Climate of New York City
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According to the Köppen climate classification, the climate of New York City is humid subtropical (Cfa), with parts of the city transitioning into a humid continental climate. (Dfa). The city experiences long, hot, humid summers with frequent late day thundershowers, and moderately cold winters, with snow or a mix of snow and rain on occasion. New York's location in the southernmost part of the state, its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, and its large population (and, consequentially, a strong urban heat island effect) all shape its climate. Thus, New York City (and perhaps Long Island) have a marginal humid subtropical climate, in contrast to the rest of the state, which features a humid continental climate.
Meteorological records have been kept at Central Park since 1821, although the station was relocated to a different part of the park on January 1, 1920. There are also other weather stations in the area including one at LaGuardia Airport, beginning in 1940, and at JFK Airport, beginning in 1948. However, due to Central Park's long records and central location, it is often considered the main station for the city. Hence, all records unless otherwise stated will be for this station.
The highest temperature ever observed in Central Park is 106 °F (41 °C) on July 9, 1936 - although LaGuardia reported 107 °F (42 °C) on July 3, 1966, and the lowest is −15 °F (−26 °C) on February 9, 1934. The lowest daily maximum is 2 °F (−17 °C) on December 30, 1917. The highest daily minimum at Central Park is 87 °F (31 °C) on July 2, 1903.
The averages 42 to 49 inches of precipitation annually, with snowfall averaging 29.8 in (75.7 cm) per year but is highly variable between winter seasons. The city can also be prone to strong winds, being a coastal location it is exposed to the Atlantic. Hurricane Hazel in 1954 produced a wind gust of 83 mph, while a gust of 78 miles per hour (126 km/h) being reported on December 2, 1974. Governors Island, Manhattan, in New York Harbor, is planned to host a US$1 billion research and education center poised to make New York City the global leader in addressing the climate crisis.