Looking Back at New York's Weather: August 17
1920 (Tuesday)
Today had the last low in the 70s of the year, just nine days after the first 70-degree low was recorded - the shortest span on record between first and last. During this brief span, eight of the nine days had lows in the 70s.
1943 (Tuesday)
Today was the end of a 41-day streak of highs of 80° or warmer. The average high during this nearly six-week period was 87.4° (compared to the average high of 84°); fourteen days had highs in the 90s. At the time, this was the longest such streak on record, passing one of 37 days set in 1917. However, this streak would be surpassed one year later. (And that streak would hold sway for 71 years.)
1944 (Thursday)
Today was the last day of an eight-day "super" heat wave, in which every day had a high temperature of 95° or hotter. The average high during these days was 97°. Today's high of 95° was a record (later tied in 2015), as were three other days during the heat wave (including 8/11's high of 102°).
1974 (Saturday)
2.86" of rain fell between 3-8 PM, a record for the date, accounting for half of the month's total rainfall. Nearly half of today's rain fell between 6-7 PM (1.29").
1979 (Friday)
At a chilly 56°, this morning's low was a record for the date. Today was also the seventh day in a row with cooler than average temperatures.
1984 (Friday)
This morning's low of 69° was the first time this month that the low fell below 70°. During these days, lows averaged 73°, four degrees above average.
1987 (Monday)
The day's high reached 94°, eleven degrees hotter than a typical mid-August day. This high would be replicated tomorrow, and it would be the last day in the 90s of the year (there were 22 in total).
1988 (Wednesday)
The 0.14" of rain that fell today was the first rainfall this month. Today was also the 24th day in a row with a high temperature of 85° or warmer, the longest such streak in the 1970-2021 period (later tied in 1995).
1992 (Monday)
0.62" of rain poured down in an hour (11:24 PM-12:24 AM), and 0.92" fell in a two-hour period (10:42 PM-12:42 AM). Total rainfall for the day was 1.52". Not only was it damp, but cool, as the day's high temperature was just 68°, fifteen degrees below average. This was the third day in a row in which the high and low were stuck in the 60s, just the fifth (and last time) this has happened (through 2021).
1993 (Tuesday)
3.20" of rain fell in a 12-hour period that began yesterday evening. What fell from this storm was comparable to the amount that fell in all of June and July.
1994 (Wednesday)
For the third year in a row an inch or more of rain fell on this date, the only time this has occurred. Today's rainfall totaled 1.00".
1997 (Sunday)
Today, with a high of 93°, was the last 90-degree day of the year. In total, a dozen days reached 90° or higher, well below the average of eighteen.
1998 (Monday)
The 2.38" of rain that fell today accounted for almost all of the rain that fell this month (2.78"). 1.49" of it fell in just two hours, between 2-4 PM. This was also the fourth year out of the past seven in which an inch or more of rain fell on this date.
2009 (Monday)
Today's high/low of 92°/75°, nine degrees above average, made this the hottest day of a cool summer.