New York Central Prk Obs Belv
New York C.park, NY, United States
Call Sign/ICS* : NYC
WBAN* : 94728
COOP ID* : 305801
Climate Division* : NY-04 - Coastal
WMO ID* : 72503
In Service* : 01 Jan 1869 to Present
Elevation*: 39.6m (129.9') above s/l
Lat/Lon* : 40°47'N / 73°58'W
County*: New York
About this Station
New York City, in area exceeding 300 square miles, is located on the
Atlantic coastal plain at the mouth of the Hudson River. The terrain is
laced with numerous waterways, all but one of the five boroughs in the
city are situated on islands. Elevations range from less than 50 feet
over most of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens to almost 300 feet in
northern Manhattan and the Bronx, and over 400 feet in Staten Island.
Extensive suburban areas on Long Island, and in Connecticut, New York
State and New Jersey border the city on the east, north, and west. About
30 miles to the west and northwest, hills rise to about l,500 feet and
to the north in upper Westchester County to 800 feet. To the southwest
and to the east are the low-lying land areas of the New Jersey coastal
plain and of Long Island, bordering on the Atlantic.
The New York Metropolitan area is close to the path of most storm and
frontal systems which move across the North American continent.
Therefore, weather conditions affecting the city most often approach
from a westerly direction. New York City can thus experience higher
temperatures in summer and lower ones in winter than would otherwise be
expected in a coastal area. However, the frequent passage of weather
systems often helps reduce the length of both warm and cold spells, and
is also a major factor in keeping periods of prolonged air stagnation to
a minimum.
Although continental influence predominates, oceanic influence is by no means absent. During the summer local sea breezes, winds blowing onshore from the cool water surface, often moderate the afternoon heat. The effect of the sea breeze diminishes inland. On winter mornings, ocean temperatures which are warm relative to the land reinforce the effect of the city heat island and low temperatures are often l0-20 degrees lower in the inland suburbs than in the central city. The relatively warm water temperatures also delay the advent of winter snows. Conversely, the lag in warming of water temperatures keeps spring temperatures relatively cool. One year-round measure of the ocean influence is the small average daily variation in temperature. Precipitation is moderate and distributed fairly evenly throughout the year. Most of the rainfall from May through October comes from thunderstorms, usually of brief duration and sometimes intense. Heavy rains of long duration associated with tropical storms occur infrequently in late summer or fall. For the other months of the year precipitation is more likely to be associated with widespread storm areas, so that day-long rain, snow or a mixture of both is more common. Coastal storms, occurring most often in the fall and winter months, produce on occasion considerable amounts of precipitation and have been responsible for record rains, snows, and high winds.
The average annual precipitation is reasonably uniform within the city but is higher in the northern and western suburbs and less on eastern Long Island. Annual snowfall totals also show a consistent increase to the north and west of the city with lesser amounts along the south shores and the eastern end of Long Island, reflecting the influence of the ocean waters.
Local Climatological Data is published for three locations in New York City, Central Park, La Guardia Airport, and John F. Kennedy International Airport. Other nearby locations for which it is published are Newark, New Jersey, and Bridgeport, Connecticut. Based on the 1951-1980 period, the average first occurrence of 32 degrees Fahrenheit in the fall is November 11 and the average last occurrence in the spring is April 1.
Period of Record Elements Available
1962-10 thru 1998-07: ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOP