New York has only had a trace dusting of snowflakes on its sidewalks and rooftops so far this month, and if that keeps up it will be the lowest January snowfall for the city since 2008.
(Bloomberg) — New York has only had a trace dusting of snowflakes on its sidewalks and rooftops so far this month, and if that keeps up it will be the lowest January snowfall for the city since 2008.
It’s been more than 300 days since Manhattan’s Central Park saw its last measurable snow, according to John Feerick, a meteorologist for AccuWeather Inc. There were a few scant flakes on Jan. 14, but not enough to shovel, trod through, or even make a snowball.
If the trend continues through Feb. 5, it would be the longest stretch without measurable snow in records that date back to 1868, just about a decade after the first parts of the park opened to the public. Already, the current streak is the fourth-longest in history.
New York isn’t alone in the East Coast’s great gray winter. With the exception, of course, of Buffalo, which was walloped by several lake effect storms that dropped snow by the foot. Throughout most of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, the winter storms have either missed, or they just brought rain because the air was so warm.
Mild Temperatures
While some weary commuters may be grateful for a break, those who rely on cold and snow for their livelihood aren’t as excited.
“It has certainly been a challenging winter, not only in New Hampshire, but at our New York and Wisconsin locations, as well,” said Melissa Smuzynski, spokeswoman for Ice Castles, an annual attraction that marries fairy tales and ice sculptures and light. “Ice Castles has unfortunately had to push back the targeted opening date at all three locations do to the unprecedented warm start to winter.”
The cold also serves to help fruit trees develop during their winter dormancy, and it can be a boon to retailers looking to sell more snow blowers, shovels and salt. With the exception of a sharp arctic blast at the end of December, there hasn’t been a lot of chill this winter.
Central Park’s average January temperature has been close to 10 degrees F above normal through Wednesday, the weather service said.
Boston has been 7.6 degrees warmer; Philadelphia, 10; and Washington, 8.7. And that’s during what’s typically the coldest time of the year.
According to the weather service, the Ohio Valley, Mid-Atlantic and most of New England typically shiver through their coldest days in the last half of January. This year’s outlook through Jan. 27, though, shows those regions have a good chance to be warmer than normal, and just average after that, according to the Climate Prediction Center.
–With assistance from Joe Shortsleeve.
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