What’s the Weather like in NYC and What to Wear
Detail of month to month’s weather in NYC and what to wear. New York is tricky. The weather can change drastically from one month to another. In this post, I wanna share the best tips for what to pack for your New York vacation in terms of clothing and details about how’s the weather gonna be like when you come to the city. Hope you find this useful!
DECEMBER
COLD AND POSSIBLE SNOW
The week of Christmas and New Year’s Eve is one of the most crowded and expensive times to visit NYC. The Christmas Decorations all around the city are absolutely stunning and magical. Peak season to book hotels and flights. It gets dark very early, at 5pm.
TEMPERATURE RANGE
0°C to 7°C / 32°F to 44°F.
WHAT TO WEAR
Warm / Winter clothing: boots (UGGs or similar are ideal), warm sweater, Winter coat, long pants. Be prepared to have a beanie, a scarf and gloves. Try to bring some waterproof coat and shoes in case it snows.
FEATURED EVENTS IN DECEMBER
ICE SKATING RINKS. Click here to know which are the best ones, prices, hours and more.
WEEK OF CHRISTMAS: visit the famous Rockefeller Christmas Tree, the SAKS Light Show, the Christmas holiday window displays on Fifth Avenue and Macy’s, Winter Village at Bryant Park and more! It’s beautiful!
AFTER CHRISTMAS SALES: Dec. 26th to Jan 8th.
JANUARY and FEBRUARY
VERY COLD AND SNOWY
High probability of snow, freezing rain and wind. Lately, February has been was much colder than January. It gets dark very early in Winter (at 4:30/5pm). The cheapest time to visit New York. Low season to book flights and hotels.
TEMPERATURE RANGE
It can go from around -12°C to 2°C (10°F to 36°F).
It’s usually somewhere around 2°C / -3°C (35°F / 27°F). The coldest days can go to -12/-17°C (10°F / 1.4°F).
The “feels like” temperature is even colder.
WHAT TO WEAR
Winter clothing. Make sure to bring gloves, scarves, heavy winter coat, thermal clothing (thermal shirts, pants and socks), warm sweaters, warm Winter boots, beanie.
If you’re planning on spending a good amount of time in New York, I would suggest to also bring snow boots. Some thermal underwear might be good too.
THINGS TO DO IN WINTER
ICE SKATING: Check this post to know which are the best rinks, prices, hours and more.
PRESIDENT’S DAY SALES (3rd Monday of February). Good time to go to the best outlets in New York.
RESTAURANT WEEK: around middle of January to Beginning of February. You can eat in the best places at a cheaper and fixed price.
BROADWAY WEEK: 2×1 Broadway Tickets. Around middle of January to beginning of February.
CHOCOLATE SALES the day after Valentine’s Day (Feb. 15th).
Tip: you can buy very cheap Winter clothing at Forever 21, H&M, Century 21, Marshalls. Check out the best places to shop in Manhattan.
MARCH
UNPREDICTABLE: COLD
March is very unpredictable. It can be a cold month and there are still some possibilities of snow. Hotels and flights will go up comparing to January and February but it’s still off-peak season.
TEMPERATURE RANGE
Usually around -1°C to 10°C / 30°F to 50°F.
WHAT TO WEAR
Winter clothing: warm coat, gloves, scarves, beanie, warm boots.
FEATURED EVENTS IN MARCH
St. Patrick’s Day Parade in March 17th.
APRIL
WARMER WEATHER THAN MARCH. SOME RAIN.
The transition from Winter to Spring. April is warmer than February and March. It can be cold (mainly at the beginning of April) but not as cold as February. April can be a rainy month. The temperature will start raising up slowly.
TEMPERATURE RANGE
It can be around 7°C to 18°C / 45°F to 65°F.
WHAT TO WEAR
You’ll still need to bring Winter clothing: gloves, beanie, warm coat/jacket, scarf, boots, closed toe shoes, a sweater. A raincoat or waterproof jacket might be good too if it rains.
WHERE TO BUY UMBRELLAS
You can find cheap umbrellas at any Duane Reade or CVS. There’s a place called Jack’s World that’s very cheap. You can get an umbrella for only $5 (it’s kind of “a dollar store”). If it rains, you’ll also see people selling cheap umbrellas on the streets.
FEATURED EVENTS IN APRIL
Beginning of the Baseball calendar. You may get tickets to see the Yankees or the Mets.
Tribeca Film Festival: (usually starts middle of April)
MAY
NICE AND WARM SPRING
I think May is one of the best months to visit New York, because it’s not so cold as in February and not so warm as in July or August. It may rain.
TEMPERATURE RANGE
Usually around 9°C to 25°C / 48°F to 76°F.
WHAT TO WEAR
Spring clothing. Nice jacket, sweater, boots. The weather in May can be warm enough to wear short sleeves.
FEATURED EVENTS IN MAY
Memorial Day Weekend Sales (last Monday of May). Good time to go to the best outlets in New York.
JUNE
NICE WEATHER
It can get cold at night, especially at the beginning of June. It may rain. One of the best months to visit NYC.
TEMPERATURE RANGE
18°C to 26°C / 64°F to 79°F.
WHAT TO WEAR
Light jacket, warm sweater. Be prepared to bring Summer clothing such as shorts, short sleeves shirts, flip flops.
FEATURED EVENTS IN JUNE
Museum Mile Festival on Central Park East side around middle of June. You have Free Admission to all the museums located in Fifth Avenue from 82nd to 103rd Streets. Read more about it here.
Jazz Festivals in Bryant Park. Check calendar here.
Gay Pride Week Parade (late June).
JULY
HOT, HUMID, STICKY
Possible thunderstorms. Broadway shows and seasonal events may sell out quickly. Busy season.
TEMPERATURE RANGE
21°C to 29°C / 70°F to 85°F.
WHAT TO WEAR
Light clothing. Shorts, short sleeves, sunscreen if you are planning on going to the beach or lying down under the sun at Central Park.
If you plan on going to the beach, bring a swimsuit. You can buy sunscreen at any Duane Reade.
FEATURED EVENTS IN JULY
4th OF JULY SUMMER SALE. Good time to go to the best outlets in New York.
4th OF JULY FIREWORKS.
RESTAURANT WEEK: around middle of July. You can eat in the best places at a cheaper and fixed price up to 50% Off in Lunch and Dinner.
HEAD TO THE BEACH: the famous beaches at The Hamptons. You also go to the beaches in Coney Island, Rockaway or the beautiful beaches of New Jersey (e.g. Long Beach Island in Jersey).
AUGUST
VERY HOT, HUMID, STICKY
Thunder showers are frequent this month. Broadway shows and seasonal events may sell out quickly. Busy season.
TEMPERATURE RANGE
21°C to 28°C /69°F to 83°F.
WHAT TO WEAR
Summer clothing and some waterproof clothes for the rain.
If you plan on going to the beach or lying down under the sun at Central Park, bring a swimsuit and sunscreen (you can always buy sunscreen at any Duane Reade).
THINGS TO DO IN AUGUST
HEAD TO THE BEACH: the famous beaches at The Hamptons. You also go to the beaches in Coney Island, Rockaway or the beautiful beaches of New Jersey (e.g. Long Beach Island in Jersey)..
SEPTEMBER
WARM. STARTING TO GET COOLER
It’s one of the best months to come to NYC because the weather’s nice (not so hot as in August and not so cold as in March). All the schools have just started and it’s not a common vacation time for Americans. Hotel prices start dropping and it’s not that crowded as in August. Peak season to book flights and hotels.
TEMPERATURE RANGE
16°C to 26°C /61°F to 79°F.
WHAT TO WEAR
Summer / Spring clothing.
If you plan on going to the beach or lying down under the sun at Central Park, bring a swimsuit and sunscreen (you can always buy sunscreen at any Duane Reade).
THINGS TO DO ONLY IN SEPTEMBER
Labor Day Weekend Sales (1st Monday of September). Good time to go to the best outlets in New York.
OCTOBER
NICE WEATHER. COOLED DOWN.
One of the best months to visit NYC. The weather has cooled down compared to August and September. You won’t face the Summer crowds. The weather’s good. It’s still nice to be walking outside and exploring the city by foot. It can get cold by Halloween, at the end of the month. Peak season to book flights and hotels.
TEMPERATURE RANGE
10°C to 18°C /50°F to 65°F.
WHAT TO WEAR
Bring a warm jacket and some sweaters as well. Closed toe shoes.
FEATURED EVENTS IN OCTOBER
COLUMBUS DAY WEEKEND SALE (2nd Monday of October). Great time to go to the best outlets in New York.
COLUMBUS DAY PARADE on Fifth Avenue (a must see!). Check here for more info.
BEGINNING OF NFL SEASON. You can head to New Jersey to see the NY Jets and NY Giants in their $1.6 Billion Dollar Meadowland stadium with fireworks and more.
NYC HALLOWEEN PARADE: you can join the parade or be a spectator! It’s super fun. Everyone is with their awesome costumes dancing and enjoying the night on the streets of Manhattan.
Great sales on Halloween Costumes and Candies the day after Halloween (at Duane Reade, CVS, or Halloween Shops)
NOVEMBER
BEGINNING OF COLD WEATHER
It starts to get dark very early around 5/5:30pm.
TEMPERATURE RANGE
5°C to 12°C /41°F to 54°F. Nights can be cold.
WHAT TO WEAR
Warm clothing: coat, sweater, boots. Be prepared to have a scarf, beanie and gloves.
FEATURED EVENTS IN NOVEMBER
MACY’S PARADE (a must see!). Click here for more info.
BLACK FRIDAY SALES (4th Friday of November, the day after Thanksgiving).
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SEASONAL TIPS
BRING COMFORTABLE SHOES
New York City is a place where you’ll be walking a lot.
BUYING AN UMBRELLA
There’s a place called Jack’s World that is very cheap and you can get an umbrella for only $5 (it’s kind of “a dollar store”). If it’s raining you’ll also find people selling cheap umbrellas on the streets.
IF YOU HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO EXPLORE NYC
It’s worth the trip to Jersey Gardens Outlet or Woodbury, mainly if you’re here on major holiday sales days.
YOU MAY ALSO WANNA CHECK OUT
Featured Events in NYC month to month.
Best places to shop in Manhattan.
Enjoy!
NewYorkerTips.com
