With its 18.9 million inhabitants, New York remains one of the top metropolises in the world. Very popular with travellers and tourists all year round. Whether Manhattan, Brooklyn or Long Island. The city offers something for everyone.
But when is the best time to visit New York? Here I have summarised my experiences of my previous New York trips.
Our experience
Our past New York trips were in March, June, August and October. I can't advise visiting New York in August. It is just hot. June and October were ideal. In March we were really lucky: no snow, lots of sun and pleasant cold days.
What is the climate like in New York?
The city is in the temperate climate zone on the same latitude as Naples, but this has nothing to do with the climate. The climate in New York is extreme in every respect: tropically hot in summer and acutely cold in winter.
Tip: My highlights and sights for New York and the best travel guides for New York tested by me.
New York is in the temperate climate zone and lies on the same latitude as Naples. Nevertheless, the climate of the two cities is different, because in Europe it is always warmer in winter due to the Gulf Stream.
Summer in New York is tropically warm and humid (over 40 °C) with highs in July. The winters, on the other hand, are quite frosty, with lows of -20°C. There is always snow and you have to deal with ice. There is always snow and you can expect ice.
Between July and August, temperatures often rise to 40° C, which often feels much warmer. Humidity is relatively high. In addition, there is often smog and an oppressive heat. Heavy rainfall and thunderstorms make the weather quite unpleasant in summer.
According to climate tables, it rains most in March and April. My experience: I was in New York in March for a week in New York and it didn 't rain a single day. If you want to be on the safe side, I advise you to go to New York in May or June. It rains less then. The least rainfall is from August to December. That's also when most tourists are in New York.
You get the most sunshine in June, July and August. However, travelling in these months can be very difficult if your body doesn't cope well with extreme heat and high humidity.
If you travel to New York in winter, you can skate around Rockefeller Center or Central Park:
The ice rink right in front of Rockefeller is world famous.
In winter, temperatures drop below -20°C, especially in January. Even though it is often sunny, there is often an icy wind and it snows very often. When the northeast wind from the Atlantic Ocean brings heavy rain and snow, it often snows over 1 metre in a very short time.
Snowstorms are not uncommon at this time of year. Then there is a state of emergency and traffic chaos that few people can enjoy.
Hurricanes and tornadoes like those on the southern east coast of Florida are very rare in New York. The number of rainy days is constant in all months and fluctuates minimally. That's why, for me, there is no bad time of year to travel to New York.
New skyline since 2015: The One World Trade Center is finished and the tallest building in New York City. Best time to visit: Sightseeing in New York
In my opinion, the best time to travel to New York is between April to June and September to October. The temperatures are pleasant, the days are long and you can experience many tours and activities outside without having to freeze or sweat.
My first visit to New York was in March. The sun was shining all the time. We found the warming rays of the sun very pleasant. However, we were very cold on our bike tour in Central Park and on the boat tour around Manhattan. The wind is simply freezing.
I would advise you not to visit in July and August. I was once in the city in high summer. The temperatures were around 35° - 40° C at that time. The heat was really intense between the skyscrapers and every metre on foot was torture.
In October, the weather in New York is very changeable. It can be anything from hot summer temperatures around 30 degrees to constant rain and cool weather. We had hot temperatures, but friends had 1 days after our departure.
Brooklyn Bridge as seen from a boat during a boat tour around Manhattan