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NYC Snowless Winter Streak Ends, Brutal Cold Snap Looms: What to Know

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2 months ago

February 1, 2023

It took us long enough.

Central Park recorded its first measurable snowfall of the season early Wednesday, with nearly half an inch of snow as of 5:30 a.m., according to the National Weather Service. While it’s hardly a blizzard, or remarkably in any way at all, really, Feb. 1, 2023 is officially encoded in city history as the latest ever date New York City saw accumulating snow.

The previous record was Jan. 29, 1973.

The wait is over. ❄️❄️
Central Park recorded the first measurable snowfall of the season this morning, with nearly half an inch as of 5:30 AM.
This is latest first measurable snowfall for the season since record keeping began in 1869. #NYwx pic.twitter.com/ncr9KdnW8W
— NWS New York NY (@NWSNewYorkNY) February 1, 2023
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Also of note, our extended snowless streak apparently comes to an end at 328 days, though most of us only awoke to some remnants atop car roofs and sidewalks, if any trace, before rising temperatures changed the precipitation to rain.

That record for the most consecutive days without even a trace of snow (as opposed to measurable snow, which has a higher threshold), is 332 days (Dec. 15, 2020). It looks like we made it to No. 2 at 328. Also part of a historic weather week: January 2023 marked the first month ever that New York City recorded above-average temperatures all 31 days.

Yes, let’s all give ourselves a pat on the back. Back at the ranch …

February starts out chilly, with topping out in the upper 30s. It’ll warm up a bit Thursday, climbing into the 40s on an otherwise regular Groundhog Day. Highs Friday will plunge back to freezing or just below that mark and worsen from there. Mother Nature turns downright bitter Saturday, with low-to-mid 20 highs expected and mind-numbing wind chills.

Waking up Saturday, we hope you don’t have to be anywhere outside: Expect single-digit lows in the city, and it will feel like -10. It will ne even colder in the Hudson Valley and Connecticut (-17 in Bridgeport, -19 in Poughkeepsie).

If you do have to leave the house, be sure to bundle up: It only takes 30 minutes (or less) for frostbite set in on any exposed skin, and even walking a few blocks to a subway station will feel painful, especially if facing the wind.

There is some good news: The bitter cold won’t be here for long. Beginning Saturday afternoon, temperatures will start rising — climbing to the much more tolerable low 40s Sunday afternoon. We might get some rain that afternoon, too.

It will remain fairly pleasant through the early part of next week, as temps will range from the mid-40s to low 50s through Friday, with a chance of showers coming at the end of the workweek. But with temperatures so high, there won’t be a concern for snow.