You’ve felt it, right? That weird, late-January feeling where you’re walking down Broadway in a light jacket, wondering if you actually missed winter or if it just forgot to show up. Honestly, talking about snow totals for New York City lately feels more like discussing a rare sighting of a mythical creature than a weather forecast.
New York is supposed to be a snow city. We’re the place of the 1888 Great Blizzard and those iconic photos of Central Park buried in white. But the reality on the ground—literally—has changed.
The Numbers Don't Lie (Even if They're Disappointing)
If you look at the official NOAA data for Central Park, the 30-year average for annual snowfall in NYC is about 25.1 inches. That’s the "normal." But if you’ve lived here for the last few years, you know "normal" has been nowhere to be found.
Take the 2024-2025 season. While upstate cities like Syracuse were getting buried under 110 inches, New York City scraped by with a measly 12.9 inches. That is nearly 50% below the average. And it wasn't a one-off fluke either. The 2023-2024 season was even more pathetic, ending with a total that barely broke double digits.
📖 Related: NIES: What Most People Get Wrong About the National Institute for Environmental Studies
We recently had a bit of a "miracle" in December 2025. A storm finally dumped about 4.3 inches in Central Park. It doesn't sound like much, but for a city that had been in a literal snow drought, it felt like a blizzard. It was actually the first time we’d seen more than 4 inches from a single storm since early 2022.
Why the Big Gap Between Manhattan and the Boroughs?
One thing that drives people crazy is that the "official" number for the city always comes from one spot: the Belvedere Castle in Central Park. But New York is huge.
When a Nor'easter rolls in, the totals vary wildly. In that December 2025 storm, while Central Park clocked 4.3 inches, parts of Howard Beach in Queens saw 4.6 inches, while Bay Ridge over in Brooklyn only got 3.1 inches. It’s all about the "rain-snow line." Because the city is surrounded by water, a difference of just two degrees can turn a 10-inch snowfall into a 2-inch slushy mess for anyone living near the coast.
👉 See also: Middle East Ceasefire: What Everyone Is Actually Getting Wrong
Analyzing Recent Snow Totals for New York City
If we look back at the historical records, the swings are wild. New York City snowfall isn't a steady decline; it’s a chaotic ride.
- The Record Holder: The 2015-2016 season gave us the biggest single storm in city history. Between January 22nd and 24th, 27.5 inches fell. That’s more than our entire annual average in just 48 hours.
- The Modern Slump: In contrast, the 2022-2023 season was the least snowy on record, with a tragic 2.3 inches for the entire year. You’ve probably seen more snow in a freezer that needs defrosting.
- The Upstate Contrast: It’s worth noting that while we’re struggling, the rest of the state is often winning. Places like Buffalo and Watertown are seeing increased lake-effect snow because the Great Lakes aren't freezing over as much, providing more moisture for the atmosphere.
The Science of Why We’re Seeing Less
It's tempting to just blame "bad luck," but the experts at Climate Central and Cornell have been pointing to a specific trend: our winters are warming. Fast.
Since 1970, winter temperatures in New York have risen by about 4.2°F. That might not sound like a lot when you're looking at a thermostat, but in terms of meteorology, it’s massive. It means the "freezing nights" we used to rely on to keep snow on the ground are disappearing. We’re seeing about 19 fewer days below freezing per year than our grandparents did.
✨ Don't miss: Michael Collins of Ireland: What Most People Get Wrong
Basically, the precipitation is still there—sometimes there's even more of it—but it's falling as cold rain or "wintry mix" instead of the fluffy white stuff that makes for a good Instagram photo.
What to Expect for the Rest of 2026
As of mid-January 2026, the season total for Central Park is sitting at roughly 7.2 inches. We’ve got February and March ahead of us, which are historically the snowiest months.
However, don't get your hopes up for a 60-inch season. The projections for the lower Hudson Valley and NYC suggest that while we might get a big "pulse" from a coastal Nor'easter, the overall trend is toward a shorter, slushier season.
Practical Advice for New Yorkers
If you're tracking these numbers for more than just curiosity—maybe you're a property manager or just someone who hates shoveling—here is the reality:
- Don't trust the "Park" number alone. If you live in Staten Island or the Rockaways, your totals will almost always be lower due to the Atlantic’s moderating warmth.
- Watch the "Dew Point." If you see a forecast for snow but the dew point is sitting at 32 or 33, expect slush. You need that dry, cold air for the snow to actually accumulate on the pavement.
- Prepare for Ice, Not Snow. Because of the warming trend, "freeze-thaw" cycles are becoming more common. Even a small 2-inch snowfall often melts during the day and refreezes into a dangerous ice sheet at night.
To stay ahead of the next storm, check the NWS New York (OKX) briefings rather than just a generic weather app. They provide "probabilistic" maps that show you the worst-case and best-case scenarios for your specific neighborhood, which is much more useful than a single number for the whole city. Keep your salt bags ready, but maybe don't buy that heavy-duty snowblower just yet.