New York City - Coldest Decades

The coldest decades on record are ranked here for New York City, New York. The lists include decades when New York City had the lowest average temperatures, the fewest hot days and the most cold days. These extremes are for temperatures observed at Central Park and cover fifteen decades, from the 1870s to the 2010s.

That is when New York City had weather measurements that are consistent and complete enough to compare decades. Each decade comprises a standard 10-year range. For instance, the 1990s includes measurements from Jan 1, 1990 to Dec 31, 1999. Links to the data behind these lists are in the References section on this page.

Coolest High Temperatures

Average daily maximum temperature at New York City
High °F Decade High °C
Lowest 58.5 1880s 14.7
Runner-up 58.9 1870s 15.0

Coldest Low Temperatures

Average daily minimum temperature at New York City
Low °F Decade Low °C
Lowest 44.4 1880s 6.9
Runner-up 44.7 1870s 7.1

Fewest Warm Days

Total days per year on average when New York City had temperatures of at least 70 °F (21 °C)
Days Decade
Lowest 129 1870s
Runner-up 131 1880s

Fewest Hot Days

Total days per year on average when New York City had temperatures of at least 90 °F (32 °C)
Days Decade
Lowest 8 1880s
Runner-up 10 1900s, 1870s

Most Freezing Days

Total days per year on average when New York City had temperatures of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower
Days Decade
Highest 100 1880s, 1870s
Runner-up 89 1910s
References

Current Results. 2020. New York City NY Temperature Averages by Decade

Jay Lawrimore, Ron Ray, Scott Applequist, Bryant Korzeniewski, Matthew Menne. 2016. Global Summary of the Year, Version 1.0. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information.

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