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New York has Been Reclassified as Subtropical
As the East Coast warms, a Humid Subtropical Zone has engulfed the city, putting it in the same climatic league as the Deep South.
Say goodbye to humid continental zone classification and say hello to humid subtropical zone: In case you hadn't felt it yet, New York City is officially HOT.
As the New York Times reports, climate change has dramatically shifted weather patterns along the East Coast over the past five years, with temperature averages officially putting NYC squarely in this new, steamy classification.
With summers now averaging above 22.2 degrees Celsius (72° Fahrenheit) and winters mostly staying above -2 degrees Celsius (27° F), climate experts say the Big Apple now has more in common with Atlanta than it does with Boston.
As for ecological evidence, the proof is also in the plants. Local botanists are now finding species that normally thrive in the South such as camellias, fig, and magnolia are absolutely blooming in the city's parks, while vegetation associated with a New England climate are steadily withdrawing and moving northward.
Hardy tropicals such as palms, cactuses, and yuccas can survive outdoors in the city for most of the year now, a phenomena L.A.-obsessed club promoters have already been taking advantage of for years.
While it's not Miami, New York's reputation as a frigid northern city may soon start to thaw. What we will do in this new subtropical urban oasis?
Read more on The New York Times.