New York, NY Climate & Monthly Averages
New York has a humid subtropical climate. July is the hottest month, averaging 85° by day; January is the coldest at 40°.
New York's climate is a story of contrasts
New York runs one of the wider annual swings in our dataset: 24°C separates the average July from the average January. Afternoons reach 85°F (30°C) at the peak of summer and 40°F (4°C) at the depth of winter, with 128 days of measurable precipitation through the year.
July
85° by day 69° at nightJanuary
40° by day 26° at nightThe two ends of the year
July is the brightest month at 11.6 hours of sun a day, against an annual average of 8.6. Warmth peaks in July: highs of 85°F (30°C), lows of 69°F (21°C). January is the coolest month, with highs of 40°F (4°C) and lows near 26°F (-3°C). The gridded 2015-2024 daily record for this location tops out at 100°F (38°C) and bottoms at -5°F (-20°C) - decade extremes, not all-time station records.
Between the average July and the average January lie 24°C, a wider spread than roughly 80% of the cities we track.
Overnight lows average at or below freezing for 3 months, December through February.
More climate facts for New York
- Hottest month: July - highs near 85°F (30°C)
- Coldest month: January - highs near 40°F (4°C)
- Decade extremes (2015-2024): 100°F (38°C) high · -5°F (-20°C) low
- Wettest month: July (13 rainy days) · Sunniest: July (11.6 h sun/day)
- Climate type: humid subtropical
- Annual swing: 24°C between the average warmest and coolest month · day to night: 9°C
- Snow: about 10 days a year
- Months with freezing average lows: 3
- Average humidity: 71%
Four distinct parts of the year in New York
Spring (March through May)
Through spring, New York is mild: 60°F (15°C) by day, 43°F (6°C) after dark, and rain falls on around 34 of the 90 days, plus about 3 snowy days.
Summer (June through August)
Through summer, New York sits firmly in the heat: 82°F (28°C) by day, 67°F (19°C) after dark, and rain falls on around 36 of the 90 days. Daylight is generous - around 11.2 hours of sun a day.
Fall (September through November)
Fall in New York stays on the cool side of mild, with daytime highs averaging 66°F (19°C) and nights around 51°F (10°C); expect showers on roughly 27 days across the season.
Winter (December through February)
Through winter, New York runs cold: 42°F (6°C) by day, 28°F (-2°C) after dark, and rain falls on around 30 of the 90 days, plus about 8 snowy days.
New York temperature extremes in the 2015–2024 dataset
Derived from ERA5 reanalysis data, 2015–2024. Official station records may differ. Need another precipitation unit? Use the rainfall converter.
Choosing a season in New York
Best time to visit New York
Aim for May to June and September to October if you get the choice: warm days, manageable rainfall and plenty of daylight line up, and highs average 73°F (23°C) against roughly 10 wet days a month. For the same question asked the other way round, see where else is warm in May.
What to pack
Pack for New York with light clothing for the warm months, a heavy insulated coat, hat and gloves for winter and a compact umbrella or rain shell. July nights average 69°F (21°C), so evenings rarely match the afternoons.
Monthly highs, lows and seasonal change
| Month | High | Low | Rain days | Precipitation | Sunshine | Daylight | Wet-day chance | Humidity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 26° | 10 | 3.9 in | 6.1 h/day | 9.6 h | 32% | 68% |
| February | 43° | 26° | 10 | 3.6 in | 6.9 h/day | 10.6 h | 34% | 69% |
| March | 49° | 33° | 10 | 4.5 in | 8.2 h/day | 11.8 h | 33% | 66% |
| April | 60° | 42° | 12 | 4.2 in | 8.8 h/day | 13.2 h | 40% | 67% |
| May | 70° | 53° | 12 | 3.7 in | 9.9 h/day | 14.4 h | 37% | 71% |
| June | 79° | 62° | 11 | 3.9 in | 11.1 h/day | 15.1 h | 35% | 71% |
| July | 85° | 69° | 13 | 5.5 in | 11.6 h/day | 14.8 h | 43% | 73% |
| August | 83° | 68° | 12 | 4.5 in | 10.9 h/day | 13.8 h | 40% | 74% |
| September | 77° | 62° | 10 | 4.7 in | 9.1 h/day | 12.4 h | 32% | 75% |
| October | 66° | 51° | 9 | 4.9 in | 7.8 h/day | 11.0 h | 29% | 74% |
| November | 54° | 39° | 9 | 3.0 in | 7.1 h/day | 9.8 h | 29% | 70% |
| December | 45° | 32° | 11 | 4.5 in | 5.6 h/day | 9.3 h | 35% | 73% |
New York from the coldest month to the hottest
Each card shows the average high and low. The bar places that month between New York's coldest night and warmest afternoon.
January
- Rain
- 10 days
- Sunshine
- 6.1 h
- Daylight
- 9.6 h
- Snow
- 3 days
February
- Rain
- 10 days
- Sunshine
- 6.9 h
- Daylight
- 10.6 h
- Snow
- 3 days
March
- Rain
- 10 days
- Sunshine
- 8.2 h
- Daylight
- 11.8 h
- Snow
- 2 days
April
- Rain
- 12 days
- Sunshine
- 8.8 h
- Daylight
- 13.2 h
May
- Rain
- 12 days
- Sunshine
- 9.9 h
- Daylight
- 14.4 h
June
- Rain
- 11 days
- Sunshine
- 11.1 h
- Daylight
- 15.1 h
July
- Rain
- 13 days
- Sunshine
- 11.6 h
- Daylight
- 14.8 h
August
- Rain
- 12 days
- Sunshine
- 10.9 h
- Daylight
- 13.8 h
September
- Rain
- 10 days
- Sunshine
- 9.1 h
- Daylight
- 12.4 h
October
- Rain
- 9 days
- Sunshine
- 7.8 h
- Daylight
- 11.0 h
November
- Rain
- 9 days
- Sunshine
- 7.1 h
- Daylight
- 9.8 h
December
- Rain
- 11 days
- Sunshine
- 5.6 h
- Daylight
- 9.3 h
- Snow
- 2 days
Looking for warmer alternatives? Browse warm places by month, or compare New York's coolest part of the year: January, February, December.
Where New York sits among other climates
- 29% of the year's precipitation falls in its wettest three months - more evenly spread than all but 9% of the 3496 cities we track.
These comparisons use the same ten-year window for every city in the dataset.