Why hasn’t it snowed in New York this year yet? Winter advances and many ask the same question

NEW YORK.– It has been a snowless winter in new york.

In fact, the metropolitan region has yet to receive its first measurable snowfall this winter, defined as a minimum of 2.54 millimeters. If this continues through Sunday, it will equal a record set in the winter of 1973, when the area was snow-free until January 29.

While two winter storms have dropped a considerable amount of snow upstate – western New York was hit hard by a blizzard in late December, with 51.9 inches recorded in the Buffalo regionwhich caused at least 40 deaths– precipitation for New York has been limited to rain.

Dan Cole, 71, a Midwesterner now living in Queens, said Monday that he grew up surrounded by a lot of snow and wasn’t worried about this season’s trend, though he hopes his grandchildren, ages 2 and 5, They may experience snow soon.

“So we can make a snowman, like we do every year,” said Cole, holding up an umbrella; while in the north of the state it snowed close to 30 centimeters, in New York it rained all morning and until early afternoon.

The lack of snowfall, according to Dave Radell, a meteorologist with the New York National Weather Service, is due to the tracks of recent storms: Their centers were north and west of the city, while temperatures were warmest in the five boroughs of the city.

“We don’t have a lot of cold air going aroundRadell said. “The cold air is further north, where it has snowed.”

John Brooke, 71, has lived in New York for 35 years, but says he hardly recognizes the city now.

“In the ’70s, I lived in New Orleans,” Brooke recounted. “This is how it is now here. I feel like I’m in New Orleans.”.

Lack of snow is unlikely to have long-term consequences for New York, because it has rained a lotsaid Brian Ciemnecki, also a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in New York.

“If there were no rainfall, the story would be totally different, because then we would be talking about drought”he explained.

However, there is still a chance that the city will not reach that 50-year record on January 29. The meteorologists say that winter storm Kassandra could hit the New York area on Wednesday and bring 1 to 2 inches of snow.

Last winter, New York recorded 17.7 inches of measurable snow, below the average of 29.8 inches. The first snowfall was on December 24, 2021.

New York is also getting closer to its longest streak of consecutive days without measurable snowfall, according to the weather service. Since March 9, 2022, there have been 320 days without snow, and the record, which was set in 2020, was 332 days between January 18 and December 15.

By Joshua Needelman

The New York Times