*BLOG* January Thaw & Winter's Return

HectorO wrote:

docstox12 wrote:There has been a lot of discussion about the '93-'94 winter being a bad one.

Here is one I lived through and observed, the 1960-1961 winter.

Here is an excerpt from the NY Daily News Weather Almanac:

"The winter season of 1960-61 will long be remembered in the Northeast for the three major snowstorms and record breaking spell of sub freezing weather. Winter weather set in suddenly on Dec.11 with falling temperatures and a raging snowstorm.When the storm ended on the 12th, the Metropolitan area had its greatest early season snowstorm since records began ranging from 17.0" at the Battery to 15.2" at Central Park(LOL CP), while at Newark the depth was 20.4".Cold weather continued through the balance of December with no major snowstorms.

The first two weeks of January were quite pleasant (thaw).The first snowfall of the month was 2" on the 15th-16th, just a preview of what was to follow.On the night of the 18th the temperature fell below freezing and remained there continuously until Feb.4th, a period of 16 consecutive days of sub-feezing weather.This broke the previous record of 15 sub-freezing weather consecutively established in 1881.During this period the temperature was in the teens or lower every morning and on Feb.2nd the mercury sank to -2 degrees, the coldest in the City in 18 years.

Most New Yorkers and suburbanites would have taken this wintry weather in stride if it were not for two severe snowstorms , with intervening smaller snowfalls which occurred during this spell of cold weather.The snowstorm of Jan. 19-20 lefta 10 inch blankety over the City with up to 18 inches in neighboring Westchester.The snowstorm of Feb 3-4 was the severest of the entire winter with depths of 17.4" at Central Park ( Ha Ha CP), 22.6" at newark and 24.0" at NY International Airport at Queens.The Metropolitan area was virtually snowbound on the 4th."

I remember well the Jan.19-20 snowstorm.We were off from school and I was able to watch the Inauguration of President Kennedy, as they just had Washington DC shoveled out in time for the event.

Awesome history, thanks for the read. While I was driving to work in the city yesterday, it was amazing how icy  the Hudson looked after those cold couple of days we had. Some parts have large chunks of snow on top of the ice. Could you imagine if we had a few more days like Tuesday this week? You could have skated across.

Dunnzoo wrote:

docstox12 wrote:

amugs wrote:

docstox12 wrote:

Don't worry, Mugsy, if there isn't an archive here there is one in my brain from those early years.I've got those old weather almanacs plus old Bergen Record newspapers from the early and mid 60's when a blizzard hit.Maybe someday you, me and Dunz can go over them , with a few beers of course,LOL!

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lol doc, pick a date!

Hey, maybe we can meet up with Mugsy at Lou's in Hillsdale! That would be like "Joe Franklin's Memory Lane" for me.Haven't been in that shot and beer joint in 20 years,LOL!