After 701 days, New York City finally sees at least an inch of snow in a day

Residents across The Bronx and New York City woke up this morning to a city blanketed in light snow with an inch of accumulation since midnight and finally ending the longest dry-spell of significant snow in history falling in a single day.

It’s hard to believe but the last record of significant snow accumulation was February 13, 2022 when 1.6 inches of snow was recorded in Central Park.

The 701 day streak shattered the previous record which was broken on March 21, 1998 when the city went just over a year with 400 days without significant snow recorded.

A mother and child commuting in the snow in The Hub

But the lack of the white stuff in almost two years shouldn’t be too surprising given the fact that several years have been the warmest on record with 2023 coming in as the hottest in modern history since record keeping began.

Up until this weekend, we’ve had a relatively mild fall and winter with unseasonably warm temperatures and even flowers blooming in late December/early January at The New York Botanical Garden right here in The Bronx.

As someone born in the 70s and having experienced winters in The Bronx all my life, the past several years have been quite jarring with the lack of snow as the years pass us by. Typically, the city sees about 24 inches of snow during the winter season usually pretty spread out throughout the winter but now it seems we either barely get snow or we get it all at once in a few storms and that’s it.

But for now, it looks like we’re stuck with the seasonably cold weather as temps are forecast to plunge to the teens overnight through Sunday so maybe, just maybe, the warm spell has finally snapped, at least for winter.

In the meantime, Spring is around the corner with just 63 day left until the vernal equinox on March 19 so at least there’s hope for those who don’t like the cold.

Ed García Conde

Ed García Conde is a life-long Bronxite who spends his time documenting the people, places, and things that make the borough a special place in the hopes of dispelling the negative stereotypes associated with The Bronx. His writings are often cited by mainstream media and is often consulted for his expertise on the borough's rich history.