The First Snow of the Season in NYC

First Snow Day of the Season

This morning we had the first snow of the season. For a person that usually goes to work by bike, this is not a good sign. We just started December and the flakes are coming down already. If we compare with what our brothers in Europe are experiencing this days, we are still enjoying a good weather.

However, historically, it doesn't start to snow so early in NYC. At the same time, this doesn’t mean too much, at least for now.  Last year, for example, we had the snowiest February month in the history, reaching 36.9 inches (and prior to that it was 2005-6 with 26.9 inches). In 1960-1 no record was broken, but with three months in a row snowing more than 15 inches, it reached 54.7, against 51.4 of last year.

It is interest to compare that from 1868-9 to now, NYC started to have more concentrated winters (3 months instead of 4). In addition, historically, the snow starts early, the winter finishes early as well.

On the other hand, if we disregard the snow, and check just the temperature, we will see that NYC is in the average for December 6, which had its minimum temperature on -16o. C (today is around -1o. C) and a maximum of 22C(!) (www.weather.com).

Source: http://www.erh.noaa.gov/

So, it is not just a matter of snow, but how cold it is now compared with the last 150 years.  Here the National Weather Service has the Monthly and Seasonal Snow Fall at Central Park, and you can check the quantities of snow per month on each year since 1869. You will see that the weather doesn't have a pattern. I know this analysis is very superficial to enter into a discussion about global warming and climate change, but at least to me, it is just the earth following its natural cycle.

Source: http://www.climatestations.com/images/stories/new-york/nydect.gif

Moreover, it is important to mention that snow itself doesn't reflect the coldest winter, since it can be the coldest and the driest.

That said, let's hope the predictions are wrong about the coldest winter in years in NYC.

And remember: keep warm!