NEW YORK CITY WEATHER
NEW YORK CITY WEATHER
New York City weather will play a large part in your upcoming trip to the Big Apple. Whether you’re visiting NYC in the chilly winter, mercurial spring, sweltering summer, or crisp fall, NYC weather will affect what you pack and what activities are available. The one thing constant in every type of NYC weather – rain, snow, sleet, or shine – is that the Times Square billboards twinkle bright.
Here is a breakdown of what each New York City season is like, and some NYC packing tips and tricks!
NYC WINTER WEATHER
Thousands of visitors flock to NYC in the winter hoping to see the Big Apple covered in a soft blanket of pristinely white snow. However, that picturesque snowfall may be more challenging to witness than the travel brochures advertise.
For our purposes, we will count December-February as “winter months.” The average temperature in December is between 31 and 44 degrees Fahrenheit, January is between 26 and 39 degrees Fahrenheit, and February is between 29 and 43 degrees Fahrenheit. While New York City certainly gets its share of super cold days, the average temperatures actually trend a little too warm for a lush snowfall.
Your best bet for snow is to visit in February. On average, the snowiest month in NYC is February. February in NYC clocks in at about 10 inches of snow. According to weather-us.com, NYC in February receives between 5 to 6 days of snowfall.
January in NYC can certainly deliver on snow. January 2016 brought winter storm Jonas, also known as “Snowzilla,” to NYC. The Big Apple was pummeled with 26.8 inches of snow! January 1996 provided school children with the “perfect snow week,” when 20 inches of snow fell and closed schools for several days!
Of course, New York City has had its share of white Christmases. The last official NYC white Christmas was in 2009. In the past 152 years, New York City has had 25 white Christmases. If you’re into gambling, this means you have approximately a 16% chance of waking up in NYC’s Plaza Hotel and seeing snow on Christmas morning.
If you’re visiting NYC in winter, come prepared with warm layers and good boots. If you’re lucky enough to see NYC snow, it may melt, and you’ll want the proper footwear for walking through slush!
MERCURIAL NYC SPRINGTIME WEATHER
New York City springtime brings the most mercurial weather around. One day it can be warm and sunny, and the next day there may be a blizzard.
NYC spring also brings a lot of rain. April and May are the rainiest months in NYC, averaging just under 5 inches of rain each. On average, you can count on ⅓ of your trip being a rainy experience. You’ll definitely want to pack umbrellas and raincoats. March and April can also be quite windy, so bring a windbreaker jacket.
When it isn’t raining, NYC springtime weather can be magically warm and refreshing. April brings cherry blossom season. All throughout the city, cherry blossoms bloom and dance in the breeze. There are often several days warm enough to don a springtime dress and take gorgeous photos.
Typical temperatures in March are between 36 and 52 degrees Fahrenheit, April is between 45 and 64 degrees Fahrenheit, and May is between 54 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit. Even if the days are warm, be prepared to have a jacket for after the sun sets and temperatures drop.
SUMMER IN THE CITY
New York City truly comes alive in the summer! The temperatures rise, bringing residents and tourists alike outdoors! This means NYC summertime ushers in free events and cultural gatherings such as Shakespeare in the Park, free kayaking on the Hudson River, and of course, Fourth of July fireworks!
June through August have average temperatures rising up to 84 degrees Fahrenheit and dipping down to 64 degrees Fahrenheit. A handful of days the temperature might rise up to near 100! Manhattan is an island, so the breezes from the surrounding water can provide a nice respite from the oppressive heat.
Make sure you bring sunscreen, a hat, and sunglasses. To properly enjoy a picnic in Central Park, you don’t want to get sunburned!
CRISP AND COZY FALL
Many locals would tell you that the best time to visit New York City is the fall. The sweltering heat of the summer dissipates into a crisp fall breeze. The leaves in Central Park burst into a fiery array of oranges, reds, and yellows.
Temperatures begin to slowly slip starting in September. The average high in September is 76 degrees Fahrenheit, and by November the average high drops to 55 degrees Fahrenheit, with average lows getting down to 42 degrees Fahrenheit!
Halloween, which is celebrated in grand style in New York City, can bring blizzards. 2011 had a notable nor’easter, cheekily nicknamed “Oktoberblast.” Halloween can also bring warm weather, with children trick-or-treating with delight from door to door.
The key to packing for NYC in the fall is to bring layers that you can easily put on or shed throughout the day. Make sure you have good walking shoes and good socks. You’ll want to walk through the city’s 1,600 parks to see the glowing fall foliage.
Every season provides opportunities to take tons of photos. Make sure you capture memories with your family and friends and then share them on social media. For even more impact, share the photos with the 300,000 people a day who walk through Times Square. You can put your photos on a giant Times Square billboard for just $150. The photos will show 24 times throughout the day. Visit www.timessquarebillboard.com to learn how.
We have the unbeatable price of $500 per day for your Billboard:
Option 1: Your 60 second video/photo will be shown, 60 seconds per hour 22 times a day.
Option 2: Your 30 second video/photo will be shown, twice an hour, 44 times a day.
Option 3: Your 15 second video/photo will be shown 4 times per hour 88 times per day.
Please let us know which option you would like to choose. Remember that we have a response time of 72 hours.