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I have attached a poll to the thread to pick the first 90+ day for Central Park, New York City ("KNYC"). The thread topic is about the subject of those days in general.
Central Park is an artificial park, designed in large part by Frederick Law Olmstead, and created in the 1850's or 1860's. Previously, it was a collection of slums, sewer drainage and farms. Temperature measurement was relocated there in toto in the late 1950's, after sharing the role with Battery Park. While certainly not barren by the late 1950's the park was relatively open ground. Thus it was an urban or semi-urban setting. The thermometer is located in Belvedere Castle, at the regulated height for such devices.
Fast forward to the turn of the millennium. The Belvedere Castle area is relatively dense woods. Even during relatively cool summers such as 1969 KNYC had little trouble reaching 90 degrees. I have looked at newspaper weather maps from that year and, for example, July 4 was a 90 degree day. The same map setup nowadays would be 2-4 degrees cooler. So even that relative washout of a summer topped 90 about 14 or 15 days, or close to the moving average of 17 such days.
Last summer was admittedly a cool summer. KNYC didn't touch 90 until July 2, and there were, maybe, 7 or 8 such days through the entire summer. In fact, KNYC's average high (measured as a 30 year average) used to be about 85 for the warmest period, about July 10 to August 10. This has been lowered to 84. Until recent 30 year average recalculations the central part of that period, around July 18-22, had a calculated average high of 86. No more.
While I am a global warming skeptic I doubt that we're cooling. I suspect the reason is the forestation of Central Park and of many areas which are not directly urban (thus the increase in deer, bear and coyotes in the area, but I digress).
So that leaves the poll. When do we first hit 90 this summer? We were supposed to on June 11, but we topped out at 89, and then 88 of June 12. I'll "vote" as soon as at least one other votes.
They hit 90+ only 6 times last year. One of the fewest in record since late 1800s.
Average date of 1st 90° is July 9th
Thanks for the map. But as to KNYC the date can't be July 9 for the average since June has on average 3 per year. 2004 had two 90+ days, one 90 and one 91. 1996 had a total of four. I think 1982, 2000, 2006 and 2007 had very low numbers as well. They both seemed warmer for different reasons. 2006 had a 98 or 99 degree day amid one noteworthy heat wave. 2007 had 90 degree heat in May, and lots of upper 80's from late August to mid-October, a late-heat phenomena common to developing La Niñas, such 1953 (unclear if that was developing Niña due to recent re-set of criteria), 1970, 1973, 2005 (developing cold-neutral), 2007, and 2010.
Thanks for the map. But as to KNYC the date can't be July 9 for the average since June has on average 3 per year. 2004 had two 90+ days, one 90 and one 91. 1996 had a total of four. I think 1982, 2000, 2006 and 2007 had very low numbers as well. They both seemed warmer for different reasons. 2006 had a 98 or 99 degree day amid one noteworthy heat wave. 2007 had 90 degree heat in May, and lots of upper 80's from late August to mid-October, a late-heat phenomena common to developing La Niñas, such 1953 (unclear if that was developing Niña due to recent re-set of criteria), 1970, 1973, 2005 (developing cold-neutral), 2007, and 2010.
Thanks for the map. But as to KNYC the date can't be July 9 for the average since June has on average 3 per year. 2004 had two 90+ days, one 90 and one 91. 1996 had a total of four. I think 1982, 2000, 2006 and 2007 had very low numbers as well. They both seemed warmer for different reasons. 2006 had a 98 or 99 degree day amid one noteworthy heat wave. 2007 had 90 degree heat in May, and lots of upper 80's from late August to mid-October, a late-heat phenomena common to developing La Niñas, such 1953 (unclear if that was developing Niña due to recent re-set of criteria), 1970, 1973, 2005 (developing cold-neutral), 2007, and 2010.
I think he meant to right June 9th
June 9 would be about correct.
The early dates I remember were April 6 or 7 in 1991 and 2010, a few days later in 1977, heat waves culminating in 96 degree temperatures around the dead middle of April in 1976 and 2002 (lack of tree leafing creates an early spike in records, which don't again exceed 95 until mid-May), a touch of 90 in 1990, May 8 or 9 in 1979 and 2000 (both notably cool summers), and 2001 (a normal summer), and a cluster of 96's and 97's in 1969, 1986, and 1987. There were 90's that I remember also in Mays during 1974, 1975, 1991, and 1993.
Late starting summers include 1972 and 2014 (July 2 for first 90), and 1985 (about a week later). There may have been others that I don't remember well.
the decade annual max temperature for KNYC...
1880-89...95.2
1890-99...96.7
1900-09...94.7
1910-19...97.3
1920-29...96.6
1930-39...99.3
1940-49...98.5
1950-59...98.1
1960-69...97.3
1970-79...96.5
1980-89...97.6
1990-99...97.9
2000-09...95.5
2010-14...99.2
.................................................. .........................
decade total 90 degree days...
decade...90+days100+
1870's...101.....0.....
1880's.....81.....1.....
1890's...138.....1.....
1900's...101.....2.....
1910's...115.....3.....
1920's...128.....2.....
1930's...189.....8..... 1940's...202.....8.....
1950's...175...12.....
1960's...181.....4.....
1970's...183.....3.....
1980's...195.....2.....
1990's...197.....8.....
2000's...123.....1.....
2010's...100.....5.....as of 9/6...average 20 90's for the five years and one 100...
1870-
2009.....149.....4.....
1980-
2009.....172.....4.....
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