New York City Weather by Month
| Month | High / Low °F (°C) | Rainy days | Rain (in) |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39.5 (4.2) / 27.9 (-2.3) | 10.8 | 3.6 |
| February | 42.2 (5.7) / 29.5 (-1.4) | 10 | 3.2 |
| March | 49.9 (9.9) / 35.8 (2.1) | 11.1 | 4.3 |
| April | 61.8 (16.6) / 45.5 (7.5) | 11.4 | 4.1 |
| May | 71.4 (21.9) / 55 (12.8) | 11.5 | 4.0 |
| June | 79.7 (26.5) / 64.4 (18) | 11.2 | 4.5 |
| July | 84.9 (29.4) / 70.1 (21.2) | 10.5 | 4.6 |
| August | 83.3 (28.5) / 68.9 (20.5) | 10 | 4.6 |
| September | 76.2 (24.6) / 62.3 (16.8) | 8.8 | 4.3 |
| October | 64.5 (18.1) / 51.4 (10.8) | 9.5 | 4.4 |
| November | 54 (12.2) / 42 (5.6) | 9.2 | 3.6 |
| December | 44.3 (6.8) / 33.8 (1) | 11.4 | 4.4 |
A month-by-month planning table for New York City built on the NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals recorded at Central Park - the official 30-year averages, not a forecast. Pick any month for the typical high and low in Fahrenheit and Celsius, how many days usually see rain, and how much rain actually falls.
New York is the mirror image of the drizzle cities: only about 125 rain days a year - fewer than Seattle's 156 - yet 49.5 inches of rain, half again as much water. The city does not do all-day mist; it does downpours that finish in an hour. Add 29.8 inches of annual snowfall, concentrated in a few nor-easter storms, and the packing problem changes completely.
How to use
- Pick your month from the dropdown.
- Read the typical high/low in F and C, rain days and monthly rainfall, plus the season note.
- Cross-check the full 12-month table below when your dates are flexible.
Frequently asked questions
Does it rain more in New York or Seattle?
Seattle has more rainy days - about 156 a year against New York's 125 - but New York collects far more water: 49.5 inches against Seattle's 39.3. Seattle's rain is a fine patient drizzle; New York's arrives as short heavy drops that mostly miss the calendar. Same sky, opposite packing list: umbrellas matter here, waterproofs matter there.
Does it snow much in New York City?
The 1991-2020 normals put Central Park snowfall at 29.8 inches a year, and it arrives in bursts - a single nor-easter can drop a season's worth in a day. That volatility is the point of the normals: some winters barely reach 15 inches and a few pass 60, so the 30-year average is the only honest planning number.
When is the best time to visit New York?
Late spring and fall: May (71/55 F), June (80/64), September (76/62) and October (65/51) pair walkable temperatures with the year's lowest humidity. July and August are the sweaty big-city months - highs near 85 with nights stuck near 70 - while January (40/28) is cold but rarely the deep freeze people expect.
Why are New York summers so humid?
Geography stacks the deck: warm Atlantic moisture from the south, a dense urban heat island that holds the heat overnight - that is why July nights average 70 F - and just enough rain to keep the air loaded. The humidity is why 85 F in Central Park feels heavier than 85 F in dry-climate cities.
What are climate normals, and how do they differ from a forecast?
Normals are 30-year averages - 1991-2020 here - so an individual week can run ten degrees warm or cold of the table. Use the normals to pick travel dates and set expectations, then check a forecast about a week before you go; neither number replaces the other.
Is New York's climate changing?
Each decadal normals update nudges the baseline: the 1991-2020 set that this table uses replaced 1981-2010 and runs warmer, part of a national pattern NOAA documents with every release. The practical read for a visitor is marginal - for infrastructure and snow planning, the shift matters and the normals exist precisely to track it.
Does New York get hurricanes?
The official Atlantic season runs June through November, but direct hits are rare this far north - the ocean is cold enough that most storms weaken first. The exceptions are remembered for decades: the 1938 Long Island storm came ashore as a major hurricane, and 2012's Sandy did its damage mainly as surge and flooding rather than wind. For trip planning, a stray September storm is possible but not a pattern; the table above is the average the exceptions bend around.