AI-generatedNew York at a glance
- Best time
- Apr – Oct
- Warmest month
- Jul · 29°
- Warmest sea
- Aug · 23.3°
- Sunshine a year
- 2,150 h
- Rain a year
- 1,120 mm
- Climate
- Continental
- Time zone
- UTC−5 / UTC−4
- Elevation
- 10 m
Climate in New York
New York has warm to hot summers and cold winters with occasional snow. July is the warmest month with average highs of 29 °C, while January is the coolest at 4 °C. With around 2,150 hours of sunshine a year, New York is moderately sunny; July is the sunniest month with 7.5 hours a day.
Holiday weather through the year
Weather in October
Holiday weather in October
Good
Best time to visit: April – October
October is the peak of the hurricane season
A typical day in October
- Morning, 08:00: about 11°
- Midday, 13:00: about 17°
- Afternoon, 16:00: about 17°
- Evening, 20:00: about 14°
- Night, 23:00: about 12°
07:0618:18
Cool evenings: pack a jumper or a jacket.
Estimated from the average high and low: coolest around sunrise, warmest in mid-afternoon.
What is the weather like in New York in October?
In October, New York is mild: daytime highs average 18 °C, and nights cool down to about 10 °C. The sea averages 17.6 °C – bracing, so a wetsuit helps for longer swims. Expect around 5 hours of sunshine a day. Rain falls on about 9 days, adding up to 100 mm. All in all, October is a good month for a holiday in New York.
More details for October
- Daylight
- 11 h 12 min07:06 – 18:18
- UV index
- 4 · moderateclear sky, noon (estimate)All months
- Muggy days
- 1 daydew point 18 °C or more
- Wind
- 17 km/haverage daily peak
- Cloud cover
- 52 %on average
- Hot days
- 0 days30 °C or more
- Snow days
- 0 days1 cm or more of fresh snow
- Time zone
- UTC−4America/New_York
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 50 %98 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %40 %
- Few rainy daysweight 30 %67 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “City break”.
What to pack in October
- Sunscreen
- A jumper for the evenings
- Rain jacket or umbrella
Sea temperature in New York
Monthly sea surface temperature with the range of cooler and warmer years.
8 in 10 years: 16.6 – 18.8 °C
Swimming season: Jul – Sep
- cold
- fresh
- refreshing
- pleasant
- warm
- very warm
The sea temperature in New York ranges from 4.4 °C in February to 23.3 °C in August. It is warm enough for a comfortable swim (20 °C and more) from July to September.
The sea warms up slowly: it is warmest in August, while the air already peaks in July. From November to January the sea is even warmer than the afternoon air. The sea temperature varies from year to year: in August, eight out of ten years were between 22.3 and 24.3 °C.
| Month | Average | Cool year | Warm year | Feels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JanuaryJan | 6.0° | 4.5° | 7.9° | cold |
| FebruaryFeb | 4.4° | 3.1° | 6.0° | cold |
| MarchMar | 5.2° | 3.6° | 6.6° | cold |
| AprilApr | 8.2° | 6.8° | 9.3° | cold |
| MayMay | 12.9° | 11.9° | 13.9° | cold |
| JuneJun | 18.4° | 17.3° | 19.7° | fresh |
| JulyJul | 22.4° | 21.2° | 24.0° | refreshing |
| AugustAug | 23.3° | 22.3° | 24.3° | pleasant |
| SeptemberSep | 21.6° | 20.7° | 22.7° | refreshing |
| OctoberOct | 17.6° | 16.6° | 18.8° | fresh |
| NovemberNov | 12.9° | 11.8° | 14.0° | cold |
| DecemberDec | 9.1° | 8.1° | 10.4° | cold |
Sunshine hours in New York
Average hours of bright sunshine per day, next to the length of the day. Tap a month to select it.
In October, the sun shines for about 5.4 of 11.2 hours of daylight in New York, 48 % of the day.
Sunshine hours: estimated from radiation data (ERA5, 1996–2025) and calibrated against measured station values; no weather station is close enough here. Daylight is the time from sunrise to sunset on the 15th of the month.
UV index in New York
How strong the sun is at noon, month by month, and how quickly unprotected skin burns.
- Clear-sky UV in October
- 4 · moderateAround midday seek shade; use sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses.
The sun is strongest in June (UV 10).
Minutes until sunburn in October
- Very fair skin
- about 35 min
- Fair skin
- about 45 min
- Light brown skin
- about 60 min
- Olive skin
- about 75 min
Rough guide for unprotected skin at noon under a clear sky; clouds lengthen it, water, sand and snow shorten it. Sunscreen extends the time only partly.
Monthly values: clear-sky noon estimate from the sun's angle, ozone and altitude. UV today: Open-Meteo forecast.
Rain in New York: rainy days and rainfall
A rainy day is a day with at least 1 mm of rain or snow; the amount is what falls in the whole month. Tap a month to select it.
In October, New York has about 9 rainy days with 100 mm of rain in total.
Climate through the year
Long-term monthly averages. Tap a month to see its details.
Temperatures through the year
Average daytime high, night-time low and sea temperature per month.
| Month | Score | Day | Night | Sea | Sun | Rain days | Rain mm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JanuaryJan | 24 | 4° | −4° | 6.0° | 4.7 h | 9 | 83 |
| FebruaryFeb | 27 | 5° | −4° | 4.4° | 5.3 h | 9 | 79 |
| MarchMar | 34 | 10° | 0° | 5.2° | 5.9 h | 10 | 104 |
| AprilApr | 65 | 16° | 6° | 8.2° | 6.5 h | 11 | 94 |
| MayMay | 77 | 21° | 11° | 12.9° | 6.6 h | 11 | 87 |
| JuneJun | 78 | 26° | 17° | 18.4° | 7.1 h | 11 | 102 |
| JulyJul | 68 | 29° | 20° | 22.4° | 7.5 h | 11 | 104 |
| AugustAug | 74 | 28° | 20° | 23.3° | 6.8 h | 11 | 97 |
| SeptemberSep | 78 | 24° | 16° | 21.6° | 5.8 h | 9 | 96 |
| OctoberOct | 77 | 18° | 10° | 17.6° | 5.4 h | 9 | 100 |
| NovemberNov | 46 | 12° | 4° | 12.9° | 4.9 h | 8 | 73 |
| DecemberDec | 21 | 6° | −1° | 9.1° | 4.1 h | 10 | 102 |
Climate averages 1996–2025, not a forecast. Data: Copernicus ERA5 / ERA5-Land via Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0), NOAA OISST, WMO 1991–2020 (NOAA NCEI), GeoNames (CC BY 4.0)
40.71° N, 74.01° W · 10 m · America/New_York
Best time to visit New York
The best time to visit New York is from April to October. For a beach holiday with the sea above 21 °C, go from July to September. For sightseeing, day trips and hiking, conditions are most comfortable from April to June and from August to October. The wettest month is July with 104 mm of precipitation.
New York through the seasons
How the weather changes over the seasons, with averages for each.
New York in spring
Mar – May
Fair
- 10–21 °C by day
- Sea 9 °C
- 6 h of sun a day
- 32 rainy days in all
New York in summer
Jun – Aug
Good
- 26–29 °C by day
- Sea 21 °C
- 7 h of sun a day
- 33 rainy days in all
New York in autumn
Sep – Nov
Good
- 12–24 °C by day
- Sea 17 °C
- 5 h of sun a day
- 26 rainy days in all
New York in winter
Dec – Feb
Poor
- 4–6 °C by day
- Sea 7 °C
- 5 h of sun a day
- 28 rainy days in all
Find your perfect month
Tell us what you like and we rate every month in New York for you.
Your best months: May – June, September
Based on the climate averages; tap a month to see its details.
Which month for what?
Beach & swimming
Jul – Sep
Sea from 21 °C, warm and mostly dry
Sightseeing & hiking
Apr – Jun, Aug – Oct
15–28 °C and not too much rain
Snow
Jan – Mar
Snow on 2 or more days
New York month by month
The typical weather for every month at a glance.
24January4° · Sea 6° · 5 h
In January, New York is cold: daytime highs average 4 °C, and nights often drop below freezing (−4 °C). The sea averages 6.0 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. Expect around 5 hours of sunshine a day. Precipitation, often as snow, falls on about 9 days, totalling 83 mm. Snow falls on about 3 days. All in all, January is not an ideal month for a holiday in New York.
New York in January27February5° · Sea 4° · 5 h
In February, New York is cold: daytime highs average 5 °C, and nights often drop below freezing (−4 °C). The sea averages 4.4 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. Expect around 5 hours of sunshine a day. Rain falls on about 9 days, adding up to 79 mm. Snow falls on about 3 days. All in all, February is not an ideal month for a holiday in New York.
New York in February34March10° · Sea 5° · 6 h
In March, New York is cold: daytime highs average 10 °C, and nights cool down to about 0 °C. The sea averages 5.2 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. Expect around 6 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is frequent, with about 10 rainy days and 104 mm in total. Snow falls on about 2 days. All in all, March is not an ideal month for a holiday in New York.
New York in March65April16° · Sea 8° · 7 h
In April, New York is cool: daytime highs average 16 °C, and nights cool down to about 6 °C. The sea averages 8.2 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun shines for around 7 hours a day. Rain is frequent, with about 11 rainy days and 94 mm in total. All in all, April is a good month for a holiday in New York.
New York in April77May21° · Sea 13° · 7 h
In May, New York is mild: daytime highs average 21 °C, and nights cool down to about 11 °C. The sea averages 12.9 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun shines for around 7 hours a day. Rain is frequent, with about 11 rainy days and 87 mm in total. All in all, May is a good month for a holiday in New York.
New York in May78June26° · Sea 18° · 7 h
In June, New York is warm: daytime highs average 26 °C, and nights cool down to about 17 °C. The sea averages 18.4 °C – bracing, so a wetsuit helps for longer swims. The sun shines for around 7 hours a day. Rain is frequent, with about 11 rainy days and 102 mm in total. On about 5 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more. All in all, June is a good month for a holiday in New York.
New York in June68July29° · Sea 22° · 8 h
In July, New York is hot: daytime highs average 29 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 20 °C. The sea averages 22.4 °C – refreshing for a swim. The sun shines for around 8 hours a day. Rain is frequent, with about 11 rainy days and 104 mm in total. On about 11 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, July is a good month for a holiday in New York.
New York in July74August28° · Sea 23° · 7 h
In August, New York is hot: daytime highs average 28 °C, and nights cool down to about 20 °C. The sea averages 23.3 °C – pleasant for swimming. The sun shines for around 7 hours a day. Rain is frequent, with about 11 rainy days and 97 mm in total. On about 7 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, August is a good month for a holiday in New York.
New York in August78September24° · Sea 22° · 6 h
In September, New York is warm: daytime highs average 24 °C, and nights cool down to about 16 °C. The sea averages 21.6 °C – refreshing for a swim. Expect around 6 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is frequent, with about 9 rainy days and 96 mm in total. All in all, September is a good month for a holiday in New York.
New York in September77October18° · Sea 18° · 5 h
In October, New York is mild: daytime highs average 18 °C, and nights cool down to about 10 °C. The sea averages 17.6 °C – bracing, so a wetsuit helps for longer swims. Expect around 5 hours of sunshine a day. Rain falls on about 9 days, adding up to 100 mm. All in all, October is a good month for a holiday in New York.
New York in October46November12° · Sea 13° · 5 h
In November, New York is cool: daytime highs average 12 °C, and nights cool down to about 4 °C. The sea averages 12.9 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. Expect around 5 hours of sunshine a day. Rain falls on about 8 days, adding up to 73 mm. All in all, November is a so-so month for a holiday in New York.
New York in November21December6° · Sea 9° · 4 h
In December, New York is cold: daytime highs average 6 °C, and nights often drop below freezing (−1 °C). The sea averages 9.1 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. Expect around 4 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is frequent, with about 10 rainy days and 102 mm in total. Snow falls on about 2 days. All in all, December is not an ideal month for a holiday in New York.
New York in DecemberNew York compared
Put New York side by side with another destination.
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New York vs. Orlando
In October the holiday weather in New York and Orlando is about equally good (score 77 vs. 76). During the day Orlando is 10 °C warmer than New York. Orlando gets one more hour of sunshine a day.
| in October | New York | Orlando |
|---|---|---|
| Holiday score | 77 | 76 |
| Daytime high | 18° | 28° |
| Sea | 18° | – |
| Sunshine | 5 h | 6 h |
| Rainy days | 9 | 9 |
| Best time | Apr – Oct | Oct – Apr |
Through the year
USA in October: the best places
In October, New York ranks 7 of 10 destinations in this country.
- Las Vegas26°99
- 2Los Angeles26°19°98
- 3San Francisco21°14°95
- 4Kihei29°27°95
- 5Honolulu27°27°92
- 6Key West27°28°81
- 7New YorkThis page18°18°77
- 8Miami Beach28°28°77
Planning a trip to New York
Weather for your travel dates
Pick your arrival and length of stay, and we sum up the weather to expect.
Getting there
Flying from
- Nonstop flight
- about 7 h 10 min
- Distance
- 5,550 km
- Time zone
- UTC−4
Estimated from the straight-line distance: 30 minutes for take-off and landing plus 830 km/h cruising speed.
Storm season
New York lies in an area that Atlantic hurricanes can reach. The hurricane season runs from June to November, with most storms from August to October. A direct hit on any one place is rare, but if you travel then, keep an eye on weather warnings and book flexibly.
- January
- February
- March
- April
- May
- June: Season
- July: Season
- August: Peak
- September: Peak
- October: Peak
- November: Season
- December
Official season dates of the regional warning centres (NOAA, JMA, IMD, Météo-France, BoM); not a forecast.
Frequently asked questions about New York
When is the best time to visit New York?
The best time to visit New York is from April to October. That is when the holiday weather score, which combines temperature, sea, sunshine and rain, is highest.
How warm is the sea in New York?
The sea temperature in New York ranges from 4.4 °C in February to 23.3 °C in August. It is warm enough for a comfortable swim (20 °C and more) from July to September.
Can you swim in New York in October?
Only if you don't mind cold water: in October the sea averages just 17.6 °C. Comfortable swimming is possible from July to September.
What is the warmest month in New York?
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 29 °C and nights around 20 °C. January is the coolest month at 4 °C.
When does it rain most in New York?
The wettest month is July with 104 mm of precipitation. The driest month is November with 73 mm.
How many hours of sunshine does New York get?
New York gets around 2,150 hours of sunshine a year. The sunniest month is July with 7.5 hours a day; in December there are 4.1 hours a day.
What time zone is New York in?
New York uses the time zone America/New_York: UTC−5 in January and UTC−4 in July.
How long is the flight from London to New York?
A nonstop flight from London to New York takes about 7 h 10 min, for a straight-line distance of about 5,550 km.
When is hurricane season in New York?
New York lies in an area that Atlantic hurricanes can reach. The hurricane season runs from June to November, with most storms from August to October. A direct hit on any one place is rare, but if you travel then, keep an eye on weather warnings and book flexibly.
Near New York
Other destinations close by.
Places with a climate like New York
Destinations whose weather through the year is closest to New York's – good alternatives.