Best time to visit New York City
The best time to visit New York City is May–June and September, judged on twenty years of weather records and the events worth going for.
New York City, New York, United States
°C
mm
- Average daily high and low
- Precipitation
- Good month
- Best month
- Made good or best by an event
| Month | Average daily high | Average daily low | Precipitation | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 3.8 °C / 39 °F | -2.6 °C / 27 °F | 79 mm / 3.1 in | neither best nor good |
| February | 4.9 °C / 41 °F | -2.4 °C / 28 °F | 85 mm / 3.4 in | neither best nor good |
| March | 9.4 °C / 49 °F | 2.1 °C / 36 °F | 102 mm / 4 in | neither best nor good |
| April | 15.4 °C / 60 °F | 7.9 °C / 46 °F | 95 mm / 3.7 in | good month |
| May | 21 °C / 70 °F | 13.4 °C / 56 °F | 88 mm / 3.5 in | best month |
| June | 25.9 °C / 79 °F | 18.6 °C / 65 °F | 103 mm / 4.1 in | best month |
| July | 29.2 °C / 85 °F | 22.2 °C / 72 °F | 110 mm / 4.3 in | good month |
| August | 27.6 °C / 82 °F | 20.9 °C / 70 °F | 101 mm / 4 in | good month |
| September | 24 °C / 75 °F | 17.2 °C / 63 °F | 88 mm / 3.5 in | best month |
| October | 18.3 °C / 65 °F | 11.2 °C / 52 °F | 102 mm / 4 in | good month |
| November | 11.9 °C / 53 °F | 5 °C / 41 °F | 74 mm / 2.9 in | neither best nor good |
| December | 6.6 °C / 44 °F | 0.6 °C / 33 °F | 106 mm / 4.2 in | neither best nor good |
Good and best months depend on more than temperature, rain and events. How they are chosen
Each activity on this page has its own good and best months, rated on twenty years of daily weather records. Which measures count, and how much, depends on the activity: humidity for exploring outdoors, wind for the beach, hiking and skiing, snow for skiing alone. Between them, the activities are rated on:
- Daytime highs
- Night-time lows
- How warm it feels
- Humidity
- How much of the day is sunny
- Hours of daylight
- Monthly rainfall
- How many days it rains
- Days of heavy rain
- Wind
- Snowfall and days with snow
- Major events, such as festivals
The chart shows the good and best months for exploring outdoors.
The event icon marks a month that an event lifts to good or best, such as a festival or a natural spectacle. Choose “Weather only” in the toolbar to rate the months on weather alone.
Best months by activity
Exploring outdoors
Mild days and nights, mostly dry and bright. The default for 'when should I go'.
- JJanuary: neither
- FFebruary: neither
- MMarch: neither
- AApril: good
- MMay: best
- JJune: best
- JJuly: good
- AAugust: good
- SSeptember: best
- OOctober: good
- NNovember: neither
- DDecember: neither
- Best
- May–June, September
- Good
- April, July–August, October
New York rewards outdoor exploring from late spring to early fall, with May, June and September the standout months and April, July, August and October still solid despite summer heat, humidity and heavier rain; the cold, grey stretch from November through March is best skipped for walking the city.
Why these months
April · good
In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 70%, feels like (high) 12.8 °C / 55 °F, average daily high 15.4 °C / 60 °F, days with heavy rain 3 days, relative humidity 62%, average daily low 7.9 °C / 46 °F.
Against: wet days 10.2 days, precipitation 95 mm / 3.7 in.
Also on: Cherry blossoms.
May · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 20.4 °C / 69 °F, average daily high 21 °C / 70 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 69%, precipitation 88 mm / 3.5 in, days with heavy rain 3.2 days, average daily low 13.4 °C / 56 °F, relative humidity 68%.
Against: wet days 11.3 days.
Also on: Fleet Week, Tony Awards season, Tribeca Film Festival.
Watch out for: Memorial Day travel rush.
June · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 27.2 °C / 81 °F, average daily high 25.9 °C / 79 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 74%, average daily low 18.6 °C / 65 °F, days with heavy rain 3.5 days, relative humidity 69%.
Against: wet days 11.2 days, precipitation 103 mm / 4.1 in.
Also on: Mermaid Parade, Puerto Rican Day Parade, Pride March, SummerStage, Tony Awards season.
Watch out for: Juneteenth, Summer hotel price peak.
July · good
In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 80%.
Against: feels like (high) 32 °C / 90 °F, average daily high 29.2 °C / 85 °F, wet days 12 days, precipitation 110 mm / 4.3 in, days with heavy rain 4 days, relative humidity 70%, share of rain falling in the daytime 46%, time rain usually falls 5 pm, average daily low 22.2 °C / 72 °F.
Also on: Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks, Mermaid Parade, Puerto Rican Day Parade, Pride March, Shakespeare in the Park, SummerStage.
Watch out for: Independence Day closures, Summer hotel price peak.
August · good
In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 79%, average daily high 27.6 °C / 82 °F, days with heavy rain 3 days, average daily low 20.9 °C / 70 °F.
Against: feels like (high) 29.9 °C / 86 °F, wet days 10.8 days, precipitation 101 mm / 4 in, relative humidity 72%, share of rain falling in the daytime 43%, time rain usually falls 5 pm.
Also on: January-February and late-August bargain season, Mermaid Parade, Puerto Rican Day Parade, Pride March, SummerStage, US Open (tennis).
Watch out for: Summer hotel price peak.
September · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 24.9 °C / 77 °F, average daily high 24 °C / 75 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 73%, precipitation 88 mm / 3.5 in, wet days 8.9 days, days with heavy rain 3 days, average daily low 17.2 °C / 63 °F, relative humidity 74%.
Also on: Feast of San Gennaro, US Open (tennis), West Indian American Day Parade.
Watch out for: Labor Day closures.
October · good
In its favour: feels like (high) 16.8 °C / 62 °F, average daily high 18.3 °C / 65 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 70%, wet days 9 days, average daily low 11.2 °C / 52 °F, days with heavy rain 3.4 days, relative humidity 73%.
Against: precipitation 102 mm / 4 in, sunshine per day 7.8 h.
Also on: Fall foliage in city parks, New York Comic Con, New York Film Festival, Open House New York, Village Halloween Parade.
Watch out for: Columbus Day closures.
An activity is listed only where it applies: skiing at ski destinations, beach and swimming at beach destinations. The nearest ski area is Mountain Creek, 66 km away.
Weather averages
Monthly averages over twenty years, 2006–2025. Highs, lows and precipitation are in the chart at the top.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels like (high) | -0.3 °C | 0.8 °C | 5.7 °C | 12.8 °C | 20.4 °C | 27.2 °C | 32 °C | 29.9 °C | 24.9 °C | 16.8 °C | 8.9 °C | 3.1 °C |
| Days with heavy rain | 2.6 days | 3 days | 3.1 days | 3 days | 3.2 days | 3.5 days | 4 days | 3 days | 3 days | 3.4 days | 2.6 days | 3.7 days |
| Time rain usually falls | 4 am | 10 am | 11 pm | 12 pm | 11 am | 2 pm | 5 pm | 5 pm | 5 pm | 2 pm | 11 pm | 10 pm |
| Sunshine per day | 6.7 h | 7.3 h | 8.4 h | 9.3 h | 9.9 h | 11.1 h | 11.8 h | 10.8 h | 9.1 h | 7.8 h | 6.9 h | 5.9 h |
| Relative humidity | 68% | 66% | 62% | 62% | 68% | 69% | 70% | 72% | 74% | 73% | 69% | 71% |
Air quality
Averaged over a shorter period (2022–2025) than the twenty-year averages above, and not counted towards good or best months.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air pollution (PM2.5) 2022–2025 | 13.8 µg/m³ | 14.8 µg/m³ | 11.8 µg/m³ | 13.2 µg/m³ | 14.5 µg/m³ | 19.6 µg/m³ | 19.3 µg/m³ | 15.3 µg/m³ | 13.2 µg/m³ | 12.1 µg/m³ | 11.7 µg/m³ | 13.7 µg/m³ |
| Air pollution (PM2.5, daily peak) 2022–2025 | 28.4 µg/m³ | 28.7 µg/m³ | 22.8 µg/m³ | 22.9 µg/m³ | 26.4 µg/m³ | 33.5 µg/m³ | 32.5 µg/m³ | 26.3 µg/m³ | 24.9 µg/m³ | 21.6 µg/m³ | 23.4 µg/m³ | 25.8 µg/m³ |
- Good 15 µg/m³ or less
- Fair 15 to 25 µg/m³
- Moderate 25 to 37.5 µg/m³
- Poor 37.5 to 50 µg/m³
- Very poor 50 to 75 µg/m³
- Extremely poor over 75 µg/m³
Each figure is compared with the World Health Organization's guideline for a day's air, 15 µg/m³ or less, and with its interim targets above that. The words are ours: the WHO does not name its steps. The figures are modelled monthly averages, so single days can be well above them. The daily peak is the average of each day's highest hour, shaded on the same scale.
Events and seasons
What the weather records cannot show. A major event can lift a month to good or best. The warnings are there to help you plan, and never count against a month.
Reasons to go
- January-February and late-August bargain season
January, February, March and August
- Lunar New Year in Chinatown
January and February, dates vary from year to year
- New York Fashion Week
February
- St Patrick's Day Parade
March
- Cherry blossoms
April
- Tony Awards season
1–10 June, dates vary from year to year
- Tribeca Film Festival
May
- Fleet Week
22–31 May, dates vary from year to year
- Mermaid Parade, Puerto Rican Day Parade, Pride March
June, July and August
- SummerStage
June, July and August
- Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks
4 July
- Shakespeare in the Park
July
- US Open (tennis)
August and September, dates vary from year to year
- West Indian American Day Parade
1–7 September, dates vary from year to year
- Feast of San Gennaro
September
- Fall foliage in city parks
October
- New York Comic Con
October
- Open House New York
October
- New York Film Festival
October
- Village Halloween Parade
31 October
- Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree and holiday lights
November and December
- Fifth Ave holiday window displays
November and December
- New York City Marathon
November
- Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
22–28 November, dates vary from year to year
- Black Friday sales
23–29 November, dates vary from year to year
Worth knowing before you go
- Memorial Day travel rush
25–31 May, dates vary from year to year
- Juneteenth
19 June
- Summer hotel price peak
June, July and August
- Independence Day closures
4 July
- Labor Day closures
1–7 September, dates vary from year to year
- Columbus Day closures
8–14 October, dates vary from year to year
- Veterans Day closures
11 November
- Thanksgiving travel rush and closures
22–30 November, dates vary from year to year
- Holiday season travel crowds
November and December, dates vary from year to year
- Holiday hotel price spike
December
- Christmas Day closures
25 December
World Heritage sites nearby
UNESCO World Heritage sites within 25 km, nearest first.
- Liberty Island
4 km away