Central Park, which is 3.8 inches above average for December. Most of this fell during a widespread pre-season winter storm in the middle of the month.
Graph Credit: The Weather Gamut
Graph Credit: The Weather Gamut
The holidays are here and many people are dreaming of a white Christmas. The likelihood of seeing those dreams come true, however, are largely dependent on where you live.
According to NOAA, a white Christmas is defined as having at least one inch of snow on the ground on December 25th. In the US, the climatological probability of having snow for Christmas is greatest across the northern tier of the country. Moving south, average temperatures increase and the chance of snow steadily decreases.
Here in New York City, the odds of having snow on Christmas Day are, on average, less than twenty-five percent. This low probability is largely due to the city’s proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and its moderating influence. This year, despite some significant snowfall earlier in the month and the possibility of a light snow shower tonight, NYC is not expecting a white Christmas.
Snow or no snow, the Weather Gamut wishes you a very Happy Holiday!
Image Credit: NOAA