Today in New York City Weather History: March 8

1941 (Saturday)

A fierce winter storm that began late last night brought heavy snow, sleet, and high winds during the morning.  By 11 AM, 18.1" of snow had piled up (15.7" of it fell today); the precipitation then changed to light drizzle in the afternoon (the day's high was 33°).  At the time this tied a snowstorm in January 1935 as New York's second greatest accumulation (it's now ranked tenth).  

 

Pedestrian gingerly walking by the NYC Public Library (corner of 42nd St. & 5th Ave). 

1974 (Friday)

With a high/low of 69°/48°, today's mean temperature would be the mildest of the month, twenty-one degrees above average.  The month began very mild, with the first eight days of March averaging twelve degrees above average (in addition to today, two other days were twenty degrees or more above average).  The rest of the month, however, would be two degrees below average. 

 

1987 (Sunday)

Today's high was 76°, twenty-nine degrees above average, and a record for the date. 

1994 (Tuesday)

Between Dec. 30 and today, a stretch of nearly ten weeks, there was at least one inch of snow on the ground in Central Park on all but three days. 

1996 (Friday)

4.5" of snow fell, pushing the season's snowfall past seventy inches.

2005 (Tuesday)

An Arctic front and a rapidly developing nor'easter wreaked havoc during the afternoon and evening.  Accompanied by 40-50 mph winds, the temperature dropped like a rock, from 57° to 18°.  A burst of snow fell on top of a coating of ice that formed when rain-soaked pavements froze.  1.5" of snow fell in the City, while many suburbs had 3-5 inches.  Besides making driving difficult, the icy surfaces made walking very challenging, especially with the howling winds. 

 

2008 (Saturday)

The 0.75" of rain that fell this morning brought the month's total to 2.57", which was the same amount as last March through 3/8.  (However, March 2007's total precipitation would be 1.27" greater.)  

2012 (Thursday)

Today's high of 71° was the first 70-degree day of the year, more than two weeks ahead of the norm for the "first-70" (1970-2010 period).  However, today's reading was five degrees below the record for the date set 25 years earlier. 

2013 (Friday)

After a day of "junk" snow yesterday, a snow-covered landscape greeted City dwellers when they awoke this morning.  Although the flakes were tiny, they fell at a moderate-to-heavy rate, and by early afternoon four inches had piled up.  It then began melting steadily as the temperature slowly rose into the upper 30s by evening, and stayed there overnight.  This snowfall came one month after the City's last measurable snow - 11.4" from the blizzard that buried New England under 2 to 3 feet of snow. 

 

2015 (Sunday)

Yesterday's high was 11 degrees milder than the day before, and today was 11 degrees milder than yesterday.  Under mostly sunny skies, the high reached 49°, the mildest reading since Jan. 5. 

2026 (Sunday) 

The year's first reading of 60+ occurred as the mercury soared to 69°. This was Central's first reading in the 60s since 11/9 and the warmest since 10/19 (70°). Today's high was 18 degrees warmer than yesterday's. 

This touch of spring came five weeks later than the average date for the first 60+ reading.  (3/8 is close to what the average date of the first 60+ was in the 19th century.)  In the past 100 years, 20 years have had their first reading of 60+ fall on a later date than 3/8 (the latest date being 4/8 in 1970).