Tag Archives: winter

NYC Monthly Summary: March 2015

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March 2015 was a bit of a weather rollercoaster in New York City. We had highs ranging from a chilly 27°F to a relatively balmy 62°F. In the end though, with 23 out of 31 days posting below average readings, the cold won out. The extended cold snaps helped lower the city’s mean temperature for the month to 38.1°F, which is 4.4°F below normal. That makes March 2015 the coldest March the city has seen in 31 years.

In terms of precipitation, March 2015 was unusually snowy. In fact, according to the National Weather Service, it was NYC’s 6th snowiest March on record. The city measured 18.6 inches of snow in Central Park, which is a staggering 14.7 inches above average. We even had snow falling on the first day of spring.

Rainfall was also abundant. The city received 4.72 inches, which is 0.36 inches above average for the month.

Credit: The Weather Gamut.

Credit: The Weather Gamut.

NYC Seasonal Summary: Winter 2014-15

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For the second year in a row, New York City had an unusually cold and snowy winter. While last year saw the term polar vortex go viral, this winter was actually colder in the Big Apple.

The city’s average temperature for this past meteorological winter (December, January, and February) was 31.4°F. That is 3.7°F below normal and 1.6°F below last winter’s average. This winter,  December posted an above average reading, but both January and February were significantly colder than normal.  In fact, February 2015 was the city’s 3rd coldest February on record.

In terms of snowfall, every month this winter, with the exception of December, was an overachiever. January brought the city 16.9 inches of snow, February produced 13.6 inches, and March delivered a whopping 18.6 inches. All together,  the city saw 49.1 inches of snow in Central Park.  On average, NYC typically gets 25.8 inches for the entire winter season.

Winter 2014-15: Warmest on Record for Planet Earth

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Looking back at the winter of 2014-2015, conditions here in the northeastern United States were exceptionally cold and snowy. Globally, however, it was a record warm season!

According to a recent report from NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center, the meteorological winter of 2015 (December, January, and February) was the warmest winter ever recorded on this planet. Earth’s combined average temperature for the season – over both land and sea surfaces – was 55.22°F. That is 1.42°F above the 20th century average.  It surpassed the previous record set in the winter of 2006-07 by 0.07°F.

Rising ocean temperatures, according to NOAA, helped fuel the season’s record warmth. Between December and February, the average global ocean surface temperature was 61.67°F, which is 0.97°F above average and the third highest ever recorded for the three month period.

In the contiguous United States, this past winter was the 19th warmest on record with an average temperature of 34.3°F. That is 2.1°F. above the 20th century average. NOAA says the record warmth in the West outweighed the cold in the East.

While the Earth’s atmosphere and oceans are warming overall, this winter’s temperature anomalies (both above and below average) highlight the fact that climate change is a complex global phenomenon that involves much more than what is happening in our own backyards.

Year to date, 2015 is off to a record warm start. Global temperature records date back to 1880.

Image Credit: NOAA/NCDC

Temperature Anomalies for Dec 2014 through Feb 2015. Image Credit: NOAA/NCDC

Image Credit: NOAA/NCDC

One of the only cold spots this winter was the northeastern US. Image Credit: NOAA/NCDC

A Snowy Start to Spring in NYC

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Spring got off to a cold a snowy start in New York City this year. The high temperature on the Equinox was 38°F, which is 13°F below average. The first day of the new season also brought snowfall to the Big Apple with 4.5 inches accumulating in Central Park. Month to date, the city has measured 18.6 inches of snow. March, on average, typically brings NYC a modest overall total of 3.9 inches.

Snow falls on the Spring Equinox in NYC

Snow falling on the Spring Equinox in NYC, March 20th at 6:45PM.                        Image Credit: The Weather Gamut.

Second Warmest February on Record for Planet Earth

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Temperatures around the globe soared last month. In fact, February 2015 was the second warmest February ever recorded for the entire planet.

According to a report released by NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center, Earth’s combined average temperature for the month – over both land and sea surfaces – was 55.38°F. That is 1.48°F above the 20th century average. The warmest February on record occurred in 1998, when the temperature was 1.55°F above average and El Niño conditions were in place.

For those living in the northeastern United States, this news may come as a bit of surprise. Many cities in the region experienced a frigid February this year. Here in New York City, it was the 3rd coldest on record. But, this difference in regional and global conditions highlights the fact that climate change is a complex phenomenon that involves much more than what is happening in our own backyards.

Global temperature records date back to 1880.

Global temperature departures from average for February 2015. Image Credit: NOAA/NCDC

Temperature departures from average for February 2015. Image Credit: NOAA/NCDC

Lack of Snow Pushes Iditarod Race North

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Record cold and snowy conditions have dominated the weather in the eastern US this winter. The western part of the country, however, has been exceptionally warm and dry. That includes Alaska, where the famous Iditarod Dog Sled Race got underway today.

Due to a lack of snow, this year’s Iditarod had to be moved north 225 miles from its traditional starting point in Anchorage, AK to Fairbanks, AK. In a typical winter season, the city of Anchorage collects 60 inches of snow. So far this year, they have only received 20 inches.

Meteorologists at the NWS office in Anchorage attribute Alaska’s unseasonably warm winter and its dearth of snow to a highly amplified jet stream, which allowed warmer Pacific air to dominate the region. Above average sea surface temperatures along the coastline of this country’s northern most state also contributed to its unusually mild conditions.

Ending in Nome, AK, the annual race spans 1000 miles of arctic tundra and commemorates the journey made by dogsledders in 1925 to deliver medical supplies for a diphtheria outbreak in that city. This year was the second time in the event’s 43-year competitive history that the starting point had to be moved because of poor snow conditions. The last time was in 2003.

Iditarod

Musher and dog sled team on the Iditarod Trail, AK.   Credit: ADN

Weather and Art: Snowflakes

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We have all heard the phrase, “no two snowflakes are alike.” This popular adage originated in the late nineteenth century and is widely credited to Wilson Bentley, a farmer from Jericho, Vermont with a deep curiosity about water’s various forms. He was also the first person to photograph individual snowflakes.

Bentley collected fresh falling snowflakes on a blackboard and documented them for posterity with a technique known as photomicrography. This is a photographic process that involves attaching a camera to a microscope. Working in the late 1880s and early 1900s – the days before film – Bentley’s images were captured on emulsion covered glass plates. His first icy masterpiece dates to 1885.

During the course of his lifetime, Bentley photographed more than 5000 individual snowflakes and did not find any two to be exactly alike. In 1931, he published a book of his work entitled, “Snow Crystals.” Extensive collections of his images can be seen at the Jericho Historical Society in Vermont and the Buffalo Museum of Science in upstate New York.

Scientists today continue to study how snow crystals grow.

Photo of an individual snowflake circa Winter 1901-02 by Wilson Bentley.                   Credit: Wilson Bentley/Smithsonian Institution Archives

Photo of an individual snowflake circa Winter 1901-02 by Wilson Bentley.                   Credit: Wilson Bentley/Smithsonian Institution Archives

Frigid Weather Turns Ocean Waves to Slush

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How cold has it been in New England recently? Cold enough for ocean waves to partially freeze along the coast of Nantucket Island in Massachusetts.

Photographer Jonathan Nimerfroh captured these unusual slushy waves on February 20th, when the local air temperature reached a high of only 19°F. While freshwater freezes at 32°F, seawater – owing to its salt content – has a lower freezing point of 28.4°F.

To see more images of this uncommon wintry phenomenon, visit the photographer’s website.

Image Credit: Jonathan Nimerfroh

Image Credit: Jonathan Nimerfroh

Record-Breaking Cold in NYC

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After getting off to a relatively slow start, winter has kicked into high gear. For the second time in less than a week, a massive arctic outbreak has sent most of the eastern U.S. into a deep freeze.  From Michigan to Florida, many communities are dealing with record cold conditions.

Here in New York City, the temperature dropped to 2°F in Central Park early Friday morning – a new record low for the date.  The previous record of 7°F was set in 1950. Factoring in the wind-chill, it felt like -15°F. Our normal low temperature for this time of year is 30°F.

As cold as it was on Friday, it was not the coldest day the Big Apple has ever experienced. That dubious honor, according to the NWS, belongs to February 9, 1934, when the air temperature reached a brutal low of -15°F.

This current arctic invasion is being dubbed “The Siberian Express”, as its bitterly cold air originated in Siberia in northern Russia. As it retreats later this weekend, temperatures are expected to moderate a bit before another cold shot heads our way. Remember, these types of frigid conditions can be life-threatening. Stay warm!

Second-Warmest January on Record for Planet Earth

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Last year, 2014, was the hottest year ever recorded on this planet. January 2015 continued the trend, ranking as the second-warmest January on record.

According to a report released by NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center, Earth’s combined average temperature for the month – over both land and sea surfaces – was 54.99°F. That is 1.39°F above the 20th century average. The warmest January on record  occurred in 2007, when the temperature was 1.55°F above the long-term norm.

While heat dominated most of the planet last month, some places were particularly warm. China had its warmest January on record since 1961. In the contiguous US, seven western states – California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming – each experienced a January rated in their top ten warmest.

Global climate records go back to 1880.

Image Credit: NOAA/NCDC

Image Credit: NOAA/NCDC