New York City is on track to break a 50-year record of the most consecutive days without snow – and the white stuff won’t fall for weeks to come.
New York typically sees its first measurable snowfall by December 11, but according to forecasters the total number of days the Big Apple has been snowless is a staggering 307 days.
There has been less than an inch of snow across New York City so far this season. The last measurable snow – at least 0.1 inches – was on March 9, 2022 when New York City saw 0.4 inches of snow, records show. This is the fourth-longest snowless streak the city has ever seen, Fox Weather reported.
The National Weather Service New York gave their take on what is happening with the weather in a tweet posted January 7, 2023.
‘So far this winter, we have not seen much snowfall in the local area and this is below normal and quite a bit lower compared to this same time last year. Central Park, NY and Kennedy, NY have only had trace amounts of snow this winter season so far.’
The city appears to more than two weeks behind. Last year, December 23, 2022, Central Park recorded its first measurable snowfall – although it was only 0.2 inches, experts say.
A chart that shows ‘New York City’s Snowless Streaks’ going back to 1972 to the present
A snowless aerial view of Manhattan this week with no fluffy white powder in sight as New York City is on track to break a 50-year record of most consecutive days with no snow
An aerial view of Manhattan as seen from Summit One Vanderbilt during a snow storm on January 29, 2022 in New York City
The longest snow drought was March 14, 1972 through January 29, 1973 with 322 days followed by March 15, 1999 to January 20, 2000 with 312 snowless days.
In March 14, 1997 through January 18, 1998 there were 311 no snow days on record followed by the latest figure – March 9, 2022 with 307 days – and finally, March 18, 1994 to January 11, 1995 with a snowless streak of 300 days.
Traces of snow have been recorded but, often mixed with rain, according Central Park, New York City’s official climate reporting station.
The last time New York saw snow this late goes back to 1973 when there were 322 consecutive snowless days recorded. Based on the snowless conditions and forecast ahead it appears New York City may just beat the record this year.
Though AccuWeather is reporting that New Yorkers can expect 18 to 23 inches of snow this season, which is below the normal of 29.8 inches, the upcoming forecast looks bleak for those who enjoy skiing, sledding, or just building a snowman.
The latest first measurable snow that has been recorded started in 1870 to the year 2007
On January 29, 2022 New York City was hit with a major winter storm and blizzard. The storm brought winds of 25 to 35 mph and gusts near 50 mph. The storm began the night before and put New York State in a state of emergency. New York Mayor Eric Adams urged all New Yorkers to stay home until the storm passed.
According to the National Weather Service, 7.5 inches of snow had fallen in Central Park; 8.3 inches had fallen at LaGuardia Airport, and 10.3 inches of snow reported at JFK Airport. The highest amounts of snow hit southern and central Queens, NY1 News reported.
Storm Orlena that hit January 29, 2021 was the last history-making snowstorm to hit New York with a whopping snowfall of 13.3 inches of snow.
The city was put under a state-of-emergency and New York City. It was described as the fourth heaviest snowfall since 1969.
The National Weather Service reported that there was a remarkable two inches of snow falling an hour throughout the day. Forecasters predicated that total accumulations would be around two feet.
According to the National Weather Service, 17.2 inches of snow was officially recorded the next day in New York’s Central Park.
In January 2016, nearly seven years ago, was when snow was in abundance after New York City was hit with a historic snowstorm with 27.3 inches of the fluffy white powder.
The last time Washington, DC saw snow was March 12, 2022 and the same applies to Philadelphia.
A chart showing ‘Season-to-Date Snowfall’ that shows viewers what is actually happening with the weather versus what is normal this time of year
New Yorkers were hit with a snow storm on January 29, 2022 when a powerful Nor’Easter brought blinding blizzard conditions with high winds. There was a state of emergency declared for New York City. The photo is a picture of the snowy streets on the Upper West Side
Snowfall view of Dumbo of Brooklyn in New York City as massive snow storm hits the east coast on January 29, 2022
The New York City streets are covered with snow during the January 29, 2022 snow storm
People walk along a frozen lake in New York’s Central Park on January 30, 2022 days after a blinding storm whipped across New York that triggered power outages and transit delays