The sea temperature at New York today is 15.7 °C (60 °F) – icy water, most people reach for a wetsuit. The usual October average is 18.2 °C. The forecast for the next 3 days is around 15.7 °C. Over the last 30 days the sea has cooled from 18.2 °C to 15.7 °C. Swimmable from June to October, when the sea averages 18 °C or more. Source: Sea Temp Map (seatempmap.com) – NASA MUR satellite data and the Copernicus Marine sea forecast.
| Month | Min | Avg | Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6.6°C / 43.8°F | 6.9°C / 44.4°F | 7.4°C / 45.3°F |
| February | 4.0°C / 39.2°F | 5.0°C / 40.9°F | 6.3°C / 43.3°F |
| March | 5.6°C / 42.1°F | 6.1°C / 43.0°F | 6.7°C / 44.1°F |
| April | 8.1°C / 46.6°F | 8.7°C / 47.7°F | 9.6°C / 49.3°F |
| May | 12.8°C / 55.1°F | 13.3°C / 56.0°F | 14.1°C / 57.3°F |
| June | 18.2°C / 64.7°F | 18.6°C / 65.5°F | 19.1°C / 66.4°F |
| July | 22.3°C / 72.1°F | 23.1°C / 73.6°F | 23.9°C / 75.1°F |
| August | 22.6°C / 72.6°F | 23.1°C / 73.6°F | 23.7°C / 74.6°F |
| September | 21.2°C / 70.2°F | 21.7°C / 71.1°F | 22.4°C / 72.3°F |
| October | 17.2°C / 62.9°F | 18.2°C / 64.7°F | 19.3°C / 66.8°F |
| November | 13.5°C / 56.3°F | 14.2°C / 57.6°F | 14.7°C / 58.5°F |
| December | 8.9°C / 48.1°F | 9.8°C / 49.6°F | 10.5°C / 51.0°F |
| Month | Min | Avg | Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0.0°C / 32.0°F | 1.2°C / 34.2°F | 3.3°C / 37.9°F |
| February | 0.3°C / 32.5°F | 1.9°C / 35.5°F | 4.6°C / 40.3°F |
| March | 4.4°C / 40.0°F | 6.9°C / 44.3°F | 10.0°C / 50.0°F |
| April | 9.1°C / 48.4°F | 11.9°C / 53.5°F | 14.9°C / 58.9°F |
| May | 13.7°C / 56.6°F | 17.0°C / 62.6°F | 20.3°C / 68.5°F |
| June | 19.0°C / 66.2°F | 22.3°C / 72.2°F | 25.5°C / 77.9°F |
| July | 22.9°C / 73.2°F | 25.9°C / 78.6°F | 28.9°C / 84.1°F |
| August | 21.3°C / 70.4°F | 24.1°C / 75.4°F | 27.2°C / 81.0°F |
| September | 18.0°C / 64.5°F | 20.6°C / 69.1°F | 23.7°C / 74.7°F |
| October | 12.6°C / 54.6°F | 15.0°C / 59.0°F | 18.3°C / 65.0°F |
| November | 6.8°C / 44.2°F | 8.7°C / 47.7°F | 11.6°C / 52.9°F |
| December | 2.3°C / 36.1°F | 3.6°C / 38.4°F | 5.8°C / 42.5°F |
5-year averages (2021–2025). Min/Max are typical daily lows and highs, not record extremes. (Copernicus ERA5)
New York holidays
New York City spreads across five boroughs around New York Harbor, where the Hudson River meets the sea. Beyond the skyline of Manhattan, the city has Atlantic beaches in Brooklyn and Queens and a beach on Long Island Sound in the Bronx, all reachable by subway, bus or ferry.
Beaches
New York City's public beaches have lifeguards from the Memorial Day weekend in late May to Labor Day in early September, and swimming is allowed only when they are on duty. Coney Island and Brighton Beach in Brooklyn are linked by a long boardwalk; Coney Island has amusement rides and the New York Aquarium, and both are reached by subway. Rockaway Beach in Queens has surfing areas and is reached by the A train or by ferry from Wall Street. Orchard Beach is the Bronx's calmer beach on Long Island Sound, and Jones Beach State Park lies east of the city on Long Island. The sea temperature on this page is measured in Upper New York Bay by Liberty Island, harbour water rather than an ocean beach.
Things to do
Ferries from Battery Park go to the Statue of Liberty and the immigration museum on Ellis Island, and the free Staten Island Ferry passes the statue as well. Central Park, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and MoMA fill days in Manhattan, and the High Line, an old elevated railway turned park, leads to Chelsea Market and Little Island on the Hudson. The walk across the Brooklyn Bridge continues to nearby DUMBO and Brooklyn Bridge Park, and observation decks such as Top of the Rock and the Empire State Building look over the whole city.
Weather and best time to visit
The sea at New York warms fastest from May to June, by about 5 °C (10 °F) in one month.
New York has four clear seasons. Summers are hot and humid with thunderstorms, winters are cold with occasional snow, and spring and autumn are the most comfortable for walking. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June to November, and tropical storms occasionally reach the city.
Hotels and where to stay
Midtown Manhattan, around Times Square and Fifth Avenue, puts first-time visitors close to the main sights. Lower Manhattan, the West Village and Brooklyn feel more like neighbourhoods, and for a beach stay, Rockaway has hotels a few steps from the sand.
Signature hotels: The Plaza, A Fairmont Hotel (Fifth Avenue) · The Standard, High Line New York (Meatpacking District) · The Rockaway Hotel (Rockaway Park)
Airport and getting there
New York has three main airports: JFK in Queens, LaGuardia (LGA), also in Queens, and Newark Liberty (EWR) in New Jersey. The AirTrain links JFK with the subway and the Long Island Rail Road, and Newark with trains to Penn Station. Amtrak trains arrive at Penn Station, and the subway runs 24 hours a day.