Looking back at last year, you might be surprised to hear that 2023 was the hottest year on record for NYC. We had no 90-degree days in August, and we didn't get our first heat wave until September.

Here's how all the elements came together to make it one for the record books.

The heat was on for New York City in 2023, especially in December, January and February. 

A very warm winter fueled our record heat in 2023. The year started with the warmest January on record. February ranked 3rd and December ranked second. Our weather records in NYC go back to 1869.

These warm winter months made up for a relatively manageable summer.

The hottest day of 2023 was 93 degrees. The coldest was 3 degrees.

We'll look at rain and snow next. Both categories also set records. 

2023 was a very wet year, but it didn't rank in the top 10 for precipitation. Overall, we saw nearly 6 feet of rainfall over the 12 months.

A lot of it came on weekends. Just over 70% of our weekend days in 2023 had some rain.

September was the soggiest month, with 14 inches of rain. That's about three months' worth. There was severe flooding in Brooklyn and the Bronx that month. 

Given the winter warmth in 2023, it's likely not surprising to discover that we set a record for lack of snow.

Total snowfall in 2023 was just over two inches. That's not even enough for a snowball and certainly not enough for a snowman.

It's the least recorded in 154 years for New York City. 

Record warmth for New York City, like around our planet, is becoming more common.

Since 2000, we've ranked in the top 10 hottest 10 times.

The last time we had a year rank in the top 10 coldest was in 1926. 

Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.