Season guide · New York City · United States

New York City in spring

March–May: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.

Updated 23 October 2026By the AMZBooking editorial team

Quick answer

Cold snaps give way to blossom in the parks and mild walking weather by May, with frequent showers and rising hotel prices. Expect highs up to 22°C (72°F) and lows around 2°C (36°F), with about 33 rainy days across March–May. April–May are among the best months of the year to visit.

Months: March–May
Temperatures: 2°C (36°F) to 22°C (72°F)
Rainy days in the season: About 33
Sea: 5°C (41°F) to 12°C (54°F)
Crowds: Busy
Hotel prices: High

Weather in spring

New York City in spring: month by month
Month	High	Low	Rainy days	Daylight	Crowds
March	10°C (50°F)	2°C (36°F)	11	11.8 h	3/5
April	17°C (63°F)	8°C (46°F)	11	13.2 h	4/5
May	22°C (72°F)	13°C (55°F)	11	14.4 h	4/5

Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 16°C (61°F) against a yearly 17°C (63°F), and 33 of the year's roughly 124 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 4/5 and hotel prices 4/5 on average.

What's on in spring

Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.

March: St Patrick's Day Parade on Fifth Avenue (17 March)
April: Cherry blossom at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (usually April)
April: Easter Parade and Bonnet Festival on Fifth Avenue (Easter Sunday)
May: Five Boro Bike Tour (usually early May)
May: Fleet Week (usually the week before Memorial Day, late May)

Good choices for spring

Museum · Upper East Side

Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met's collection spans 5,000 years, from the Egyptian Temple of Dendur in its glass-walled hall to European paintings by Vermeer, Rembrandt and Van Gogh, arms and armour and the American Wing.

Time needed: 3–4 hours
Cost: Mid-priced

Iconic
Art
History
Rainy day

Historic site · Financial District

9/11 Memorial and Museum

Visit the free memorial pools first, then allow two hours for the museum, which is emotionally intense.

Time needed: 2–3 hours
Cost: Mid-priced

History
Iconic
Rainy day

Gallery · Midtown

Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)

MoMA on 53rd Street holds Van Gogh's The Starry Night, Picasso's Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, Monet's Water Lilies, Warhol's Campbell's Soup Cans and works by Frida Kahlo, alongside design, film and photography.

Time needed: 2–3 hours
Cost: Mid-priced

Art
Iconic
Rainy day

Museum · Upper West Side

American Museum of Natural History

Arrive at opening and head straight to the fourth-floor dinosaur halls, which are busiest by late morning.

Time needed: 3 hours
Cost: Mid-priced

Kids
Rainy day
Nature
Iconic

Architecture · Midtown

Grand Central Terminal

Completed in 1913, Grand Central's Beaux-Arts Main Concourse has a turquoise ceiling painted with constellations, a four-faced clock above the information booth and huge arched windows.

Time needed: 30–45 minutes
Cost: Free

Free
Architecture
History
Rainy day

Day trips in spring

Beacon and Dia Beacon (About 1 hour 30 minutes by train) — Dia Beacon, in a former Nabisco box-printing factory on the Hudson, displays large-scale minimalist and conceptual art by Richard Serra, Donald Judd and others.
Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown (About 45 minutes by train) — The villages that inspired Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow have the Old Dutch Church and its burying ground, the Philipsburg Manor farm and Kykuit, the Rockefeller estate.

What to pack

Light layers for the day and a light jacket for the evening
Shoes with good grip for icy pavements
A packable rain jacket for showers
Comfortable walking shoes

Other times of year

Questions travellers ask

+Is spring a good time to visit New York City?

Yes: April–May are among the best months. Cold snaps give way to blossom in the parks and mild walking weather by May, with frequent showers and rising hotel prices.

+What is the weather like in New York City in spring?

Highs of up to 22°C (72°F) and lows around 2°C (36°F), with about 33 rainy days over the season.