The Climate of New York

By | August 27, 2022

The state of New York (NY) is located in the northeastern United States and is one of the most important states in economic terms. The state owes this to the presence of the metropolis of New York City, the financial heart of the United States, according to many even from around the world. New York has three different climate types according to the Köppen-Geiger climate classification. The southeast (including Long Island and the city of New York) has a warm maritime climate (type Cfa).

Inland you will find country climates, ranging from a warm continental climate in the south to a moderate continental climate in the north, on the border with Canada. Summers are generally warm to sometimes very hot, winters cool to cold. The location of the state of New York ensures that the sea has a limited influence on the weather conditions. Typical for the entire region are the unpredictability of the weather and the extremes that can occur in all seasons. Periods of severe frost can quickly turn into days full of rain and relatively high temperatures in winter. In the summer months, heat waves are an almost annual phenomenon, with temperatures locally reaching up to forty degrees.

Hurricanes reach New York state once every 20 to 30 years. This can cause a lot of damage on the coast, including New York City. This can create tidal waves that can reach a reasonable distance inland. There may be gusts of wind that blow over New York at well over 100 kilometers per hour.

Climate figures

The figures below are based on long-term average climate statistics. The temperatures are displayed in degrees Celsius (°C).

maximum temperature minimum temperature hours of sunshine per day days of rainfall per month water temperature
January 3℃ -3℃ 5 10 7℃
February 5℃ -2℃ 6 9 5℃
March 10℃ 2℃ 7 11 5℃
April 16℃ 7℃ 8 11 7℃
May 22℃ 12℃ 8 11 11℃
June 26℃ 17℃ 9 11 17℃
July 29℃ 20℃ 9 10 22℃
August 28℃ 20℃ 9 10 23℃
September 24℃ 16℃ 7 9 20℃
October 18℃ 10℃ 7 8 17℃
November 12℃ 5℃ 5 9 13℃
December 6℃ -1℃ 5 11 10℃

The climate of Albany

Albany is located in eastern New York state, of which it is also the capital. Albany is located at the intersection of the Mohawk and Hudson Rivers. Albany was founded in the 17th century by the Dutch as Fort Oranje and when it was later conquered by the English, the city was renamed Albany. The town hall from the 19th century was built in the special Richardsonian Romanesque style. The city center is dominated by the many high-rise buildings.

Albany has a humid continental climate, with maritime influences due to its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. Albany has cold winters and wet, warm summers and a clear distinction between the seasons. In the winter months the average temperature is below zero and in January it will rarely rise above it. In the winter months there can be quite a lot of snow, up to more than 150 cm per year, spread over 35 days of snowfall.

The climate of Buffalo

Buffalo is located in northwestern New York state on the eastern side of Lake Erie and on the banks of Niagara. Buffalo is the second largest city in the state after New York. Buffalo’s Art Deco City Hall is a sight to behold. In the city is the famous Albright-Knox Art Gallery for modern and contemporary art. Works by Paul Gauguin and Vincent van Gogh, among others, hang here.

Buffalo has a humid continental climate, which is known for its many days of snowfall. On average, about 250 centimeters of snow falls here per year, spread over about 65 days. The climate has four distinct seasons and precipitation is evenly distributed throughout the year. Due to the presence of the many large lakes near Buffalo, the city can also sometimes have influences of a maritime climate. Buffalo has quite a few hours of sunshine for such a northern city.

The climate of New York City

The metropolis of New York CityCity is located in eastern New York state. New York City is the symbol of capitalism and is one of the first global cities to meet all the criteria for a global city. The New York Stock Exchange, best known as Wall Street (which refers to the location in Manhattan where the exchange is located), is a leader in the global financial industry. It is not for nothing that New York is internationally one of the most important business cities in the world. This attracts business travelers to the city, as well as crowds of tourists who come to admire this metropolis. Very popular are the various sights on the busy island of Manhattan and the ferry to Staten Island to sail past the Statue of Liberty. Other boroughs, such as Brooklyn, are also becoming increasingly popular with the visiting crowd.flights to New York ensure that you have plenty of choice in flight tickets to this metropolis every day.

New York City has a temperate maritime climate, with warm summers and moderately mild winters on average. Under the supply of cold arctic air reaching New York via an arctic current, it can sometimes get extremely cold in the winter months, with temperatures dropping well below minus ten degrees. At times, New York is also ravaged by heavy snowfall, which paralyzes the city’s infrastructure. An average winter in New York has more than seventy centimeters of snowfall, but during some winters a total amount of more than one meter is measured and there is sometimes a snow cover of several tens of centimeters. Those traveling to New York in the spring or fall will have to deal with very fickle weather. One moment you can be blown out of the streets by a strong cold wind, while the next day is sunny and spring-like. A city trip to New York generally means that you have to take into account quite a few different weather conditions when it comes to clothing and accessories. In the summer it is hot in the Big Apple. Afternoon temperatures average around thirty degrees, but almost every summer in New York has one or more periods when the thermometer rises well above thirty degrees and it feels scorching hot in the streets of stone and concrete. Very occasionally a severe tropical storm comes near New York, once every 20 to 30 years New York can even have to deal with a hurricane. but almost every summer in New York has one or more periods when the thermometer rises well above thirty degrees and it feels scorching hot on the stone and concrete streets. Very occasionally a severe tropical storm comes near New York, once every 20 to 30 years New York can even have to deal with a hurricane.

The climate of Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls is located in northwestern New York state, on the border with Canada. Niagara Falls is located on the Niagara River, which separates the city from Niagara Falls in Canada. Niagara Falls is one of the largest and most famous waterfalls in the world. The falls are divided into three sections: Horseshoe Falls, American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls. The Horseshoe Falls (the largest of the three) is located entirely in Canada, while the two smaller ones are entirely in the US. The waterfalls are an important energy generator. In the evenings, the falls are spectacularly illuminated.

Niagara Falls has a humid continental climate, with precipitation that is evenly distributed throughout the year. In the winter months, temperatures can drop well below zero and the mercury will not rise above zero on some days. There can also be quite a bit of snow during this period. Summers are pleasant, without ever really getting hot. In the vicinity of the falls, the humidity is logically a lot higher than in the surrounding areas.

The climate of Rochester

Rochester is located in northern New York State, on the south side of Lake Ontario. Rochester is the state’s third largest city after New York and Buffalo. The city is located on the Barge Canal, which connects the city and Lake Ontario with the Hudson River. Due to its location on this canal, Rochester grew into the large prosperous city it is today at the beginning of the last century. The cityscape is dominated by the many high-rise buildings.

Rochester has a humid continental climate, with a clear difference between the four seasons and rainfall that is evenly distributed throughout the year. In the winter months there are many days with snowfall and on average almost 2.5 meters of snow fall here per year, spread over about 66 days. In January, the mercury will struggle to rise above zero.

The climate of The Hamptons

The Hamptons are located on the eastern part of Long Island in New York State, with the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Long Island Sound on the other. The Hamptons is a collective name for a large group of 24 smaller villages and hamlets, of which Southampton and Easthampton are the largest and best known. The villages are especially popular with the wealthier New York population, who use The Hamptons as a summer retreat. As a result, the population is much higher in the summer than in the rest of the year.

The Hamptons have a maritime climate, which is influenced by its location on the Atlantic Ocean. Summers are hot and wet and winters are cold and humid. The Hamptons has four distinct seasons, with fairly even rainfall throughout the year. In the winter months it can often come down as snow. On average, there is between 50 and 90 centimeters of snow per year. Throughout the last century, six hurricanes occurred in this area on Long Island.

Long Island in New York State