New York Climate
Top 5 Cities: New York City, Buffalo, Rochester, Yonkers, and Syracuse
This month in numbers
New York experienced its 5th warmest April on record, with an average temperature of 8.72°C, a significant 2.6°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. Maximum temperatures also ranked 5th highest for April, reaching 15.39°C, which is 3.4°C above average. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April for land temperatures on record.
What changed
Looking at the broader picture, the February–April 2026 period saw an average temperature of 1.39°C, 1.6°C above the 1961–1990 baseline, ranking as the 19th warmest such period on record. This trend aligns with the national picture, as the contiguous United States also experienced above-average temperatures in April. New York's 1-month anomaly of +2.65°C places it 56th out of 234 regions globally, indicating a warmer-than-average month compared to many other areas. The broader Northeast US climate region, in which New York sits, also saw a 1-month anomaly of +2.38°C, with New York being slightly warmer than the group average.
What’s driving change?
The warming observed in New York is influenced by several factors. The effect likely contributes to higher temperatures, particularly in densely populated areas. Additionally, a developing El Niño in the Pacific Ocean is contributing to an unusually intense jet stream, bringing added tropical moisture and potentially influencing temperature patterns across the eastern United United States. New York has also experienced a notable concentration of extreme weather events recently, with three wildfires occurring between May 14 and May 21, 2026, representing 100% of the annual total for the past 12 months. There have also been two drought events and one flood event in the past month, each representing 100% of their respective annual totals, indicating an unusual concentration of these events. On May 20, 2026, severe thunderstorms brought heavy rain and localized flooding to New York City, particularly in Brooklyn and Queens, with some areas receiving over 2 inches of rain, overwhelming the city's sewer system. For more details on these events, visit Extreme Weather tracker.
Looking ahead
The NOAA CPC probability forecast suggests an 82% chance of El Niño developing by May–July 2026, with probabilities increasing to 98% by August–October 2026. Historically, El Niño phases during winter (December-January-February) typically bring warmer-than-average conditions to the Northeast USA and Eastern Canada, with no clear signal for precipitation. For more information on ENSO, visit ENSO tracker.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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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.
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 trend rate is shown as °C per decade in the headline panel; you can also see the warmest and coolest years on file.
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.