Since 1970 the average date for New York's first 60-degree reading has been Feb. 3. In these years it's occurred as early as Jan. 1 (in three years), and as late as April 8 (in 1970). In both 2018 and 2017 it happened on Jan. 12, in 2020 it fell on Jan. 11, in 2023 it was on Jan. 4, and in 2024 the date was Jan. 13. Meanwhile, the average date for the first high in the 70s comes about seven weeks later.
1936 (Monday)
Today was the twelfth day in a row with a high colder than 32° (and 14 of the 15 days since 1/20). The average high/low during this streak was a teeth chattering 22°/9° (sixteen degrees below average). No day had a high above 26°. This cold wave (which started the day after a snowfall of nine inches) came one month after a cold streak of eleven days at the end of December, and a year after nine of ten days were 32° or colder. (Ironically, 1936 would also be the year of Central Park hottest temperature on record, 106° on 7/9.)
1955 (Thursday)
The morning low of 0° was the coldest reading of the winter. The last time the temperature was this cold was on Jan. 31, 1948.
1961 (Friday)
The third major snowstorm of the winter moved in this evening and by midnight six inches had piled up in Central Park (an additional 11.4" would fall on 2/4). The snow was driven by winds that gusted between 35 and 40 mph. The temperature rose from 7° at daybreak to the upper 20s by midnight.
1966 (Thursday)
Today was the eighth day to have measurable snow since 1/20. Total accumulation for these eight days was 14.7". However, today's snowfall amounted to just 0.3" and fell in the wee hours of the morning. It was the smallest accumulation of any of the eight days.
1971 (Wednesday)
This morning's low of 8° made this the twelfth day since 1/16 with a low temperature colder than 15°.
1996 (Saturday)
7.5" of snow, which was over by daybreak, fell in advance of the coldest air of the winter. This was the third snowfall of 6+ inches this winter - with one more of that magnitude two weeks away. (I had flown down to Key West for vacation the day before, thinking I had escaped, but a few days later the Arctic cold penetrated all the way down to the Keys and it felt more like fall.)
2004 (Tuesday)
This was the 29th day in a row in which the low temperature was 32° or colder, the longest such streak since December 1989. Later in the day a cold rain (the high temperature was 38°) fell during the afternoon, amounting to 0.96".
2009 (Tuesday)
4.3" of snow fell, the only measurable snowfall of the month.
2013 (Sunday)
The 0.4" of snow that fell overnight was double the amount that fell during the entire month of February 2012.
2014 (Monday)
The day after the high temperature reached 56°, eight inches of snow fell during the morning and afternoon, a record amount for the date.
2024 (Saturday)
At long last, after suffering through 11 days in a row of overcast skies, today featured wall-to-wall sunshine. And the day’s low of 32° was the first of 32° or colder since 1/22. Another streak, however, continued as today, with a high/low of 43°/32°, was the twelfth day in a row with above average temperatures (averaging eight degrees above average).
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