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February Was One Of The Warmest, Least Snowy Months In NYC History
By
Ben Yakas
Published Mar 2, 2020
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Mar 2, 2020
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It feels like only yesterday we were talking about record-setting cold in November and the possibility of a long winter ahead. And despite a snow squall or two, what has transpired in the last couple months turned out to be closer to the opposite of that: according to the National Weather Service, last month was one of the warmest Februarys in NYC history, with nary a trace of snow in sight.
This past winter season, which they define as December to February, was the seventh warmest winter in recorded NYC history. February was also the seventh warmest such month in recorded history as well for the city. There was virtually no snow to be seen anywhere in the five boroughs last month as well, except for a few flakes which fell this past Saturday on Leap Day (which, in a normal year, would have counted as March). Those trace amounts mark only the sixth time Central Park has had no measurable snow in February since 1868, when records started being taken. There has been less than five inches of snow recorded in Central Park over the past five months, making it the smallest snow fall since 2001-2002.
Of course, NYC has also experienced some of the highest snowfall totals this past decade as well, with 61.9 inches falling in 2010-2011 and 57.4 inches in 2013-2014. The extremes in weather patterns are, unsurprisingly, yet another sign of the impact of climate change. “In the 2000s, we’re seeing these extremes, between the driest and the wettest,” climatologist Mark Wysocki told the Times. “Because of the climate changing, this is what we would expect, this volatility.” He added that this had caused real problems for city officials: “When you can have no snow within a five-year period or you could have record-setting snow, how do I plan a budget for a city like that with this kind of volatility?" Wysocki said. “Some years you save. Some years you go overboard.”
And of course, NYC isn't the only place experiencing a warmer than usual winter this year:
Upstate NY, on the other hand, has gotten plenty of snow this winter. And it should be noted that last year, the city had barely 10 inches of snow going into March, when we got over 10 inches more, so there's always a chance we could be in for a sudden March snowstorm. In the meantime, if you're looking to get a dose of winter before spring arrives and you aren't planning any trips to Aspen, you may have to be content with watching two hour long YouTube videos of relaxing snowfalls. Or just enjoy Koji's antics below.
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snow
winter
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Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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