Hello, I am thinking about a quick, two-day trip to NYC in mid december. Since I will be sneaking away from work and have to get right back, I would be in real trouble if I could not get home as planned (I live in California). What are the chances of travel delays at this time of year? How frequent are snow storms? Any insights about traveling in NYC at this time of year would be greatly appreciated!
You shouldn't have any problems. It usually doesn't snow until January/February. Any travel delays might be at airports however, so try to get a direct flight.
Year before last, we had snow right around Christmas but it never seems to be much at that time of year..as LadyO says, Jan and Feb are the months to worry about..
But then, one never knows about the weather~
But then, one never knows about the weather~
you can never tell with the wacky weather we have been having but i think you should be ok.JFK is the way to go if you are concerned about airport closings,LGA is always delayed due to weather.
Is this an early April Fools joke? A quick 2-day trip to NYC in mid-December when you must get back right away is a disaster waiting to happen. Even if NYC is mild, your flights could be delayed because of December weather in Chicago and Denver. If you really must be back, I wouldn't risk it.
From October 2005:
"The latest statistics for on-time arrivals at the top U.S. airports confirm what many travelers suspected -- and what delays of as much as five hours earlier this week suggested: By the yardstick of punctuality, New York's three commercial airports are the worst in the country.
John F. Kennedy International and LaGuardia ranked 31st and 32nd out of 33 major airports in on-time arrivals this year through August. Newark Liberty International, 17 miles from Midtown Manhattan, edged out the other two for last place. A third of its arriving flights reached the gate late, according to U.S. Transportation Department figures." (from Bloomberg)
So JFK beats LGA and both beat EWR.
And, yes, it certainly could snow in NYC in December.
"The latest statistics for on-time arrivals at the top U.S. airports confirm what many travelers suspected -- and what delays of as much as five hours earlier this week suggested: By the yardstick of punctuality, New York's three commercial airports are the worst in the country.
John F. Kennedy International and LaGuardia ranked 31st and 32nd out of 33 major airports in on-time arrivals this year through August. Newark Liberty International, 17 miles from Midtown Manhattan, edged out the other two for last place. A third of its arriving flights reached the gate late, according to U.S. Transportation Department figures." (from Bloomberg)
So JFK beats LGA and both beat EWR.
And, yes, it certainly could snow in NYC in December.
Guest
If you book a direct flight you will have better chances. Also, while snow is not that common in mid December in NY (although, as other posters said, NY's weather is very unpredictable...), it's possible to get freezing rain or hail, which would also delay your trip. JFK tends to move better in bad weather; any delays I have personally had there have always been something airline/mechanical related. If it drizzles, planes don't leave LaGuardia, so avoid that airport if you can. So, with some luck, the worst you would experience is some delay but cancellation would be less likely.
Also, some advice, the Air Train from JFK is very convenient if you're staying in Manhattan. You can pay for it with a MetroCard, which you can purchase before you board. The fare is $5; you can add more to your MetroCard so you can use it for the subway to get you all the way to Manhattan ($2) and around (add money according to how much you think you'll use the subway). If you have a lot of luggage, this trip is a pain, because of the subway portion and going up and down stairs and the limited space on the subway cars. But if you can pack light for two days, it's easy and guaranteed to take about 50 minutes (traffic in a taxi is unpredictable; rarely less than 1/2 hour-40 min).
December in Manhattan really is beautiful. Shopping is hectic, but if you stay outside the stores and look at the windows, you'll enjoy it. Don't miss the tree at Rockerfeller Center!
Also, some advice, the Air Train from JFK is very convenient if you're staying in Manhattan. You can pay for it with a MetroCard, which you can purchase before you board. The fare is $5; you can add more to your MetroCard so you can use it for the subway to get you all the way to Manhattan ($2) and around (add money according to how much you think you'll use the subway). If you have a lot of luggage, this trip is a pain, because of the subway portion and going up and down stairs and the limited space on the subway cars. But if you can pack light for two days, it's easy and guaranteed to take about 50 minutes (traffic in a taxi is unpredictable; rarely less than 1/2 hour-40 min).
December in Manhattan really is beautiful. Shopping is hectic, but if you stay outside the stores and look at the windows, you'll enjoy it. Don't miss the tree at Rockerfeller Center!
