New York City is set to break a 157-year-old meteorological record, as the third consecutive March with no measurable snow in Central Park is expected—marking the first time since 1869, the National Weather Service (NWS) said on X Monday.
In late January, NASA published satellite imagery capturing ice on the Hudson River and other waterways around New York City during a prolonged freeze, while city ferries suspended operations due to ice buildup, highlighting the season’s volatility.
This winter, the New York metro area also endured one of its longest stretches of extreme cold in eight to 10 years, with wind chills plunging below zero and prompting warnings for frostbite and hypothermia risk, according to meteorologists and NWS alerts.
In the post to X, the NWS Eastern Region said, “With no snow expected tomorrow in NYC, this will now be the third March in a row with no measurable snow in Central Park. This is the longest such run of Marches back to 1869 without measurable snow in NYC. (1/2)”. In a follow-up post, the account said, “1945 & 1946 and 2020 & 2021 were the only other back-to-back Marches with no measurable snow since 1869 in Central Park. (2/2)”
1869 marked the beginning of snowfall record-keeping in the park.
NWS Meteorologist Richard Bann told Newsweek via phone on Monday, “We’ve had previous Marches where we’ve had no snow in back-to-back years. This record extends it to three consecutive years of no snow in March.”
Bann noted that New York’s Central Park recorded 22.3 inches of snow in February and 14 in January. The total snowfall for the winter season was 43.5 inches, about 14 above normal, Bann added.
NWS New York NY on X Monday said, “Today’s highest recorded temperatures occurred in NYC and the western interior where we saw spring-like warmth 15-20 degrees above average. Temperatures along eastern coastal locations remained mild. We’ll see the warming trend continue into tomorrow.”
