New York City, NY – A winter storm brought heavy snowfall to the Northeast, covering the region from the Mason-Dixon Line to southern New England. On Tuesday, New York City experienced a significant amount of snow, with 3.2 inches reported in Central Park. This snowfall marked the city’s snowiest day since January 28-29, 2022, when 8.5 inches fell.
After a snow drought last winter, the city endured a record 701 calendar days without an inch of snow until January 16 this year when 1.4 inches fell. However, moderate to heavy snowfall on Tuesday morning brought an end to the dry spell, with visibility in the city dropping to a quarter-mile for three hours. Despite falling short of National Weather Service forecasts, the snow varied across different areas, with JFK Airport receiving 4.2 inches and Coney Island seeing 6.9 inches.
The forecast for New York City presented several challenges, including the difficulty of predicting narrow bands of heavy snow. In this case, significant bands developed just west and east of Central Park, impacting the accuracy of predictions. Additionally, the city faced marginal temperatures close to freezing, limiting the accumulation of snow. Urban areas experienced compaction of snow due to ground temperatures hovering around 33 or 34 degrees.
Furthermore, models forecasting the storm’s impact fluctuated, leading to swift changes in predictions, with some locations experiencing shifts in predicted snow amounts. Despite these challenges, the storm brought much-needed snow to the city and surrounding areas, ending a lengthy snow drought and providing relief for residents and visitors.