Chris Dolce
Winter Storm Orlena has a chance to be the first winter storm to bring New York City a foot or more of snowfall in just over five years.
The last time the Big Apple picked up a foot or more of snowfall in a single winter storm was Jan. 22-24, 2016, when Winter Storm Jonas buried the city under 27.5 inches. That stands as the heaviest snowstorm at the city's official Central Park reporting station in records dating to 1869.
On average, Central Park has seen a foot or more of snow in a single winter storm about once every 4 years. That's a total of 36 such winter storms in the past 151 years, according to statistics compiled by the National Weather Service.
The last storm to make a run at joining the city's list of foot-plus snowstorms was Winter Storm Gail in mid-December 2020. Gail came up just short after it produced 10.5 inches of snow at Central Park.
Snowstorms that have produced 20 or more inches in New York City are even rarer. That's happened at Central Park just seven times since 1869, with four of them occurring this century.
Whether Orlena joins New York City's list of foot-plus snowstorms is still uncertain. It's a possibility as long as the Big Apple sees heavier bands of snowfall from the storm and avoids having the snow mix with or change to sleet or rain for a time.
New York City Snowfall ForecastThe Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
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