*** Paul Piorek is editor and publisher of Paul's Local Weather Journal for southwestern Connecticut ... Paul is the on-air meteorologist at WICC 600 AM and 107.3 FM ... Paul is a New York Emmy award winner (2007), five-time Emmy nominee, and four-time winner of the Connecticut Associated Press Broadcasters' Association award for Best TV Weathercast (2006, 2008, 2009, 2012) ... Paul was voted Best Local Television Personality by the readers of Fairfield County Weekly Magazine (2012) ... Paul was inducted into the Housatonic Community College Hall of Fame and received the Distinguished Alumni Award (2012) ... The local weather journal is a two-time winner of the Communicator Award of Distinction (2012 & 2013) ... Paul is currently a full-time teacher of Earth Science and Mathematics in Fairfield ... Follow Paul on Twitter @PaulPiorekWICC ...

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Roller Coaster Ride Continues Through the Weekend

What a week! The mercurial roller coaster ride continues with the hottest weather in nearly eight weeks. Today's high temperatures will reach the lower 90s inland and upper 80s along the immediate shoreline after a warm front pushed through the region yesterday. I'm sure you certainly felt the difference last night with the muggy and mild air in place. The low temperature at Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford was a balmy 72 degrees.

The last time the temperature reached 90 degrees at the airport in Lordship was July 20, which marked the end of the historic seven-day heat wave. In fact, the mercury did not climb to at least 90 degrees during the entire month of August. Consider the normal high temperature for this time of the year is 76 degrees. The record high for today is 90 degrees, which was set in 1983.

You may recall the chilly start we had early Monday morning. Temperatures dropped into the 40s across much of the region, and the dew point fell into the mid 40s, allowing for a touch of Autumn. However, the warm front brought a few showers yesterday, and now we are baking in the heat and humidity. It should be short-lived, however, as a cold front approaches from the West later tomorrow. Here's a look at the airport's hourly observations beginning early Tuesday morning.


The last time the temperature reached 90 degrees in September at Sikorsky Airport was September 8, 2010. There are only two later dates on the annual calendar with record highs of 90 degrees or more. They are September 23, 1970 (91 degrees) and September 25, 1957 (91 degrees). Tomorrow's high temperatures will reach the lower 80s under increasing cloudiness as the cold front arrives tomorrow night. That front will bring showers and thunderstorms, some of which may deliver heavy rain and gusty winds.

We'll feel a change of seasons by the start of the weekend as Canadian high pressure builds into the region. Friday features clearing skies, but it will be windy and cooler with a high in the low 70s, just below the normal high for the date. Saturday and Sunday will be mostly sunny, breezy, and much cooler with daytime highs in the 60s to close to 70 degrees and nighttime lows in the upper 40s to lower 50s. Here is the Saturday morning forecast map.


Paul