The streak is over. New York’s Central Park finally got its first measurable snow of the season.
(Bloomberg) — The streak is over. New York’s Central Park finally got its first measurable snow of the season.
Manhattan meteorologists measured 0.4 inch (1 centimeter) of snow Wednesday. That’s the latest Central Park has received its first measurable snowfall in its history, which dates back to 1869, said Dominic Ramunni, a National Weather Service forecaster. Before this, the latest snow to dust the park was January 29, 1973.
The last time there was enough snow to measure in Central Park was March 9, 2022.
“It was a light snow, but it snowed nonetheless,” Ramunni said. “It is not a big surprise given how mild winter has been. January was likely the mildest on record as well.”
While there have been some recent cold snaps in New York, most storms passed to the west, leaving the city on the warmer side of every system. The official tally has yet to be tabulated, but Central Park was close to 10 degrees F (5C) above normal through January, which practically makes it seem like a month from another season, he said.
This pattern has remained locked in place for weeks and there’s little evidence it’s going to change anytime soon, despite a burst of frigid air that’s expected to pass through quickly this weekend.
“Rather than the white, we are dealing with the wet” Ramunni said.
While this is the latest it’s snowed in Central Park, it isn’t the longest the Manhattan weather observatory has gone without snow. The longest snowless stretch was 332 days which ended in 2020. The current streak is the second-longest at 328 days.
There is still plenty of winter left, so there might be more snow.
“It only takes one, big blockbuster nor’easter for people to forget all about this record,” Ramunni said.
And don’t expect this snow to last. Wednesday’s high is forecast to be 37F, so it probably won’t be there for long.
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