At a glance
When is the best time to visit New York?
Late spring and early autumn. From May to June and from September to October, Central Park averages daytime highs between 18 °C and 27 °C, with no snow and few very hot days. Winter is cold, with snow most likely from December to March; July and August are hot.
New York has four clear seasons, and the official record shows how wide the swing is. On NOAA's 1991–2020 normals for Central Park, the average high runs from 4.2 °C in January to 29.4 °C in July, and the average low from −2.3 °C to 21.2 °C[1]. Precipitation is spread evenly through the year, at 81–117 mm a month, so the choice is about temperature, snow and storms rather than a dry season[1].
The city draws visitors all year: NYC Tourism + Conventions counted 65 million visitors in 2025, 12.5 million of them from abroad, and average hotel occupancy of 84.2%[8]. It publishes annual totals rather than monthly ones, so we use the calendar of school recesses and big events below to judge the busy weeks.
How warm, wet and snowy is New York each month?
Central Park averages a high of 4.2 °C in January and 29.4 °C in July. Precipitation is 81–117 mm a month all year. Snow is possible from late autumn to April, most of it in January and February, and July averages more than seven days of 32 °C (90 °F) or more.
New York, Central Park: monthly normals, 1991–2020
| Month | High / low (°C) | Precipitation | Wet days | Snowfall | Days of 32 °C or more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 4.2 / −2.3 | 92.5 mm | 6.3 | 22.4 cm | 0 |
| February | 5.7 / −1.4 | 81.0 mm | 6.0 | 25.7 cm | 0 |
| March | 9.9 / 2.1 | 109.0 mm | 7.5 | 12.7 cm | 0 |
| April | 16.6 / 7.5 | 103.9 mm | 6.5 | 1.0 cm | 0.2 |
| May | 21.9 / 12.8 | 100.6 mm | 7.3 | 0 | 1.0 |
| June | 26.5 / 18.0 | 115.3 mm | 7.0 | 0 | 2.8 |
| July | 29.4 / 21.2 | 116.8 mm | 6.9 | 0 | 7.4 |
| August | 28.5 / 20.5 | 115.8 mm | 6.5 | 0 | 4.9 |
| September | 24.6 / 16.8 | 109.5 mm | 6.2 | 0 | 1.1 |
| October | 18.1 / 10.8 | 111.3 mm | 5.6 | 0.3 cm | 0 |
| November | 12.2 / 5.6 | 90.9 mm | 5.7 | 1.3 cm | 0 |
| December | 6.8 / 1.0 | 111.3 mm | 7.3 | 12.4 cm | 0 |
NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020, New York Central Park[1]. NOAA publishes °F and inches; we converted to °C, mm and cm and rounded. Wet days are days with at least 0.10 in (2.5 mm) of precipitation; days of 32 °C or more are NOAA's days of 90 °F or more.
Winter nights are the hard part for a traveller from the Gulf: Central Park averages 20.5 nights at or below freezing in January, 17.7 in February and 13.8 in December[1]. Snow averages 75.7 cm over the year, with February the snowiest month[1].
In summer the concern is heat. The city averages 17.4 days a year of 32 °C or more, 7.4 of them in July[1]. The National Weather Service's New York office defines a heat wave as three or more days in a row at that level; the longest in Central Park's record lasted 12 days, from 24 August to 4 September 1953[2].
When is hurricane season, and does it matter for New York?
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from 1 June to 30 November. The National Hurricane Center puts its peak around 10 September, with most activity from mid-August to mid-October. Its 1991–2020 average is 14 named storms, 7 hurricanes and 3 major hurricanes a season, across the whole Atlantic basin.
Those averages are for the whole Atlantic basin[3], not for New York alone. But the peak of the season overlaps late summer and early autumn, so for trips from mid-August to mid-October it is worth watching the forecasts and choosing bookings and insurance that allow a change of dates.
Forecasts and warnings
The National Hurricane Center issues forecasts for tropical storms and hurricanes, and the National Weather Service issues local warnings. Check both in the days before you fly.
What is on, and when are the city's school holidays?
The 100th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is on Thursday 26 November 2026. New York City's public schools close for Thanksgiving on 26–27 November, for winter recess from 24 December to 1 January, for midwinter recess from 15 to 19 February and for spring recess from 22 to 30 April 2027.
New York City public school recesses, 2026–27
| Recess | Dates |
|---|---|
| Thanksgiving | Thursday 26 – Friday 27 November 2026 |
| Winter | Thursday 24 December 2026 – Friday 1 January 2027 |
| Midwinter | Monday 15 – Friday 19 February 2027 |
| Spring | Thursday 22 – Friday 30 April 2027 |
| Summer | After Monday 28 June 2027, the last day of school |
NYC Public Schools calendar for 3-K to grade 12[6]. Private, parochial and charter schools set their own dates, and schools elsewhere in the United States follow their own calendars.
Macy's says the 100th parade will be broadcast from 08:30 New York time (17:30 in the UAE) on Thursday 26 November 2026[7]. City schools also close on Monday 12 October (Italian Heritage/Indigenous Peoples' Day) and Wednesday 11 November (Veterans Day) 2026[6].
How do the UAE school holidays line up with New York?
They line up well in October and April, less so in winter and summer. The October mid-term, 12 to 18 October 2026, and spring break, 5 to 11 April 2027, fall in mild weather. Winter break brings cold weather, and summer holidays meet the heat and the approach of the hurricane peak.
UAE school breaks in 2026–27, and New York at the same time
| UAE break | Dates | In New York |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-term | 12–18 October 2026 | Average high 18.1 °C; 12 October is a school holiday in New York |
| Winter | 14 December 2026 – 3 January 2027 | Average high 6.8 °C in December; city schools on winter recess from 24 December |
| Spring | 5–11 April 2027 | Average high 16.6 °C; city schools in session (their spring recess is 22–30 April) |
| Summer | From 3 July 2027 (school ends on 2 July) | Average highs of 28–29 °C; hurricane season under way, peaking in September |
UAE dates from the Ministry of Education's calendar for schools that follow it[10]; check your own school's dates. New York: NOAA normals[1], school calendar[6] and hurricane climatology[3].
New York keeps Eastern Standard Time, five hours behind UTC, in winter and Eastern Daylight Time, four hours behind, in summer[5]. Daylight saving runs from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November: in 2026, from 8 March to 1 November[4]. With the UAE four hours ahead of GMT all year[9], New York is nine hours behind the UAE in winter and eight hours behind in summer.
Entry requirements for the United States depend on your passport, and we do not restate them. The US Embassy and Consulate in the UAE keeps a visas page, and our visa desk can check your case.
Questions travellers ask
What is the best month to visit New York?
For mild weather, May, June, September or October: average highs of 21.9 °C, 26.5 °C, 24.6 °C and 18.1 °C in Central Park, with no snow[1]. September and October are inside the hurricane season, whose peak is around 10 September[3].
How cold is New York at Christmas and New Year?
December averages a high of 6.8 °C and a low of 1.0 °C, and January 4.2 °C and −2.3 °C, at Central Park[1]. Snow is possible: December averages 12.4 cm and January 22.4 cm.
When does it snow in New York?
Mostly from December to March. February is the snowiest month, with 25.7 cm on average, and the yearly average is 75.7 cm[1].
When do the clocks change in New York?
Daylight saving time starts on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November; in 2026 it ends on 1 November[4]. New York is then nine hours behind the UAE until the clocks go forward again[5][9].
Do I need a visa to visit New York?
It depends on your passport, and we do not restate visa rules. See the US Embassy in the UAE's visas page, or ask our visa desk.
Sources
The desk opened each source on the date shown. Rules, fees and timetables change: check the official source before you travel.
- [1]U.S. Climate Normals 2020: Monthly (1991-2020), NEW YORK CNTRL PK TWR, NY US (USW00094728) — NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Accessed 25 September 2026
- [2]Longest Heat Waves – Consecutive 90 Degrees + Days (1869 to Present) — National Weather Service, New York, NY. Accessed 25 September 2026
- [3]Tropical Cyclone Climatology — NOAA National Hurricane Center. Accessed 25 September 2026
- [4]Daylight Saving Time (DST) — National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Accessed 25 September 2026
- [5]How is UTC(NIST) related to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) International Atomic Time (TAI), Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), USNO time, GPS time and Zulu time? — National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Accessed 25 September 2026
- [6]2026-2027 School Year Calendar — New York City Public Schools. Accessed 25 September 2026
- [7]Macy's Kicks Off the 100-Day Countdown to the 100th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade — Macy's, Inc.. Accessed 25 September 2026
- [8]New York City Tourism + Conventions 2025 visitation surpasses forecast (24 March 2026) — New York City Tourism + Conventions. Accessed 25 September 2026
- [9]Fact sheet — The UAE Government portal (u.ae). Accessed 25 September 2026
- [10]MOE announces the academic calendar for the next three years — UAE Ministry of Education. Accessed 25 September 2026
- [11]Visas — U.S. Embassy and Consulate in the United Arab Emirates. Accessed 25 September 2026
Published 25 September 2026 · Updated 29 September 2026
Seen something wrong or out of date? Write to trade@nwp.ae and the desk will check it against the source.
