Heavy Rain in New York, December 1 to 2, 1996

Name: Heavy Rain in New York, December 1 to 2, 1996
Start: 1996-12-01T00:00
End: 1996-12-02T08:00
Location: New York

December 1 to 2, 1996 · NWS OKX · 9 events in 9 counties and zones

A low pressure system over the Ohio Valley early Sunday morning on December 1st, intensified as it moved northeast across Eastern Canada during early Monday morning. Thunderstorms formed in the moist unstable airmass ahead of the cold front.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 9 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 9

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS OKX wrote it up.

A low pressure system over the Ohio Valley early Sunday morning on December 1st, intensified as it moved northeast across Eastern Canada during early Monday morning. A strong cold front that extended southwest from this low, swept across the local region early Monday morning.Thunderstorms formed in the moist unstable airmass ahead of the cold front. These storms produced torrential rainfall that caused widespread small stream, street and poor drainage flooding.Occasional rain began across the region during Saturday afternoon, November 30th.Here are selected rainfall event totals for:New York City: from 1.53 inches at JFK Airport to 2.43 inches at Jamaica Estates.Nassau County: 1.75 inches at Levittown.Suffolk County: from 0.89 inches at East Quogue to 2.15 inches at Mt. Sinai.Westchester County: from 1.59 inches at Ossining to 2.06 inches at Westchester County Airport.Orange County: from 1.25 inches at Walden to 2.48 inches at Sterling Forest.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

9 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Rain, Bronx

When: December 1, 12:00 AM EST to December 2, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Bronx County, Countywide
Coordinates: 40.827, -73.924 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Kings

When: December 1, 12:00 AM EST to December 2, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Kings County, Countywide
Coordinates: 40.634, -73.950 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Nassau

When: December 1, 12:00 AM EST to December 2, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Nassau County, Countywide
Coordinates: 40.732, -73.585 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, New York

When: December 1, 12:00 AM EST to December 2, 8:00 AM EST
Where: New York County, Countywide
Coordinates: 40.774, -73.970 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Orange

When: December 1, 12:00 AM EST to December 2, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Orange County, Countywide
Coordinates: 41.402, -74.306 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Putnam

When: December 1, 12:00 AM EST to December 2, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Putnam County, Countywide
Coordinates: 41.427, -73.749 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Queens

When: December 1, 12:00 AM EST to December 2, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Queens County, Countywide
Coordinates: 40.658, -73.839 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Richmond

When: December 1, 12:00 AM EST to December 2, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Richmond County, Countywide
Coordinates: 40.583, -74.150 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Westchester

When: December 1, 12:00 AM EST to December 2, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Westchester County, Countywide
Coordinates: 41.152, -73.753 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heavy Rain: Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in New York in 1996 Every state in 1996 This day in weather history Warnings in New York, December 1996

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5582409, 5582410, 5582411, 5582412, 5582413, 5582414, 5582415, 5582416, 5582417.