New York City

Orientation

At the center of New York City is the borough of Manhattan, a long, narrow island nestled in a natural harbor. It is separated from The Bronx on the north east by the Harlem River actually a tidal strait; from Queens and Brooklyn to the east and south by the East River also a tidal strait; and from the State of New Jersey to the west and north by the Hudson River. Staten Island lies to the south west, across Upper New York Bay.

In Manhattan, the terms “uptown” and “north” mean northeast, while “downtown” and “south” mean to the southwest. To avoid confusion, simply use “uptown” and “downtown.” Street numbers continue from Manhattan into the Bronx, and the street numbers rise as one moves farther north however, in the Bronx, there is no simple numerical grid, so there may be 7 blocks between 167 St. and 170 St., for example. Avenues run north and south. In Brooklyn the opposite is true, as street numbers rise as one moves south. Queens streets are laid out in a perpendicular grid - street numbers rise as one moves toward the east, and avenues run east and west. Staten Island has no street numbers at all.

The term “the city” may refer either to New York City as a whole, or to the borough of Manhattan alone, depending on the context. The other boroughs, which are Brooklyn, The Bronx, Staten Island, and Queens, are sometimes referred to as “the outer boroughs.”

Climate

Climate	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Daily highs °F	38	41	50	61	71	79	84	82	75	64	53	43
Nightly lows °F	26	28	35	44	54	63	69	68	60	50	41	32
Precipitation in	4.1	3.1	4.4	4.3	4.7	3.8	4.6	4.2	4.2	3.8	4.4	3.9
Check New York's 7 day forecast at NOAA

New York City has a humid continental climate and experiences all four seasons, with hot and humid summers Jun-Sept, cool and dry autumns Sep-Dec, cold winters Dec-Mar, and wet springs Mar-Jun. Average highs for January are around 38°F 3°C and average highs for July are about 84°F 29°C. However, temperatures in the winter can go down to as low as 0°F -18°C and in the summer, temperatures can go as high as 100°F 38°C or slightly higher. The temperature in any season is quite variable and it is not unusual to have a sunny 60°F 16°C day in January followed by a snowy 25°F -3°C day. New York can also be prone to snowstorms and nor'easters large storms similar to a tropical storm, which can dump as much as 2 feet 60 cm of snow in 24-48 hours. However snow rarely lies more than a few days. Tropical storms can also hit New York City in the summer and early fall.