Does it snow in New York City?
Does it snow in New York City? Yes, New York winters are typically characterized by very snowy conditions, which is not surprising given the city’s winter mean minimums (19.7 °F – 9.8 °F).
New York, formally New York City or NYC, is the most populous and the most densely populated city in the United States of America, and, undoubtedly, one of the most famous cities in the world.
Due to the geographic characteristics (location, latitude, etc.), New York has an elevation close to sea level (10 feet), although this does not mean that their climates are particularly hot.
As we already mentioned, New York is a world-renowned city, so it is not surprising that it receives several million tourists a year. However, beyond this information, one might wonder: Does it snow in New York City?
Due to its large size, New York primarily experiences two types of climates: humid subtropical (Cfa) and hot-summer continental climate (Dfa). Although, in general terms, its summers are hot and humid, and its winters are cold and very snowy.
Snow in New York City? ❄
Although in popular slang New York is known as a notably snowy city, this city has a relatively normal average snowfall if we consider its latitude. Generally, the snow season does not usually extend beyond the first days of April.
On average, New York City’s average snowfall and frost spans from late November to late March.
Occasionally, due to situational weather events, New York can receive significantly higher amounts of snow, such as occurred in February 2010, when New York City received 36.9 inches of snow.
In the 1972-1973 snow season, New York experienced its snowiest winter ever, accumulating 2.3 inches of snow.
The climate of New York City ⛅
According to the Köppen climate classification, New York City exhibits two types of climates throughout its vast territory: humid subtropical (Cfa) and hot-summer continental climate (Dfa).
In general, New York summers are hot and humid, with precipitation levels approaching 4.5 inches of accumulation on average; and its winters are cold and snowy, reaching temperatures below freezing point and heavy snowfall on repeated occasions.
Curiously, the winters of New York, despite being very cold, show humidity and precipitation similar to those registered during the summer.
On the other hand, spring and autumn have much more dynamic climatic behaviors, so it is not surprising that temperatures vary during these last two seasons. However, as far as rainfall is concerned, the levels recorded during spring and autumn are not usually far from summer and winter.
Finally, although the behavior of temperatures in New York, in general terms, is usually relatively stable and not very extreme, the margin of variation is too vast. The latter can be verified in the city's historical maximum and minimum temperatures: 106 °F and -15 °F.
Summer weather characteristics
- Highest record temperature: 106 °F / 41.1 °C (July 9th, 1936.)
- Average high: 81.02 °F (27.2 °C.)
- Average low: 66.43 °F (19.1 °C.)
- Average precipitation per summer month: 4.50 inches (11.43 cm.)
Winter weather characteristics
- Lowest record temperature: -15 °F / -26.1 °C (February 9, 1934.)
- Average high: 43.98 °F (6.6 °C.)
- Average low: 33.8 °F (1 °C.)
- Average precipitation per winter month: 3.88 inches (9.8 cm.)
- Average snowfall per winter month: 7.9 inches (20 cm.)
Precipitation and other weather characteristics
- Average precipitation: 49.52 inches (125.7 cm.)
- Average annual snowfall: 29.8 inches (75.6 cm.)
- Average snowy days: 11.4.
When does it snow in New York City? 🌨
Does it snow in New York City in October?
Yes, it might snow in October. However, if it does occur, these first snowfalls are so light that they don't even exceed 0.01 inches of accumulation on average.
Does it snow in New York City in November?
Yes, it might snow in November. From this month, snowfall begins to become measurable, though it never gets more than a half-inch accumulation on average.
Does it snow in New York City in December?
Yes, it does! Once winter begins, the temperatures and the snowfall considerably increase in New York.
During the first two-thirds of the 20th century, White Christmas used to be a recurring phenomenon among the inhabitants of New York. However, since 1970, this phenomenon has only been recorded four times; the last time was in 2009 when New York streets were covered in a two-inch layer of snow.
Does it snow in New York City in January?
Yes, it does! January is by far the coldest month in New York, so it's no surprise that it's also one of the snowiest.
Does it snow in New York City in February?
Yes, it does! Oddly enough, New York receives more snow in February than in January, despite registering warmer temperatures.
Does it snow in New York City in March?
Yes, it does! In fact, the average snowpack recorded in New York during March is the same as that recorded in December.
Does it snow in New York City in April?
Yes, it might snow in April. As it happens in late autumn, it is common for some minor snowfall to be recorded during the first days of spring.
How much does it snow in New York City? 🌨
Next, we present an informative table on different climatological parameters of New York City, which includes the average snowfall per month expressed in inches:
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average low (°F) | 27.9 | 29.5 | 35.8 | 45.5 | 55 | 64.4 | 70.1 | 68.9 | 62.3 | 51.4 | 42 | 33.8 | 48.9 |
| Mean minimum (°F) | 9.8 | 12.7 | 19.7 | 32.8 | 43.9 | 52.7 | 61.8 | 60.3 | 50.2 | 38.4 | 27.7 | 18.8 | 7.7 |
| Record low (°F) | -6 | -15 | 3 | 12 | 32 | 44 | 52 | 50 | 39 | 28 | 5 | -13 | -15 |
| Average precipitation (inches) | 3.64 | 3.19 | 4.29 | 4.09 | 3.96 | 4.54 | 4.6 | 4.56 | 4.31 | 4.38 | 3.58 | 4.38 | 49.52 |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 10.8 | 10 | 11.1 | 11.4 | 11.5 | 11.2 | 10.5 | 10 | 8.8 | 9.5 | 9.2 | 11.4 | 125.4 |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 8.8 | 10.1 | 5 | 0.4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 4.9 | 29.8 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 inches) | 3.7 | 3.2 | 2 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 | 2.1 | 11.4 |
The above data comes from climatic data provided by the Belvedere Castle (Central Park).
Related post → Does it snow in United States of America? | Does it snow in New York State?
Source → WeatherSpark.