New York weather by month — average highs and lows, rainfall, all-time records, and a 75-year warming record
18692026New York has warmed 4.1°F since 1869
New York has warmed 4.1°F since 1869.
New York weather by month
Average high and low temperature and rainfall for every month, from the 1991–2020 climate normals — the 30-year reference period meteorologists use. The taller, warmer bands are summer; the short, cool bands are winter.
40°28°
3.6″Jan
42°30°
3.2″Feb
50°36°
4.3″Mar
62°46°
4.1″Apr
71°55°
4.0″May
80°64°
4.5″Jun
85°70°
4.6″Jul
83°69°
4.6″Aug
76°62°
4.3″Sep
65°51°
4.4″Oct
54°42°
3.6″Nov
44°34°
4.4″Dec
Average high → low (°F)Rainfall (inches)1991–2020 normals
New York rainfall by month
New York averages 49.5 inches of precipitation a year. The wettest month is July and the driest is February.
New York also averages 29.8 inches of snowfall a year.
New York temperature records
All-time record high
106°Fset July 9, 1936
All-time record low
-15°Fset February 9, 1934
Records are drawn from the nearest long-term weather station’s full daily history, so they capture the most extreme single day New York has recorded — not a typical seasonal high or low.
How to read New York’s climate
A climate is the long-run average of weather, not any single day. The month-by-month panel above is built from New York’s 1991–2020 normals — the standard 30-year window meteorologists use, long enough to average out individual hot summers and mild winters but recent enough to describe the climate you actually live in. The high–low band for each month shows the typical daily swing: a tall band means big day-to-night contrast, a short band means the air stays close to one temperature around the clock.
The warming stripes at the top tell a different story — not what a typical year looks like, but how the typical year has changed. Each stripe is one year’s average temperature, colored against the long-run mean: cool blues in the mid-20th century shading to warm reds in recent decades. That shift is the same signal behind the headline figure — New York averages about 4.1°F warmer now than in 1869. The records below sit outside both averages: they’re the single most extreme days in the station’s record, the edges of what New York’s weather has ever done.
Frequently asked
What is the hottest month in New York?
In New York, the hottest stretch of the year is typically July and August, when average daily high temperatures peak. The month-by-month table above shows New York's exact average high and low for each month, based on the 1991–2020 climate normals — the standard 30-year reference period meteorologists use.
What is the coldest month in New York?
New York's coldest month is usually January, with December and February close behind. The averages-by-month chart above gives the exact average high and low for the coldest part of New York's year, so you can see how cold a typical winter day runs.
How much does it rain in New York?
New York's total annual precipitation and its wettest and driest months are shown in the rainfall-by-month section above. Those figures are 1991–2020 normals — the average monthly precipitation total across that 30-year window — so they reflect a typical year rather than any single wet or dry season.
What months are best to visit New York?
The most comfortable months in New York are usually the shoulder seasons — spring and fall — when temperatures sit between the summer peak and winter low and rainfall is moderate. Compare the average high, low, and precipitation for each month in the table above to pick the window that fits the weather you want.
Has New York gotten hotter?
Yes — like nearly every US city, New York has warmed measurably over the long run. The warming-trend chart above plots New York's annual mean temperature back to 1950 and shows the total change implied by the long-term trend line. The slope is positive, meaning recent decades average warmer than the mid-20th-century baseline.
What is the record high temperature in New York?
New York's all-time record high — the hottest single day in the archive — is shown in the records section above, along with the date it occurred. Records are drawn from the full historical window (1950 to present), so they capture the most extreme heat on record, not just a typical summer day.
What is the record low temperature in New York?
New York's all-time record low and the date it was set appear in the records section above. Like the record high, it comes from the full 1950-to-present archive, so it reflects the coldest day New York has recorded rather than an average winter low.