December 2025 OBS and Discussion

[495weatherguy]

6 minutes ago, North and West said:

Isn’t that a little melodramatic? Not saying you’re wrong, but I think a lot of people would have lost their minds here if they were around for a lot of the 1990s outside of two fun winters.

History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.


.

I agree with this.  You remember the 70’s and 80’s on LI?  I remember cod and dry. Not snow like we got 2000-2018.  1996 was special because it truly was a one off on LI.  
Snow was always going “north and west “.  Countless times predicted snow became cold rain. 
Many different components need to come together in order for it to snow on LI 

[North and West]

I agree with this.  You remember the 70’s and 80’s on LI?  I remember cod and dry. Not snow like we got 2000-2018.  1996 was special because it truly was a one off on LI.  
Snow was always going “north and west “.  Countless times predicted snow became cold rain. 
Many different components need to come together in order for it to snow on LI 

Same in N.J. if you weren’t in Sussex, hence my name!


.

[Dark Star]

52 minutes ago, 495weatherguy said:

I agree with this.  You remember the 70’s and 80’s on LI?  I remember cod and dry. Not snow like we got 2000-2018.  1996 was special because it truly was a one off on LI.  
Snow was always going “north and west “.  Countless times predicted snow became cold rain. 
Many different components need to come together in order for it to snow on LI 

Snow, in general, is a miracle in the greater NYC metropolitan area...

[jm1220]

7 minutes ago, Dark Star said:

Snow, in general, is a miracle in the greater NYC metropolitan area...

I wouldn’t say it’s a miracle. We don’t live in the Carolinas. We average in the mid 20s inches per winter even right on the coast. We were due for a significant regression after the bonanza 2000-18 period but it’s become a lot harder to get the 2-4” type clippers and front end to rain events in the last few years as well. Bluewave and others have pointed out the background changes that have taken place that have made even fairly minor snow events less common. Even back during the bonanza years we lucked out with the big snow events that pushed us over the long term average. Without the minor events, we totally strike out and end well below average for snow. 

[bluewave]

1 hour ago, 495weatherguy said:

I agree with this.  You remember the 70’s and 80’s on LI?  I remember cod and dry. Not snow like we got 2000-2018.  1996 was special because it truly was a one off on LI.  
Snow was always going “north and west “.  Countless times predicted snow became cold rain. 
Many different components need to come together in order for it to snow on LI 

During the 1970s and 1980s NYC averaged around 6.2”more of snow than we have over the last 7 seasons and ISP 8.0” more.

We didn’t have to rely exclusively on KU NESIS events back then like we do now to get over 20” of snow on the season.  

We used to get snowy clippers and SWFEs. Plus the colder climate allowed for heavier snows on the front end before mixing became an issue. 

We never experienced a climate before that was so challenging to get over 20” from EWR to NYC and ISP.

 

Monthly Total Snowfall for NY CITY CENTRAL PARK, NY
Click column heading to sort ascending, click again to sort descending.

Mean	0.0	0.9	2.3	3.7	6.4	1.6	T	14.9
2024-2025	0.0	0.0	2.8	3.0	7.1	0.0	0.0	12.9
2023-2024	0.0	T	T	2.3	5.2	T	0.0	7.5
2022-2023	0.0	0.0	T	T	2.2	0.1	0.0	2.3
2021-2022	0.0	T	0.2	15.3	2.0	0.4	0.0	17.9
2020-2021	0.0	0.0	10.5	2.1	26.0	T	0.0	38.6
2019-2020	0.0	0.0	2.5	2.3	T	T	T	4.8
2018-2019	0.0	6.4	T	1.1	2.6	10.4	0.0	20.5

 

Monthly Total Snowfall for NY CITY CENTRAL PARK, NY
Click column heading to sort ascending, click again to sort descending.

Mean	T	0.2	2.2	7.9	7.6	2.7	0.6	21.1
1988-1989	0.0	0.0	0.3	5.0	0.3	2.5	0.0	8.1
1987-1988	0.0	1.1	2.6	13.9	1.5	T	0.0	19.1
1986-1987	0.0	T	0.6	13.6	7.0	1.9	0.0	23.1
1985-1986	0.0	T	0.9	2.2	9.9	T	T	13.0
1984-1985	0.0	T	5.5	8.4	10.0	0.2	T	24.1
1983-1984	0.0	T	1.6	11.7	0.2	11.9	0.0	25.4
1982-1983	0.0	0.0	3.0	1.9	21.5	T	0.8	27.2
1981-1982	0.0	0.0	2.1	11.8	0.4	0.7	9.6	24.6
1980-1981	0.0	T	2.8	8.0	T	8.6	0.0	19.4
1979-1980	T	0.0	3.5	2.0	2.7	4.6	T	12.8
1978-1979	0.0	2.2	0.5	6.6	20.1	T	T	29.4
1977-1978	0.0	0.2	0.4	20.3	23.0	6.8	T	50.7
1976-1977	0.0	T	5.1	13.0	5.8	0.6	T	24.5
1975-1976	0.0	T	2.3	5.6	5.0	4.4	T	17.3
1974-1975	0.0	0.1	0.1	2.0	10.6	0.3	T	13.1
1973-1974	0.0	0.0	2.8	7.8	9.4	3.2	0.3	23.5
1972-1973	T	T	T	1.8	0.8	0.2	T	2.8
1971-1972	0.0	T	T	2.8	17.8	2.3	T	22.9
1970-1971	0.0	0.0	2.4	11.4	T	1.3	0.4	15.5
1969-1970	0.0	T	6.8	8.4	6.4	4.0	T	25.6

 

Monthly Total Snowfall for ISLIP-LI MACARTHUR AP, NY
Click column heading to sort ascending, click again to sort descending.

Mean	T	0.6	2.1	6.0	7.1	1.0	T	16.8
2024-2025	0.0	0.0	2.1	2.7	6.9	0.0	0.0	11.7
2023-2024	0.0	T	T	3.1	7.8	0.0	0.0	10.9
2022-2023	0.0	0.0	0.4	T	3.0	1.6	0.0	5.0
2021-2022	0.0	T	0.3	31.8	3.3	1.6	0.0	37.0
2020-2021	T	0.0	7.5	1.1	24.9	T	T	33.5
2019-2020	0.0	0.1	4.2	2.5	0.0	T	T	6.8
2018-2019	0.0	4.3	T	0.9	3.5	4.1	T	12.8

 

Monthly Total Snowfall for ISLIP-LI MACARTHUR AP, NY
Click column heading to sort ascending, click again to sort descending.

Mean	T	0.3	3.3	8.8	8.5	3.0	1.0	24.8
1988-1989	0.0	0.0	10.4	4.4	1.2	3.0	T	19.0
1987-1988	0.0	1.1	4.2	10.7	0.1	3.4	0.0	19.5
1986-1987	0.0	T	3.4	8.8	8.6	1.7	0.0	22.5
1985-1986	0.0	T	2.1	2.6	10.4	0.1	T	15.2
1984-1985	0.0	T	4.7	13.5	8.7	T	T	26.9
1983-1984	0.0	T	2.6	11.9	T	13.0	0.0	27.5
1982-1983	0.0	0.0	3.2	1.5	26.1	T	1.1	31.9
1981-1982	0.0	0.0	1.0	18.1	0.3	T	16.0	35.4
1980-1981	0.0	T	0.5	13.2	T	7.1	0.0	20.8
1979-1980	T	0.0	1.5	4.0	1.5	2.0	0.0	9.0
1978-1979	0.0	4.0	T	6.9	17.2	T	T	28.1
1977-1978	0.0	0.8	0.2	27.7	28.9	10.4	T	68.0
1976-1977	0.0	T	6.2	11.2	6.6	4.0	0.0	28.0
1975-1976	0.0	T	11.0	7.8	7.5	3.9	0.0	30.2
1974-1975	0.0	0.5	T	1.8	11.0	1.2	T	14.5
1973-1974	0.0	0.0	T	9.0	17.0	8.0	T	34.0
1972-1973	T	0.0	T	1.5	3.0	T	T	4.5
1971-1972	0.0	T	T	2.1	12.5	1.0	T	15.6
1970-1971	0.0	0.0	2.1	11.3	2.0	1.0	2.5	18.9
1969-1970	0.0	T	12.0	7.0	7.0	1.0	T	27.0

 

 

[EastonSN+]

1 hour ago, North and West said:

Isn’t that a little melodramatic? Not saying you’re wrong, but I think a lot of people would have lost their minds here if they were around for a lot of the 1990s outside of two fun winters.

History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.


.

 

1 hour ago, North and West said:

Isn’t that a little melodramatic? Not saying you’re wrong, but I think a lot of people would have lost their minds here if they were around for a lot of the 1990s outside of two fun winters.

History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.


.

The 80s were considered worse than the 90s depending on point of view. The 90s had more above average snowfall winters (2) compared to the 80s (1), however, the 90s were warmer. 

The 1970s were cold but only 2 above average snowfall winters (one was just 2 inches above average).

Please be cautious when listening to posters writing in definitives. The posters that just give the current facts statistics and seasonal opinions are the most reliable IMO.

There was a reason people always worried about the return of the 1980s (cold dry, warm wet) pattern during the good stretch. Now we are in it. 

[MJO812]

LOL high on top of NYC

[EastonSN+]

1 hour ago, 495weatherguy said:

I agree with this.  You remember the 70’s and 80’s on LI?  I remember cod and dry. Not snow like we got 2000-2018.  1996 was special because it truly was a one off on LI.  
Snow was always going “north and west “.  Countless times predicted snow became cold rain. 
Many different components need to come together in order for it to snow on LI 

1,000%

Also I remember a LOT of warm winter months in the 80s. Some posters make it sound like the 80s were an arctic tundra. 

The 70s were very cold. Just not much snow.

[EastonSN+]

28 minutes ago, Dark Star said:

Snow, in general, is a miracle in the greater NYC metropolitan area...

Yup. 1955 to 1969 and 2000 through 2018 skewed perspective. 

[EastonSN+]

2 minutes ago, MJO812 said:

LOL high on top of NYC

The Delmarva keeps raking.