General Information » Environment » Climate

New York’s climate fits with its Mediterranean latitude, with humidity varying enough to notice throughout the year (the city is coastal, remember). In fact, its waterways ensure the place never gets as cold as it does further inland. The seasons here are well defined, with hot and sweaty summers (the chances of a cooling breeze are minimised by the city’s enveloping concrete landscape, tall and congested) and chilly winters. White Christmases are common, drizzly rains even more so during the winter months. Spring and autumn are pleasant seasons, avoiding the extremes of the bits in between, with mild temperatures and low humidity levels.

New York functions well to its weather, unlike other large cities. The subways are well equipped to oppose whatever nastiness is going on outside, so expect blasting air conditioning to cool you down from the swelter and warm air to warm your cockles when they need warming. The same thing goes for the buses, though obviously not the bus shelters – so dress accordingly for the wait.

Because this is such a pedestrianised city and even if you’re using public transport, it is always wise to check the weather online or on TV before you venture out. You can find the temperature on the bottom right-hand corner of the screen on the national terrestrial channels from the early hours to mid-morning. Weather conditions can change every few hours, but fortunately TV weather channels always seem to know what’s coming.