Four Seasons Of New York

New York City is situated in the northeastern region of the US, halfway between Boston and Washington D.C. Since it is located at the opening of the Hudson River, New York has gained ground as a good harbor, enabling it to grow as a center of commerce in the region.

Three islands make up a good portion of New York - Staten Island, Manhattan and Long Island. Land is scarce in the area, encouraging a very high population density.

The land in the area has been considerably altered with land reclamation as well as waterfronts introduced by the Dutch.

Land area of New York City is placed at 304.8 sq mi, of which 159.88 sq mi is water and the rest is comprised of land. The Todt Hill located on Staten Island is considered the highest peak in the area, rising 409.8 ft above sea level.

The Big Apple experiences the four seasons. It is hot and humid from June to September, cool and dry from September to December, cold from December to March, and wet from March to June.

Winter temperatures can be as low as 10°F in the winter, and as high as 100°F during the summer season.

It is not unusual for the city to experience a sunny afternoon in January to be followed by a snowy morning the next day. The area is also prone to snowstorms and hurricanes. Compared to other cities in the region, New York is hotter than Cleveland and Chicago.

The use of mass transit in the area is the highest in the country. It also consumes a lot of gasoline. With its population density, high transit utility coupled with low consumption of automobile, New York is among the more efficient cities in terms of energy consumption. Its greenhouse gas emission is lower compared to the national average. While residents of the area comprise only about 3 percent of the population in the US, they however are responsible for a percentage of total gas emissions in the country. A typical New Yorker makes use of less than half of the electricity consumed by an individual from Dallas.

Recently, the city has been trying to reduce its environmental impact. For one the city government of New York is requiring its residents to buy only energy efficient devices in their offices and houses. The city also boasts of the biggest compressed natural gas and diesel-hybrid bus fleet in the US.

The Catskill Mountains watershed, a protected area, supplies drinking water to New York City. Since the watershed boasts of undisturbed filtration process for natural water, residents of New York can enjoy water that is pure enough not to go through purification from water treatment plants.