It finally snowed.
New York City made history Wednesday morning, for the latest-arriving snowfall of the season. The National Weather Service recorded 0.4 inches of snow in Central Park by 5:30 a.m. – the latest arriving snowfall since record-keeping began in 1869.
Measurable snowfall is defined as at least one tenth of an inch.
“The wait is over,” the National Weather Service New York declared in a tweet.
The National Weather Service cautioned commuters that roads and surfaces could be slippery through the early afternoon, when temperatures are likely to rise above freezing.
The snow arrives ahead of a cold snap. By Friday, temperatures in the five boroughs are expected to drop to the single digits. Officials warn that with blustery winds, it could feel as low as 20 degrees below zero.
The dusting ended a historic 328-day streak with no measurable snowfall in Manhattan, the second longest snow-drought since the 1860’s, according to the National Weather Service.
The National Weather Service said the lack of snow this season has been due to warmer January temperatures, which have measured more like mid-March than January, according to meteorologist Dominic Ramunni.
Across the globe on average, winters have been warming for the past several decades, a phenomenon attributed to global warming.
This story has been corrected to reflect that record-keeping began in 1869.
