The coldest month in the history of New York City was in February of 1934 with an average temperature of 19.9 degrees Fahrenheit. This lines up with the coldest day in New York City history on February 9, 1934, when it was -15 degrees Fahrenheit.

Deep in winter, January is the coldest month of the year in New York thanks to its continental climate.

Since the amount of sunlight is at its minimum at the winter solstice, which occurs around December 22, you might expect that day to be the coldest of the year, on average. But instead, the coldest time of year in the Northern Hemisphere occurs in February, nearly two months later.

Late Spring is one of the best times to visit the city; however, April and May are two of the rainiest months of the year, both of which typically have around 15 rainy days and accumulate over four inches of precipitation each.