Even if New York City schools were allowed to have real snow days anymore, there’s hardly any snow to keep the kids at home. With meteorologists predicting a warmer-than-average December this year, any real accumulation may be a long way off — adding to an historic run of snow-free days in the city.
As the Washington Post notes, Central Park hasn’t seen an inch of snowfall in one calendar day since February 13, 2022. That 652-day period is the longest-ever snow drought in the city’s records, which date back to 1869. As might be expected in a rapidly warming climate, other cities are also experiencing record lapses of the fluffy stuff: Philadelphia hasn’t seen an inch of snow in one day in 667 days, and D.C. has been lacking for 680 days.
Thankfully, there is hope out there this winter. Thanks to a strong El Niño pattern in the Pacific and a greater likelihood of cold air coming down from the Arctic this year, forecasters anticipate more snow accumulation than average in New York State in January and February next year. And while it may not count against the no-accumulation streak, there could even be a preview of the winter to come today:
