In January, it was exceptionally cold in NYC, where we hit several days of wind chills below zero. However, the extreme cold is becoming a thing of the past. 

Winters are becoming warmer each year worldwide. 2021 was the 6th warmest year on record worldwide. NYC was in the top 10 warmest years on record. In January 2022, temperatures averaged out slightly below average, but it isn’t enough to fix the warming trend over the years.

According to Climate Central, “...due to climate change, the coldest days of winter are losing their chill. Losing winter’s cold comes with important consequences. Warmer temperatures mean that more winter precipitation is falling as rain instead of snow—impacting the Northeast and mountainous Southeast regions where the economies of many smaller, rural communities depend on winter sports tourism.” Temperatures have been at least 6 degrees warmer since 1970.

The end of January is typically the coldest time of the year for NYC. Average highs are at 40 degrees with lows at 29 degrees. The Climate Prediction Center forecast that temperatures will be above average for the remainder of February into March.

This week temperatures are expected to be nearly 20 degrees above normal.