New York weather by month & the best time to visit
🇺🇸 United States · major coastal city · humid subtropical climate
The best time to visit New York is September — its sunniest month (Sunshine Score 74/100), with June and July close behind. New York averages about 2,252 hours of sunshine a year. Daytime highs around 23°C / 73°F and roughly 97 mm of rain in September.
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- Sun hours / year
- 2,252
- Sunniest month
- September
- Peak score
- 74/100
- Rain / year
- 1,313 mm
- Snow / year
- ≈70 cm
- Midday UV at peak
- 7 (high)
- Sea at warmest
- 23°C / 73°F
- Population
- 19M
- Elevation
- Sea level
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When is the best time to visit New York?
For sunshine, the best time to visit New York is September, then June and July. The dullest month is January (0/100, 99 mm of rain). The full month-by-month picture is in the table below.
How sunny is New York?
New York gets a moderate 2,252 hours of sunshine a year. 74 Sunshine Score points separate September (74) from January (0), so the month you pick matters. It ranks #301 of 580 destinations in United States for annual sunshine, below the national median of 2,279 hours. The year's 1,313 mm of rain spreads fairly evenly across the months, with no pronounced dry season.
Sunshine Score by month
| Month | Score | Day high | Night low | Rain | UV | Sea |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0 | 4° / 39°F | -1° / 30°F | 99 mm | 1 | 6° / 43°F |
| February | 0 | 4° / 39°F | -1° / 30°F | 95 mm | 2 | 5° / 41°F |
| March | 0 | 7° / 45°F | 1° / 34°F | 113 mm | 3 | 7° / 45°F |
| April | 24 | 12° / 54°F | 6° / 43°F | 107 mm | 5 | 10° / 50°F |
| May | 55 | 17° / 63°F | 12° / 54°F | 101 mm | 6 | 14° / 57°F |
| June | 71 | 23° / 73°F | 17° / 63°F | 115 mm | 7 | 19° / 66°F |
| July | 71 | 26° / 79°F | 21° / 70°F | 114 mm | 7 | 23° / 73°F |
| August | 71 | 26° / 79°F | 21° / 70°F | 114 mm | 7 | 22° / 72°F |
| September | 74 | 23° / 73°F | 18° / 64°F | 97 mm | 5 | 22° / 72°F |
| October | 58 | 18° / 64°F | 12° / 54°F | 124 mm | 3 | 18° / 64°F |
| November | 24 | 12° / 54°F | 7° / 45°F | 101 mm | 2 | 13° / 55°F |
| December | 0 | 7° / 45°F | 2° / 36°F | 133 mm | 1 | 8° / 46°F |
Sea temperature in New York by month
The sea off New York is warmest in July at around 23°C / 73°F, and coolest in February at 5°C / 41°F. The water sits at a comfortable 21°C or warmer roughly 3 months a year. Month-by-month sea-surface temperatures are in the Sea column of the table above.
See New York on the interactive sunshine globe →
Nearby places for sunshine
- White Plains United States · 48 km · best in May · 2,150 h sun/yr
- Islip United States · 60 km · best in Jul · 2,252 h sun/yr
- Trenton United States · 96 km · best in May · 2,166 h sun/yr
- New Haven United States · 102 km · best in May · 2,191 h sun/yr
- Allentown/Bethlehem United States · 140 km · best in May · 2,074 h sun/yr
- Atlantic City United States · 148 km · best in Sep · 2,260 h sun/yr
Nearest destinations
- Teterboro United States · 33 km · 2,167 h sun/yr · best in May
- Newburgh United States · 100 km · 2,022 h sun/yr · best in May
Head-to-head
How New York compares month by month: New York vs Trenton · New York vs White Plains · New York vs Atlantic City · New York vs Islip · all comparisons
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