Winter is a fun time to visit New York City. December brings festive holiday decorations and activities. January and February are a magical, winter wonderland.
If you’re planning a winter vacation to NYC, make sure you pack accordingly so you can stay warm and have the best time exploring this fantastic city.
As someone who is always perfecting her packing skills and loved her time in New York in February, you’ll find my packing recommendations below.
Keep reading for the ultimate New York winter packing list, what to wear in NYC in winter, from December through February.
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Winter Weather in New York
Winter temperatures roll into New York City in November and continue on through February and sometimes well into March. It can dip into the low 20s in New York City, but it can also reach the mid 40s even in the middle of winter.
The coldest months are January and February which are also both the snowiest months, though NYC doesn’t get as much snow as places like Chicago in winter. In fact, you might not see any snow if you visit NYC in the winter.
You might catch some light snowfall in NYC if you visit in November or December, but it’s usually more like a sleet and doesn’t stick to the ground for long. You likely won’t get caught in the snow until January, which even then might not happen.
I do recommend packing for snowy conditions as weather is unpredictable if you plan on visiting New York any time from November through February, and pack extra layers for January and February.
Below are the average temperatures in New York City in the winter months, November through March so you can get an idea of how cold it gets and when it’s generally the coldest. In my experience, when I visited in February, it was chilly, but there was no snow.
What to Wear in NYC in Winter
If you’re wondering what to pack for NYC in February, or maybe you’re visiting during the holiday season in December, here’s what you need to wear to stay warm and stylish in the cold as well as other packing essentials to help make your trip the best possible.
Sweaters
Long Sleeve Shirts
Winter Coat
Wool Pants or Jeans
Thermal Set or Fleece Tights
Boots
Comfortable Sneakers
Thick Winter Socks
Gloves
Hat (Beanie)
Scarf
Tank Top/Short Sleeve to Layer
Sweaters
My go-to tops for winter are always sweaters. Knit sweaters, fleece, wool, all of the above. Sweaters come in so many different colors and styles. Find a groovy vibrant pattern sweater to match your personality, or keep it calm with a stylish neutral colored sweater while exploring NYC in the winter.
Shop my recommended sweaters below. Opt for a fun, bright patterned sweater or go for a timeless turtleneck sweater.
Long Sleeve Shirts
In January and February when it’s the coldest in New York City, pack a long sleeve shirt or even a turtleneck long sleeve to wear under your sweater for extra warmth. When it’s really cold out, I love layering a thin shirt under my sweaters to keep me warm all day.
Turtlenecks offer a cute style change to a loose sweater, or pack a v-neck long sleeve to avoid the neckline showing under your sweater if you prefer. Shop my recommendations below.
Winter Coat
A winter coat is a must when visiting NYC in the winter. If you’re traveling here in November or December, you’ll be comfortable in a short coat or a pea coat. But if you tend to run cold or you’re visiting New York in February, opt for a long down winter coat.
Below are some of the best winter coats to wear in New York City; a short puffer coat, long winter coat, and a wool pea coat.
Shop: Winter Down Coat | Short Puffer Coat | Wool Pea Coat
Wool Pants or Jeans
Pants are often the hardest thing to pack when traveling in the winter. Jeans are fine, but they’re not the warmest. To enjoy your winter trip, pack a pair or two of wool pants to stay nice and warm while exploring NYC’s best winter sights and activities.
Shop wool pants below to stay warm and stylish in New York. Or pack your favorite pair of jeans and layer them with thermal pants on really cold days.
Thermal Set or Fleece Tights
If you prefer jeans, they can still be warm enough to wear in New York in winter if you pack a pair of thermal pants or tights to wear underneath your jeans.
You might be warm enough in just jeans if you’re visiting in November or late February, but pack a pair of thermals or tights in case you need them.
Below is my favorite thermal set as well as some warm winter tights. You can also wear tights or thermal pants under a dress for a cute winter outfit. Keep reading for some NYC winter outfits inspiration.
Best Shoes to Wear in NYC in Winter
If you’re wondering what shoes to wear in New York in winter, waterproof boots are the way to go. It’s always possible to run into snow or muddy slush this time of year. Snow boots or other waterproof boots will allow you to stay warm and dry no matter what the weather is like. Plus they’re cute!
Boots
Duck boots (pictured first) make for the best exploring shoes, wear them out and about all over the city. And pack a more stylish pair of ankle boots to dress up for dinner or a Broadway show!
Walking Shoes
You can also wear comfortable sneakers while visiting NYC in the winter. As the city doesn’t get too much snow, there are often times when the ground is perfectly dry for wearing regular shoes.
But make sure they’re super comfortable as you’ll likely be on your feet a lot, hence the “walking” shoes. Shop my go-to travel sneakers here.
Shop: New Balance Sneakers | Adidas Sneakers
Thick Winter Socks
Along with waterproof boots, pack thick socks to keep your feet warm. I recommend merino wool socks, but your average winter socks are fine too. Below are a couple of my go-to socks for winter travel, like a winter trip to New York City!
Don’t let your toes get uncomfortably cold; it can really put a damper on your day out exploring NYC.
Hat, Scarf, and Gloves
What’s a winter trip to New York without these essentials? Don’t forget to pack a scarf, gloves, and a warm hat, or a couple of each to match your outfits.
I recommend bringing a pair of wool or fleece gloves. You likely won’t need waterproof gloves unless you plan on having a snowball fight (which sounds like fun to me).
Shop: Winter Scarf | Knitted Beanie | Fleece Gloves
Tank Top or Short Sleeve to Layer
When traveling or living in colder climates, it’s best to dress in layers. This will keep you warmer as well as make it easier to cool down if you go into a museum or heat up after walking ten thousand steps around NYC.
Start with a tank top or a short sleeve shirt as your base layer. Add a sweater or long sleeve shirt on top, and then top it off with your winter coat. On really cold days, you can layer a long sleeve shirt under your sweater or put on a thinner jacket under your winter coat.
Other Essentials: New York Winter Packing List
Pajamas
Toiletry Bag
Packing Cubes
Sunglasses
Purse
Day Pack
Lip Balm
Lotion
Day Bag
Make exploring NYC easy by bringing a day bag. You can keep your essentials like a water bottle, umbrella, etc. in your bag if you opt for a backpack style, as well as have room for souvenirs or an extra jacket. Or keep it simple with a crossbody purse!
Sunglasses
Even in winter, don’t forget to bring a pair of sunglasses to New York City. If it does happen to be snowy when you visit, the snow can get really reflective so a pair of sunglasses will come in handy. You can also get nice sunny days in the middle of winter.
Lotion and Lip Balm
Winter weather generally dries your skin out very quickly. Pack a travel size bottle of lotion or SPF moisturizer (my go-to!) as well as a trusted lip balm. Don’t let dry skin or cracked lips take away from your NYC fun.
Toiletries
Because you do not want to forget to pack your toiletries, I’m including them with what to pack for NYC in winter. As well as lotion and lip balm, don’t forget necessities like a toothbrush and toothpaste, hairbrush, face wash, makeup and makeup remover, medications, nail clippers, and tweezers.
Pajamas
Don’t forget to pack a cozy pair of pajamas for your trip to New York this winter. If you’re on the lookout for cute, comfortable pjs, take a look at this soft pajama set available in multiple styles.
Packing Cubes
Keep your suitcase organized with a set of compression packing cubes. You’ll save so much space packing bulky winter clothes with them and be able to better organize your clothes with separate packing cubes. I’ve been using mine for years now and will not be going back!
NYC Winter Outfits
Inspire your packing with these NYC winter outfits. From colorful to neutral, these are two great outfit ideas for wearing in New York City in the winter.
You can shop the clothing and items using the pink links below each image.
Shop: Long Sleeve | Beanie Hat | Belt | Winter Coat | Jeans | Boots | Scarf | Purse
What to Pack for NYC in Winter
Now you know what to pack for NYC in winter, you can stay warm and comfortably explore this magical city. Bundle up, there’s so many fun things to do in New York in the cold winter months.
Staying warm is the key to exploring snowy destinations. And this New York winter packing list will help you stay stylish as well!
