In July, typical afternoon highs at Empire State Building run around 89°F (hot). Mid-afternoon sun stands about 58° high, and the sun is up from 5:37 AM to 8:25 PM. Expect long stretches in open sun, with shade pockets near structures.
See live sun & real shadows here →| January | 35°F |
| February | 40°F |
| March | 55°F |
| April | 64°F |
| May | 70°F |
| June | 84°F |
| July | 89°F |
| August | 83°F |
| September | 78°F |
| October | 65°F |
| November | 53°F |
| December | 38°F |
Expect long stretches in open sun, with shade pockets near structures. See real building shadows over satellite imagery for any time of day: https://isthereshade.com/?anywhere&at=40.7483,-73.9856
Around 8:25 PM local time in mid-July (it shifts through the year). Sunrise is about 5:37 AM.
Empire State Building · New York, NY. Data: exact sun position; climate normals from historical weather; live forecast on the interactive view.
The reason to go up the Empire State Building is the open-air observation deck, and open-air is the operative word. Up on the deck there is no canopy, no trees, nothing between you and the New York sky. The wind and the height change how the heat feels, but the sun reaches you fully, and the time of day you go decides how much of it you take on.
At street level, New York afternoons hit about 89°F in high summer, and that is genuine heat to reckon with while you wait in line to go up. On the open observation deck the air moves more and can feel cooler than the pavement below, but you are more exposed to direct sun, not less, standing above every surrounding rooftop with a clear sky overhead.
By 3 PM the sun sits about 58 degrees up and comes from the west-southwest. On the deck that translates to a simple pattern: the western and southern sides of the parapet get the full afternoon sun, while the northern and eastern sides fall into the shadow of the building's own structure and spire. If you want to stand comfortably in the mid-afternoon, work around to the shaded side and let the tower shade you.
The deck wraps the building, so you can choose your exposure:
Down at ground level, the streets around the building shade unevenly depending on which way they run and how the afternoon sun falls between the towers. To see how the surrounding blocks throw shadow through the day, the satellite shadow view shows the area from above.
Two windows stand out. Early in the day, soon after opening, the sun is low, the deck is cooler, and the light is soft over the city. Late in the day is the other prize: sunset is around 8:25 PM in July, and the hour before it puts a low, warm sun in the west while the crowds thin and the heat breaks. Sunrise is near 5:37 AM for the truly early risers.
The exposed midday is the least comfortable time to be on the deck, with the high sun and the ground-level 89°F heat feeding the line below. If you go then, keep to the shaded side of the parapet, wear a hat and sunglasses against the glare, and bring water for the wait. In the shoulder seasons the whole thing eases, with May and September afternoons in the low 70s and a deck that is comfortable at any hour. Whenever you visit the Empire State Building, aim for early or for the sunset window, and use the tower's own shadow to pick your side of the deck.