STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — August is hot in New York; that's no surprise. However, the latest monthly outlook from the National Weather Service (NWS) Climate Prediction Center shows temperatures will be warmer than average for the summer.
In fact, temperatures are expected to be above average across the vast majority of the United States.
There is a 40 to 50 percent chance of above-average temperatures across much of New York State, including New York City. The only exception to this chance is the northeastern part of the state, which has a 33 to 40 percent chance of above-average temperatures.
For reference, the average high temperature in New York City in August is 83 degrees, based on data collected by the NWS Central Park between 1991 and 2020.
This summer is no stranger to some sweltering temperatures in the mid to upper 90s. According to the Advance/SILive.com weather station, temperatures reached a high of 98 degrees on Tuesday. The number nearly broke New York City's all-time record of 99 degrees set on July 16, according to NWS Central Park data dating back to 1869.
The hot weather is in the dog days of summer, when temperatures are typically at their highest, according to the National Weather Service in Central Park.
Hottest summer in years (so far)
These temperatures have prompted some to claim this is New York City's warmest summer yet.
However, AccuWeather senior meteorologist Tyler Roys noted that while this intensifying heat suggests this summer will be one of the warmest in the past 10 years (so far), it's not a historical record the creator of.
“This is not 'extreme heat' with several days of close to 100 degrees,” Royce said. “It's kind of like, you see a long duration, you see a lot of days around 88, 89, 90, 91 degrees. That's probably why some people say this is one of the hottest days on record. Or whatever, but if you look at the last ten years, yeah, it's probably going to be one of the (warmest), I wouldn't say that.
The heat has been evident in the three heat waves that have affected New York City since late June.
Royce noted that while New York is expected to cool down to “comfortable” temperatures in the coming days, another heat wave could arrive sometime in late July or early August.
New York City gets more rain than usual in August
The monthly precipitation outlook for August shows near-average precipitation across much of the country, including much of New York.
However, parts of southern New York state, including the Lower Hudson Valley and New York City, are expected to have a 33% to 40% chance of above-average rainfall.
New York City typically receives about 4.56 inches of rainfall in August, according to NWS Central Park data.
