New York City - Hottest Decades

Ranked here are the hottest decades on record for New York City, New York. The lists include decades when New York City had the highest average temperatures, the most hot days and the fewest 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.

Hottest High Temperatures

Average daily maximum temperature at New York City
High °F Decade High °C
Highest 63.3 2010s, 1990s 17.4
Runner-up 62.6 1980 17.0

Warmest Low Temperatures

Average daily minimum temperature at New York City
Low °F Decade Low °C
Highest 49.1 2010s 9.5
Runner-up 48.0 2000s 8.9

Most Warm Days

Total days per year on average when New York City had temperatures of at least 70 °F (21 °C)
Days Decade
Highest 156 2010s
Runner-up 152 1940s

Most Hot Days

Total days per year on average when New York City had temperatures of at least 90 °F (32 °C)
Days Decade
Highest 20 1990s, 1980s, 1940s
Runner-up 19 2010s, 1930s

Fewest Freezing Days

Total days per year on average when New York City had temperatures of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower
Days Decade
Lowest 65 1990s
Runner-up 66 2010s

How Much Hotter are 2010s?

Compared with averages for the previous 50 years (1960 to 2009), the 2010s in New York City had:

  • 7 more days each year with temperatures of 70 °F and higher
  • 0.9 °F higher daily maximum temperatures (0.5 °C)
  • 1.8 °F higher daily minimum temperatures (1.0 °C)
  • 8 fewer days a year with freezing temperatures
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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