New York's Record Snow Drought Is Over

New York City is set to experience its first snowfall of more than an inch in over 700 days after a sprinkling of white powder fell over the metropolis, as the East Coast braces for another winter storm.

"SNOW IS COMING," the office of Mayor Eric Adams wrote in an X, formerly Twitter, post on Monday. "It's been over 700 days, but 1-4 inches of snow will fall between tonight at 6 p.m. and tomorrow at 6 p.m."

New Yorkers posted images and videos of the snow on social media. One described their view of the cityscape from their balcony—including the famous Empire State and Chrysler buildings—as "like I'm in a snow globe," while another showed a sidewalk in Times Square turned white.

New York state has already experienced several feet of snow so far this winter, but much of it has been limited to the north and east, where lake-effect snow—when a cold air mass moves across long expanses of warmer lake water—has fallen downwind of the Great Lakes.

But the arrival of the first of two Arctic blasts of dangerously cold air from Canada has pushed a winter storm that has brought mixed precipitation to the Deep South tearing through the mid-Atlantic.

The last time the Big Apple saw snow of over an inch was on January 28-29, 2022, when a blizzard brought over eight inches to the Central Park area. The fresh flurry from Monday night came 716 days after the snow last ended.

There was snowfall over New York City in February last year, but across the season just 2.2 inches fell on Central Park. The city's recent snow drought was nearly double the length of the last one, which ended in March 1998, according to The New York Times.

This year's snowfall in New York City has so far been a light dusting. As of 1 a.m. ET on Tuesday, the National Weather Service (NWS) had recorded just 0.6 inches in Central Park. The same amount was observed at LaGuardia Airport, while an inch had fallen over John F. Kennedy International Airport.

As of 5:30 a.m. ET on Tuesday, 71 flights have been canceled in and out of nearby Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, as well as 61 arriving and departing from LaGuardia and 26 in and out of JFK Airport in Queens, according to tracking data by FlightAware. Thousands of flights across the U.S. have been withdrawn in recent days due to the ongoing winter storms.

However, the NWS office in Upton, New York forecast that more snow would arrive from the southwest on Tuesday morning, with bands of precipitation-laden clouds offering the potential for some accumulations. "Otherwise, the snow will be generally light and not add up much," it said.

Conditions are predicted to remain chilly, though, with most areas remaining at or below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Another two inches of snow is expected before a wintry mix including freezing rain sets in, which could lead to some ice forming.

Adams said on Monday that the city government had brine, salt and snowplows "to handle whatever happens," while New York City's Emergency Management division warned that snow and ice could create slippery travel conditions for the Tuesday evening commute.

Alternate side parking rules—which usually prohibit parking on one side of the street to allow for street cleaning—have also been suspended for the day.