uncle W Posted November 25, 2012 Share Posted November 25, 2012 The closest NYC got to zero degrees was in January 2004 when it was one above twice that month...Not many years had two arctic outbreaks with zero or below temperatures...1980-81 came close with a minus one in December and a one above in January...January 1977 came close also with a minus two and plus one day...I don't expect any zero degree days any time soon but it still can happen... Years with two arctic outbreaks zero or lower..... 1993-94... 1942-43... 1933-34... 1919-20... 1917-18... 1913-14... 1911-12... 1895-96... 1880-81... NYC's Arctic outbreaks... Max..Min...dates 17.....09.....1/14-16/2004 18.....02 24.....01 .................................................................... 29.....06.....1/9-11/2004 15.....01 27.....07 ........................................................................ 42.....32.....1/25-27/1994 32.....05 31.....00 ......................................................................... 35.....04.....1/18-20/1994 10......-2 15.....00 ....................................................................... 23.....04.....1/20-22/1985 09......-2 31.....09 .......................................... ............................................................................ 35.....19.....1/16-18/1982 19.....00 15.....00 .......................................................................... 37.....20.....12/24-26/1980 20......-1 23.....08 ............................................................................. 13.....04.....2/17-19/1979 17.....00 28.....17 ............................................................................. 26.....07.....1/16-18/1977 12......-2 13.....02 .......................................................................... 28.....05.....1/22-24/1976 15......-1 22.....14 ............................................................................. 13.....02.....1/8-10/1968 14......-1 17.....03 ............................................................................ 44.....25.....2/7-9/1963 25......-2 34.....11 ......................................................................... 24.....03.....2/1-3/1961 20......-2 28.....07 .......................................................................... 23.....06.....1/14-16/1957 12.....00 25.....11 ........................................................................ 28.....10.....2/2-4/1955 17.....00 37.....08 ........................................................................ 24.....04.....1/30-2/1/1948 20.....00 26.....09 ......................................................................... 30.....05.....2/14-16/1943 08......-8 22.....04 .......................................................................... 25.....08.....12/19-21/1942 08......-4 21......-1 ........................................................................... 24......-3.....1/23-25/1936 16.....04 20.....08 ........................................................................... 18.....02.....1/27-29/1935 25......-1 34.....16 .......................................................................... 21......-7.....2/8-10/1934 08....-15 26......-2 .......................................................................... 12......-3.....12/29-31/1933 15......-6 42.....15 ........................................................................ 36.....03.....1/25-27/1927 25......-1 44.....22 ......................................................................... 42.....04.....1/27-29/1925 14......-2 34.....13 ......................................................................... 30.....05.....2/16-18/1922 17......-2 34.....08 ........................................................................ 26......-1.....1/31-2/2/1920 24......-2 40.....22 ........................................................................... 21.....01.....12/17-19/1919 11......-1 20.....10 ........................................................................... 31.....00.....2/4-6/1918 04......-6 38.....01 ........................................................................... 08......-6.....12/29-1/4 1917-18 02.....-13 06......-7 10......-4 10.....02 12.....00 18......-3 ............................................. 23.....08.....2/11-13/1917 12.....03 24.....00 ............................................ 21.....02.....2/11-13/1914 10......-3 26......-1 ............................................... 33.....09.....1/12-14/1914 09......-3 18......-5 ............................................ 19.....05.....1/12-14/1912 08......-3.. 23.....02 ......................................... 26.....12.....2/9-11/1912 13.....00 21......-1 .............................................. 11......-2.....2/9-13/1899 07......-6 09......-2 09.....04 11.....06 .............................................. 44.....06.....2/16-18/1896 07......-5 26.....01 ..................................................................... 18.....06.....1/5-7/1896 12......-2 25.....06 ............................................... 11.....00.....2/5-8/1895 10......-4 13.....06 08.....02 ............................................... 16.....01.....1/21-23/1888 14.....00 24.....07 ............................................. 12.....00.....2/4-6/1886 07......-4..... 20.....03..... ............................................... 16.....07.....1/11-13/1886 08.....02..... 14.....02..... ............................................... 16......-1.....12/19-21/1884 07......-3 36.....07..... ................................................... 25.....10.....12/22-24/1883 10......-1..... 31.....07..... .............................................. 13.....00.....1/23-25/1882 06......-6..... 29.....03 .......................................... 21.....03.....2/1-3/1881 09......-3..... 18.....01 ....................................... 21.....10.....12/28-1/1/1880-81 10.....04..... 04......-6..... 10.....03..... 16.....01 .......................................... 33.....03.....1/2-4/1879 07......-4..... 26.....06..... .............................................. 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earthlight Posted November 25, 2012 Share Posted November 25, 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundog Posted November 25, 2012 Share Posted November 25, 2012 It looks like 2 degrees is the coldest high we've ever had. I'm sure sometime during the 19th century before regular records were kept the high stayed below zero in NYC. I can't imagine a high that cold today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle W Posted November 25, 2012 Author Share Posted November 25, 2012 January 1994 had three cold waves that dropped the temperature to three degrees or lower between the 15th-27th... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
famartin Posted November 25, 2012 Share Posted November 25, 2012 Here's the analysis from when it was actually below zero the last time... 7AM on 1/19/1994. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris L Posted November 25, 2012 Share Posted November 25, 2012 In '94, it was just 2 degrees at Wilmington, DE at noon. That is beyond belief... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SBUWX23 Posted November 25, 2012 Share Posted November 25, 2012 why is it so "unbelievable" now to see that sort of cold now in the city? Because of the AGW and climate change and CO2 increase? Come on guys, we just havent had the favorable set up to get that cold but this is still something that can happen down here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowshack Posted November 25, 2012 Share Posted November 25, 2012 What an epic stretch that 12/29-1/4 1917-18 was... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isotherm Posted November 25, 2012 Share Posted November 25, 2012 why is it so "unbelievable" now to see that sort of cold now in the city? Because of the AGW and climate change and CO2 increase? Come on guys, we just havent had the favorable set up to get that cold but this is still something that can happen down here. Agreed. We need a strong -EPO/-AO couplet to create the cross polar flow and transport that air into the nern CONUS. January 2009 was my last sub zero reading, -2. Prior to that, January 2005. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle W Posted November 25, 2012 Author Share Posted November 25, 2012 years with three or more cold waves that dropped temperatures into the single digits...season...Cold waves and days in single digits...1947-48...................6..........91960-61...................5..........9 2014-15...................5..........8 or nine as of 2/24/15 2013-14...................4..........71962-63...................4..........61967-68...................4..........81976-77...................4..........81980-81...................4..........71981-82...................4..........71987-88...................4..........51993-94...................4..........92002-03...................4..........61966-67...................3..........51969-70...................3..........61970-71...................3..........71978-79...................3..........91989-90...................3..........51999-00...................3..........42003-04...................3..........82004-05...................3..........8since 1947-48 the most days in single digits is nine set in 1947-48, 1960-61, 1993-94, 1978-79...The most cold waves with single digit temperatures was set in 1947-48 with six... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tamarack Posted November 26, 2012 Share Posted November 26, 2012 It looks like 2 degrees is the coldest high we've ever had. I'm sure sometime during the 19th century before regular records were kept the high stayed below zero in NYC. I can't imagine a high that cold today. Probably not, though the 10F max in Jan 1994 is impressive. 37.....20.....12/24-26/1980 20......-1 23.....08 Unc, do you know what the NYC afternoon high was on 12/25/80? IIRC, BOS only got up to about zero from their low of -7, and NYC was somewhere in the singles. Seems like the temp rose a little that evening, given the 8F low for 12/26. Trivia: 1st CT Lake in NH recorded -24/-32 for 12/26/80, actually 7A on 12/25 thru 7A on 12/26. Other than at MWN, I've not found a colder daily high in New England than that. Makes my -16 afternoon in Ft. Kent seem almost mild, though the 40 mph gusts were bracing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluewave Posted November 26, 2012 Share Posted November 26, 2012 It looks like 2 degrees is the coldest high we've ever had. I'm sure sometime during the 19th century before regular records were kept the high stayed below zero in NYC. I can't imagine a high that cold today. The only known time during the 1800's to stay below zero in NYC during the daylight hours was January 10th, 1859. http://books.google....YC 1859&f=false Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthShoreWx Posted November 26, 2012 Share Posted November 26, 2012 years with three or more cold waves that dropped temperatures into the single digits... season...Cold waves and days in single digits... 1947-48...................6..........9 1960-61...................5..........9 1962-63...................4..........6 1967-68...................4..........8 1976-77...................4..........8 1980-81...................4..........7 1981-82...................4..........7 1987-88...................4..........5 1993-94...................4..........9 2002-03...................4..........6 1966-67...................3..........5 1969-70...................3..........6 1970-71...................3..........7 1978-79...................3..........9 1989-90...................3..........5 1999-00...................3..........4 2003-04...................3..........8 2004-05...................3..........8 since 1947-48 the most days in single digits is nine set in 1947-48, 1960-61, 1993-94, 1978-79...The most cold waves with single digit temperatures was set in 1947-48 with six... Looking back a little further, in 1933-34 there were 7 "cold waves" with a total of 15 single digit days and in 1917-18 there were 8 with a total of 20 single digit days. I defined a cold wave as a period with below freezing high temps and at least some nights in the single digits or lower. If there was two days with single digit temps in a week but there was a warm day in between (i.e., above freeezing), I defined them as separate cold waves. There are probably many ways to define a cold wave. I went with the 32 degree maxes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle W Posted November 26, 2012 Author Share Posted November 26, 2012 The only known time during the 1800's to stay below zero in NYC during the daylight hours was January 10th, 1859. http://books.google....YC 1859&f=false That day the max could have been from midnight...The temperature was falling rapidly between 7am and 11am...This makes me think it could have been above zero just after midnight...Similar cold waves in Feb. 1963 and Dec. 1980 had a max 20-25 at midnight and below zero by 9am... 1/10/1859... 12am...??? 07am...-3.7 11am...-7.5 02pm...-3.8 09pm...-8.0 12pm...??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle W Posted November 26, 2012 Author Share Posted November 26, 2012 Looking back a little further, in 1933-34 there were 7 "cold waves" with a total of 15 single digit days and in 1917-18 there were 8 with a total of 20 single digit days. I defined a cold wave as a period with below freezing high temps and at least some nights in the single digits or lower. If there was two days with single digit temps in a week but there was a warm day in between (i.e., above freeezing), I defined them as separate cold waves. There are probably many ways to define a cold wave. I went with the 32 degree maxes. in 1960-61 there were two days during the below freezing cold spell with mins below ten...I counted it as two cold waves...The same for Feb. 1979... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundog Posted November 26, 2012 Share Posted November 26, 2012 The only known time during the 1800's to stay below zero in NYC during the daylight hours was January 10th, 1859. http://books.google....YC 1859&f=false Great read thanks for the link. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundog Posted November 26, 2012 Share Posted November 26, 2012 That day the max could have been from midnight...The temperature was falling rapidly between 7am and 11am...This makes me think it could have been above zero just after midnight...Similar cold waves in Feb. 1963 and Dec. 1980 had a max 20-25 at midnight and below zero by 9am... 1/10/1859... 12am...??? 07am...-3.7 11am...-7.5 02pm...-3.8 09pm...-8.0 12pm...??? Even if there was a midnight high to me it doesn't count. The temperature failed to reach zero during the daylight hours when the sun was up. Just because a cold front didn't make it in time to drop them below zero before midnight doesn't take away from the incredible cold that resulted during the day. Midnight highs drive me crazy now too, when referring to the temp record. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluewave Posted November 26, 2012 Share Posted November 26, 2012 That day the max could have been from midnight...The temperature was falling rapidly between 7am and 11am...This makes me think it could have been above zero just after midnight...Similar cold waves in Feb. 1963 and Dec. 1980 had a max 20-25 at midnight and below zero by 9am... 1/10/1859... 12am...??? 07am...-3.7 11am...-7.5 02pm...-3.8 09pm...-8.0 12pm...??? That's possible with the temps maybe above zero after midnight and very strong daytime cold air advection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle W Posted November 26, 2012 Author Share Posted November 26, 2012 Probably not, though the 10F max in Jan 1994 is impressive. 37.....20.....12/24-26/1980 20......-1 23.....08 Unc, do you know what the NYC afternoon high was on 12/25/80? IIRC, BOS only got up to about zero from their low of -7, and NYC was somewhere in the singles. Seems like the temp rose a little that evening, given the 8F low for 12/26. Trivia: 1st CT Lake in NH recorded -24/-32 for 12/26/80, actually 7A on 12/25 thru 7A on 12/26. Other than at MWN, I've not found a colder daily high in New England than that. Makes my -16 afternoon in Ft. Kent seem almost mild, though the 40 mph gusts were bracing. I can't find the local climate data for 1980...I have it some where...If I find it I'll post it...I think it was below ten all day... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
famartin Posted November 26, 2012 Share Posted November 26, 2012 I can't find the local climate data for 1980...I have it some where...If I find it I'll post it...I think it was below ten all day... 12/25/1980 at Central Park: High 20, low -1. PS - There's a lot more free data on NCDC's website than there ever used to be. Let me know if you need help using it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tamarack Posted November 26, 2012 Share Posted November 26, 2012 I wonder if the expansion of pavement into the NYC suburbs has added to UHI, so that with the warming climate there's a double whammy against subzero cold. The most recent near-zero episode in 2004 came with considerable wind, which can limit UHI somewhat. I was surprised that NYC only got down to 6F in Jan 2009 while Maine was breaking its all time record with -50. It's true that the new record was partially a product of a new location in the NW edge of the state, but other temps in the state show the record wasn't much of an outlier: CAR: -37, 2nd coldest there. Ft.Kent: -40, 2F above their record. Van Buren: -44, 4F above their old state record. Allagash: -47, their coldest, though only records since 1986. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
famartin Posted November 26, 2012 Share Posted November 26, 2012 I wonder if the expansion of pavement into the NYC suburbs has added to UHI, so that with the warming climate there's a double whammy against subzero cold. The most recent near-zero episode in 2004 came with considerable wind, which can limit UHI somewhat. I was surprised that NYC only got down to 6F in Jan 2009 while Maine was breaking its all time record with -50. It's true that the new record was partially a product of a new location in the NW edge of the state, but other temps in the state show the record wasn't much of an outlier: CAR: -37, 2nd coldest there. Ft.Kent: -40, 2F above their record. Van Buren: -44, 4F above their old state record. Allagash: -47, their coldest, though only records since 1986. Wind wasn't anything to laugh at for 1/19/1994 either, sustained 10-15 mph most of the day (including the night when it was sub-zero) at Newark... http://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/KEWR/1994/1/19/DailyHistory.html?req_city=NA&req_state=NA&req_statename=NA&theprefset=SHOWMETAR&theprefvalue=1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle W Posted November 26, 2012 Author Share Posted November 26, 2012 1831...Coldest December on record...From Erasmus Hall in Brooklyn...max/min were hourly readings...December 1831 averaged 22.2 on Governors Island dailies from Brooklyn...... date...max/min...Pre...snow...snow cover...snow was on the ground all 31 days...Snow fell Christmas Eve and New Years Eve... 01.....32...23..........T..........T..........1" 02.....32...23..........0..........0..........1" 03.....26...22..........0..........0..........1" 04.....30...20........0.20.....2.0"........3" 05.....25...14..........0..........0..........3" 06.....25...15..........0..........0..........3" 07.....26...14..........0..........0..........3" 08.....28...20..........0..........0..........3" 09.....32...24..........0..........0..........3" 10.....30...20..........0..........0..........2" 11.....35...20..........0..........0..........1" 12.....27...18..........0..........0..........1" 13.....25...16..........0..........0..........1" 14.....23...17........0.15.....1.5"........3" 15.....21...13........0.15.....1.5"........4" 16.....25...11..........0..........0..........4" 17.....26...11..........T..........T..........4" 18.....17.....9..........0..........0..........4" 19.....26...18..........0..........0..........4" 20.....26...18..........0..........0..........4" 21.....38...24..........0..........0..........2" 22.....24...10..........0..........0..........2" 23.....24.....8..........0..........0..........2" 24.....38...26........0,40......2.0".......2" 25.....34...26........0.10......1.0".......2" 26.....30...20........0.10......1.0".......3" 27.....25...18..........0..........0..........3" 28.....29...21........1.00....10.0".....13" 29.....33...24..........0..........0........12" 30.....24...13..........0..........0........12" 31.....32...18........0.20......2.0".....13" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle W Posted November 27, 2012 Author Share Posted November 27, 2012 Probably not, though the 10F max in Jan 1994 is impressive. 37.....20.....12/24-26/1980 20......-1 23.....08 Unc, do you know what the NYC afternoon high was on 12/25/80? IIRC, BOS only got up to about zero from their low of -7, and NYC was somewhere in the singles. Seems like the temp rose a little that evening, given the 8F low for 12/26. Trivia: 1st CT Lake in NH recorded -24/-32 for 12/26/80, actually 7A on 12/25 thru 7A on 12/26. Other than at MWN, I've not found a colder daily high in New England than that. Makes my -16 afternoon in Ft. Kent seem almost mild, though the 40 mph gusts were bracing. I found local climate data for LGA and it was... 01am...18 04am.....9 07am.....1 10am....-1 01pm.....1 04pm.....5 07pm.....5 10pm.....5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tamarack Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 I found local climate data for LGA and it was... 01am...18 04am.....9 07am.....1 10am....-1 01pm.....1 04pm.....5 07pm.....5 10pm.....5 Thanks. This is further evidence that the NYC temp leveled off or rose a bit Christmas night, for a 12:01 AM low on 12/26. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaser25973 Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 Wonder if we'll see knyc getting down to zero this winter. It's been over 20 years since the last time we did so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stormlover74 Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 Wonder if we'll see knyc getting down to zero this winter. It's been over 20 years since the last time we did so. If we didn't last year I doubt we will this year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WE GOT HIM Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 If we didn't last year I doubt we will this year I think we could have done it but the core of the cold air kept arriving at the wrong time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle W Posted November 11, 2014 Author Share Posted November 11, 2014 I forgot about this post...I knew I had all the zero degree cold waves some place...I found Central Parks temperatures for Christmas day 1980...-1 between 7-10am... 12am...20 ..1am...18 ..4am...11 ..7am...02 10am...01 ..1pm...04 ..4pm...07 ..7pm...07 10pm...07 12pm...08 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundog Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 I think we could have done it but the core of the cold air kept arriving at the wrong time. That one really cold day in January had well timed cold. It just wasn't cold enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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