Climate

Late spring, early summer, and early fall are the best times to visit New York City and much of upstate. Temperatures then generally hover in the 70s, and you’re more likely to wake up to one of the state’s precious cloudless days. Midsummers in New York City and much of upstate tend to be hot and humid; winters are overcast, wet, and cold. In contrast, summer is the best time to visit the more highly elevated regions of the Catskills and Adirondacks.

Average July temperatures range from 77°F in New York City to 64°F in the Adirondacks; average January temperatures range from 33°F on Long Island to 14°F in the Adirondacks. The coldest winters occur in the central Adirondacks and St. Lawrence River Valley, where temperatures often drop below -10°F.

Annual precipitation is 32–45 inches annually, with the Catskills, Long Island, and Tug Hill (upstate, between Lake Ontario and the Adirondacks) receiving the most. New York City averages about 100 inches, Syracuse and Buffalo 72 inches, and Albany 73 inches.

Flora and Fauna

Over half of New York State is blanketed with forests, in which grow over 150 kinds of trees. Among them are a few southern species such as the tulip tree and sweetgum, and far more northern species such as beech, sugar maple, red maple, hickory, ash, cherry, birch, various oaks, white pine, spruce, balsam fir, and hemlock. In the Adirondacks and Catskills, evergreens predominate, while elsewhere in the state, hardwoods are more numerous.

Among the state’s most common wildflowers are buttercups, violets, daisies, black-eyed Susans, devil’s paintbrush, wild roses, and Queen Anne’s lace. Bright specks of alpine flora can be found high on the Adirondack peaks, while woodland flora such as dewdrops and Jack-in-the-pulpits flourish in the forests. Hundreds of species of shrubs, herbs, grasses, ferns, mosses, and lichens also abound throughout the state.

Birdlife in New York runs the gamut from pigeons and common house sparrows—first introduced in North America from Europe in Brooklyn in 1850—to grouse and osprey. Raptors, including bald eagles and peregrine falcons, are making a comeback, while during the migrating season, hundreds of thousands of wild ducks and geese pass through the state.

In New York’s fresh waters swim more than 90 species of fish, including perch, trout, salmon, walleye, northern pike, and small- and large-mouth bass. Saltwater fish such as bluefish and flounder inhabit the waters off New York City and Long Island, also known for its oysters and clams.

As for mammals, the smaller varieties predominate. Among them are raccoon, skunk, porcupine, weasel, fox, woodchuck, squirrel, and opossum. The most common larger species is the white-tailed deer, but beaver, black bear, and wildcats can be found in remote areas. Recently reintroduced into the Adirondacks are the elusive moose and lynx.

Environmental Issues

As elsewhere in the East, New York’s great outdoors has been badly affected by environmental contamination. The Adirondacks and Catskills suffer from acid rain, the Great Lakes from chemical pollution. Oil spills intermittently blight New York’s Atlantic coast, thanks to oil refineries in nearby New Jersey, and solid-waste management is a problem in some areas around New York City.

On a brighter note, most of New York’s rivers flow significantly cleaner today than they did 30 years ago. Back then, the Hudson, St. Lawrence, and Niagara Rivers were heavily polluted with PCBs, petrochemicals, and pesticides. The Clean Water Act of 1972, along with other state laws, has helped to greatly reduce this pollution. Much work remains to be done, but a solid start has been made.

© Avalon Travel and Sascha Zuger from Moon New York State, 5th Edition