New York Climate – July 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: New York City, Buffalo, Rochester, Yonkers, and Syracuse
Summary
July 2026 brought wet, warm weather to New York, marked by severe thunderstorm downpours that triggered localized flash flooding. Across the state, summer heat also contributed to wildland blazes. Globally, July was the 3rd warmest on record. In the tropical Pacific, a moderate El Niño is intensifying and has an 81% probability of reaching Very Strong status in the October to December window, with warm and damp conditions likely to persist across the region through late summer.
This month in numbers
July 2026 saw an average temperature of 21°C across New York, standing 0.9°C above the 1961-1990 baseline to rank 24th warmest for the month in 77 years of records. Maximum temperatures averaged 27.06°C, while rainfall reached 124.97 mm (33.6 mm above normal), ranking as the 14th wettest July on record. Globally, land temperatures for the month ranked 3rd highest ever recorded at 15.8°C (+1.6°C anomaly).
What changed
Across May to July, New York recorded an average temperature of 17.15°C (+0.5°C anomaly, 28th warmest) and 312.17 mm of precipitation (+29.2 mm anomaly, 28th wettest). Globally, the May to July season was the 2nd warmest on record for land temperatures at 14.34°C (+1.5°C anomaly). For full-year 2025, New York averaged 7.93°C (20th warmest), fitting a long-term warming trend of +1.50°C. Within the NOAA Northeast climate region group, New York ran 0.10°C cooler than the group average anomaly (+1.05°C).
What’s driving change?
Elevated summer warmth and heavy rain in the region are driven by and seasonal shifts, as warmer air carries more moisture. effects elevated night-time minimum temperatures, which averaged 15°C (+1.2°C anomaly). All of New York's 3 wildfires this year have happened in the past month. These local blazes are tracked on our live map at Extreme Weather tracker. Globally, a moderate El Niño (+0.98°C anomaly) is tracked at ENSO, though historical teleconnections show a low 50% confidence for northeastern US winter impacts.
Looking ahead
According to seasonal guidance from the NOAA Climate Prediction Centre, the continuation of El Niño through autumn and winter points towards a modest likelihood of milder-than-average winter temperatures across the region.
Sources:
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
At a Glance
Temperature – Average
Climate Map – USUnited States
Source: NOAA Climate at a Glance — US states & climate regions (tavg, pcp), plus GPCC (Snow, water-equivalent). Anomalies are vs the 1961–1990 baseline. See methodology.
Typical Climate – New York
Köppen Dfb · ContinentalNew York has a continental climate (Köppen Dfb: Humid continental - warm summer), with distinct warm summers and cool-to-cold winters. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 21.4°C, while January is the coldest at -4.7°C. Annual precipitation averages around 1124mm, spread fairly evenly across the year.
Monthly climate normals (2016–2025) - bar colour and height show average temperature, the shaded area shows average monthly rain, with snow (water-equivalent) shown separately.
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (temperature/precipitation; frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)).
Long-Term Trends
Combined Timeline – New York
Right axis: everything else standardized to standard deviations (σ) from its own average, since mm/hours/days aren't directly comparable to °C or to each other.
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (temperature/precipitation; frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)).
Heatwave Days – New York
Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - the WMO/ETCCDI heatwave measure: days in a 6+ day run above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that time of year.
Data: World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5-derived). Refreshed roughly 1-2x/year, ~7-8 months behind present.
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – New York
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (temperature/precipitation; frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)).
Monthly Temperature – New York
Background lines show the last 40 years (plus the record year and its opposite, wherever they fall).
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (temperature/precipitation; frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)).
Records – New York
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)) - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm / cold seasonsKöppen Dfb · ContinentalHow spring and autumn have shifted in New York. Spring is defined as the date monthly temperatures first rise above the long-term annual mean (6.9°C, from 1950–1979); autumn is the date they fall back below it. Temperature swings 27.1°C peak-to-peak across the year - a classic four-seasons rhythm.
Baseline vs recent monthly temperature climatology. Biggest warming: Feb (+3.2°C).
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (temperature/precipitation; frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)).
Emissions & Energy
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Explore Climate Data
Data Sources
Data Sources for New York
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) - see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
Statewide monthly temperature and precipitation (nClimDiv).
Frost Days and Heatwave Days (Warm Spell Duration Index), ERA5-derived. World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal.
Monthly snow water-equivalent, Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (DWD).
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in New York changing?
New York is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The headline panel also shows the long-term trend rate per decade and the warmest and coolest years on file.
What is the climate like in New York?
New York has a continental climate (Köppen Dfb: Humid continental - warm summer), with distinct warm summers and cool-to-cold winters. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 21.4°C, while January is the coldest at -4.7°C. Annual precipitation averages around 1124mm, spread fairly evenly across the year.
Where does the climate data for New York come from?
Climate data for New York comes from NOAA Climate at a Glance (temperature and precipitation), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the New York climate data cover?
The New York climate profile covers New York City, Buffalo, Rochester, Yonkers and surrounding areas. New York climate data from NOAA Climate at a Glance
How often is the New York climate update refreshed?
The New York climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.
What counts as a Heatwave Day on the New York climate page?
Heatwave Days use the Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - the WMO/ETCCDI-standard heatwave measure: days that are part of a run of 6 or more consecutive days above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that calendar day. The 90th-percentile threshold varies by time of year (a hot day in January is judged differently to one in July) but is fixed to the 1961-1990 baseline for every year shown - it does not shift as the climate warms, which is why Heatwave Days trend upward over time.
Does the New York climate page include frost and snow data?
Yes. Frost Days (days with a minimum temperature below 0°C, World Bank CCKP) and snow water-equivalent (GPCC) are shown alongside temperature and precipitation, each measured against the 1961-1990 baseline where a like-for-like historical comparison is available.