Looking Ahead to October

October is my favorite month of the year for a variety of reasons. Naturally, we begin to experience Autumn across southwestern Connecticut, and the pleasant temperatures afford us the opportunity to enjoy the many outdoor activities planned throughout the month. Whether it be a hayride with the family, a visit to a pumpkin patch, or a seat at the local high school football game, October is just about the ideal month to be outside.

Temperatures begin to cool dramatically throughout the month. In fact, the average daily mean temperature at Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford falls from 60 degrees October 1 to 50 degrees by Halloween. The average daily high temperature drops from 69 degrees to 58 degrees, and the overnight low cools from 52 degrees to 42 by the end of the month.

The warmest temperature ever recorded in October in southwestern Connecticut was 89 degrees, which was set October 8 of 2007. That broke the previous mark of 86 degrees set on October 6, 1997. It occurred one day after another record high of 78 degrees was established on October 7, 2007. The mercury also hit 85 degrees on October 10, 1949.

The warmest October on record, not surprisingly, happened four years ago (2007) when the mercury averaged 61.8 degrees, breaking the previous mark of 60.2 degrees in 1971. The coldest Octobers on record were in 1981 and 1988 when the temperature averaged 50.5 degrees. The coldest temperature ever recorded for the month was 26 degrees, set three times, most recently on Halloween of 1988. The other two times were on October 24, 1969, and October 20, 1972.

October’s average rainfall is 3.54 inches. The wettest October ever recorded happened in 1955 when 10.72 inches fell across southwestern Connecticut. On three occasions over four inches of rain fell in one day: October 7, 1972 (4.14″), October 15, 1955 (4.76″), and October 19, 1996 (4.12″). Believe it or not, a half-inch of snow actually fell in these parts on Sunday morning, October 4, 1987. The driest October (0.33″) happened in 1963.

Daylight dramatically decreases this month. This Saturday, October 1, we enjoy 11 hours and 45 minutes of daylight. The Sun rises at 5:49 and sets at 5:34. However, by the middle of the month, October 15, the Sun rises at 6:04 and sets at 5:12. By Halloween, after the return to standard time, we only have 10 hours and 26 minutes of daylight. Sunrise happens at 5:23 while it sets at 4:49 in the afternoon.

We don’t “fall back” to Eastern Standard Time until Sunday morning, November 6, at 2 o’clock. That’s when we set our clocks back one hour and gain one extra hour of sleep. Daylight Saving Time was extended for one month beginning in 2007 as a result of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. So, the Halloween trick-or-treaters will get one extra hour of daylight in the evening.

Paul

Marking the 26th Anniversary of Hurricane Gloria

It has been nearly a month since Tropical Storm Irene delivered heavy rain, damaging winds, and knocked out power for several days for many people across southwestern Connecticut. More than 800,000 customers of United Illuminating and Connecticut Light and Power were without electricity, setting a record in Connecticut. The previous record happned during Hurricane Gloria, which occurred 26 years ago today.

I was a rookie educator at the time, having just secured my first position as a seventh grade teacher at a private school in New Haven. Weather was my passion, naturally, and I was able to share my excitement at the upcoming storm with my students. Just three weeks into the profession, I received a week's vacation unexpectedly.

I was also a weekend newscaster and disc jockey at WMMM radio in Westport. I received a phone call from program director Gary Zenobia just after I returned home from school on Thursday afternoon requesting that I host an overnight newscast to inform our listeners about the impending storm and emergency measures which may have to be taken. WMMM was a daytime-only station, meaning it was on the air during daylight hours and signed off at sunset, but this time it was granted an exception by the Federal Communications Commission.

As my family was applying tape to picture windows, securing lawn furniture, stocking up on non-perishable food, and checking batteries for flashlights and portable radios, I was packing a bag for my overnight stay at the radio station. We had a few reporters "on location" at various shelters throughout town, and then-First Selectman William Seiden joined me on the air most of the night to reassure listeners that their safety was our primary concern.

The overnight hours were anxious moments for all of us as we awaited the arrival of the storm. Local shelters began to fill up quickly, and I remember answering the telephone every couple of minutes from town residents who were sharing their concerns and fears. Gloria struck fast and furiously. The hurricane hit New York and Connecticut as a moderate hurricane early the next day. At the time of landfall on Long Island, Gloria had sustained winds of 85 miles per hour, while rapidly moving forward at 35 miles per hour.

This combination of sustained winds and rapid forward motion produced major hurricane conditions and gusts to 115 mph across a narrow area of Eastern Long Island, New York. Although Gloria was not a major hurricane when it struck Connecticut, it was still the most damaging hurricane to strike the state since Carol in 1954. The rain began overnight, and before long the winds became a serious matter.

As the morning wore on, Gloria continued to accelerate northward off the Eastern seaboard, brushing the coastlines of Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey with hurricane-force gusts. Later that morning, Gloria finally crossed the coast of the United States mainland near western Long Island about 10-miles East of Kennedy International Airport. Passing over central Long Island, Gloria crossed the Connecticut coast near Bridgeport about 40 minutes later with sustained winds of 80 mph. By that time, I was already home, but there was no way I was going to go to sleep.

I recall the eye of the hurricane passing almost directly overhead by midday. That's when the skies cleared, the winds calmed dramatically, and the damage was plainly visible. Downed trees, power lines, and debris scattered just about everywhere greeted us as we stepped outside. Naturally, the power was out, too, and we remained "in the dark" for almost six days. Needless to say, I didn't have to worry about any lesson plans for quite awhile.

There were very few wind reports near the area of landfall in New York and Connecticut due to the complete evacuation of Coast Guard personnel from stations across the region. The strongest official wind gust recorded on Long Island was 84 mph at Islip. In Connecticut, the National Weather Service at Sikorsky Airport in Stratford recorded sustained winds of 74 mph with a gust to 92 mph.

A barometric pressure of 28.37 inches was measured by aircraft when Gloria crossed Long Island. The National Weather Service at Kennedy International Airport recorded a minimum pressure of 28.57 inches, while Sikorsky Airport in Bridgeport, Connecticut, recorded a low pressure of 28.47 inches. This was the lowest barometric pressure recorded in Connecticut and New York since Donna in 1960, 25 years earlier.

Gloria produced weak Category Two hurricane conditions across southwestern Connecticut. The storm continued to lose intensity as it passed over Long Island. Peak wind gusts in south-central and southeastern Connecticut were close to 95 mph as the tropical cyclone swept over the region. The metropolitan New Haven area was hit with wind gusts of 90 mph and heavy rain. There were only a few reports of minimal structural damage in southwestern Connecticut. Tree damage in Connecticut was heavy within 10 to 20 miles of the coast, and along the coast from around Bridgeport to New London.

By late Friday afternoon, the storm was long gone, but the cleanup was just staring. Since the power was out, my family and I headed to nearby Bridgeport to have dinner at a restaurant which was operating on emergency generators. I still think of Gloria whenever I drive past that restaurant. In fact, I still have my framed certificate from Mr. Seiden thanking me for my service to Westport. It was a storm I'll never forget.

Paul

Final Week of Summer Nothing to Write Home About

If you enjoyed the weekend weather, today promises to offer more of the same. It will be mostly sunny and cool with a high temperature in the mid-to-upper 60s. However, showers are expected by lunch tomorrow, and more showers are likely by Thursday and Friday. Daytime highs will reach the mid 70s by the end of the week. As you may know, we are into the last full week of Summer.

The Autumnal Equinox happens Friday morning at 5:05 Eastern Daylight Time. That's when the direct rays of the Sun are above the Equator, technically marking "equal day and equal night" across the face of the globe. As the direct rays of the Sun continue to move South of the Equator, the Southern Hemisphere will be enjoying the start of Spring next week.

However, here in the Northern Hemisphere, the amount of daylight continues to dwindle, and the Sun now sets before 7 o'clock in the evening. Recall that in late June, during the time of the Summer Solstice, the Sun set at 8:30. We've lost over an hour-and-a-half of daylight just in the evening alone over the last three months.



So why does the Equinox happen? The seasons of the year are caused by the 23.5º tilt of the Earth's axis. Because the Earth is rotating like a top, it points in a fixed direction continuously toward a point in space near the North Star. That's why the North Star appears to be the only star which doesn't move in our night sky. However, the Earth is also revolving around the Sun. During half of the year, the Southern Hemisphere is more exposed to the Sun than the Northern Hemisphere. During the rest of the year, the reverse is true.

At noontime in the Northern Hemisphere the Sun appears high in the sky during the Summer and low in the sky during Winter. It is highest at the Summer Solstice in late June and lowest at the Winter Solstice by the end of December. The half-way points in the year are called the Equinoxes. It is the time of the year when the Sun rises exactly in the East, travels through the sky for 12 hours, and sets exactly in the West. The photo below shows visitors at Stonehenge on the Salisbury Plain in England.



However, on the Autumnal Equinox in southwestern Connecticut, the Sun rises at 6:40 a.m. and sets at 6:50 p.m., giving us 12 hours and ten minutes of daylight. That has to do with the angle at which the Sun rises and sets. Actually, "equal day and equal night" occurs for us on September 25th and 26th when we receive just about 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness.

Take advantage of another nice day. Summer is on its way out, and Fall is just four days away. Today may very well be the best day of the week.

Paul

Waning Gibbous Moon & Jupiter to Shine Brightly Tonight

Another clear and chilly night is ahead with morning low temperatures dipping into the low-to-mid 40s across southwestern Connecticut. This morning's low of 48 degrees at Sikorsky Memorial Airport marked the first time the mercury has dropped into the 40s since May 13, a stretch of 126 days.

If you're going to be outside this evening, make sure to take along your sweater and/or jacket. The local high school football season begins this evening with several intriguing matchups. A number of fairs and carnivals are scheduled this weekend, too. You way even want to start a backyard fire, toast marshmallows, and gaze into the heavens.

The two most visible objects in the Eastern sky during the late-evening hours will put on a brilliant showing this evening. Unfortunately, lingering clouds, light showers, and a gusty wind obscured the view of the Moon and Jupiter last night. However, you'll see a waning gibbous Moon near what appears to be a brilliant silvery non-twinkling "star." That, however, is the planet Jupiter.

Jupiter will rise above the Eastern horizon just before 9 o'clock this evening. The Moon, meanwhile, will be located about six degrees to Jupiter's left. Your clenched fist held at arm's length measures roughly 10 degrees. You will be able to get a perfect view tonight. A couple of hours after Jupiter rises, the planet will have climbed higher above the horizon, and it will gleam with a brighter light.

Now is a good time to start examining the famous Galilean satellites, the four largest Moons of Jupiter. They are Europa, Ganymede, Io, and Callisto. Tonight, you should be able to see all four of them. Three will be on one side (Callisto, Ganymede and Io), while Europa will appear on the other.

Whatever you have planned this weekend, the weather will certainly cooperate. It's the last weekend of Summer, but it will look and feel like early Autumn. Saturday will be partly sunny and cool with a high temperature in the mid 60s. Sunday will be partly-to-mostly sunny with a high in the upper 60s. Have a good weekend.

Paul

Autumn Will Arrive a Week Early

Autumn officially arrives one week from tomorrow, Friday, September 23, at 5:05 in the morning. That's when the Autumnal Equinox happens, technically bringing "equal day and equal night" over the face of the Earth. However, Mother Nature is about to change the seasons a week early.

A strong cold front will arrive this afternoon, bringing showers and a possible thunderstorm to southwestern Connecticut. This morning began on a warm and humid note with a temperature of 73 degrees at daybreak. That's just about the normal high for this time of the year. Behind the cold front, though, the mercury will plummet into the 40s by tomorrow morning.

This will mark a stark contrast to what we've experienced this week. In fact, the daily high temperatures from Monday through Wednesday were 81, 83, and 86 degrees, respectively. Yesterday's high temperature broke the record of 85 degrees, which was established in 1995. The morning lows were 74, 75, and 79 degrees, slightly above the normal highs for mid September.

Now, it will look and feel more like Fall starting tonight through the upcoming weekend. Morning low temperatures wall fall 10 to 15 degrees below the 58-degree normal for mid September. I don't think we'll tie or break the record low temperatures for Friday (43 in 1964), Saturday (41 in 1950), or Sunday (42 in 1990), but it will come close.

The local high school football season starts this weekend, and the weather will be just about perfect for the gridders. My alma mater, Fairfield Warde, hosts Brien McMahon tomorrow evening at 7 o'clock at Tetreau Davis Field in the season lidlifter for both squads. Fans would be wise to wear their sweaters and/or jackets to the game.

If you're lamenting the end of the Summer season, don't worry. I'm sure there will be some warm days ahead. We always seem to have a mild stretch in October, and this year should be no exception. For now, though, you'll want to get outside and enjoy the crisp and cool Fall preview this weekend. I know I will.

Paul

Hurricane Donna Video

Today marks the 51st anniversary of the arrival of Hurricane Donna to the Northeast. Here is a video showing the effects of the Hurricane on the Rockaways on Long Island. Read more about Hurricane Donna in the entry below.

Paul

Remembering Hurricane Donna

Today marks the 51st anniversary of the arrival of Hurricane Donna to New England. Donna impacted most of the Caribbean Islands and every single state on the Eastern seaboard. The hurricane recorded 160 mile-an-hour winds with gusts up to 200 miles-an-hour. Hurricane Donna holds the record for retaining ‘major hurricane’ status of Category 3 or better in the Atlantic basin for the longest period of time. In fact, it was so strong that the name "Donna" has been retired.

This storm is the only one on record to produce hurricane-force winds in Florida, the mid-Atlantic States, and New England. Donna hit New England in southeastern Connecticut with sustained winds of 100 miles-an-hour, gusting to 125 to 130 miles-an-hour. It eventually moved diagonally through New England into Maine. The hurricane produced pockets of four-to-eight inches of rain as well as five to ten-foot storm surges. The storm ultimately killed 364 people and caused over  $500 million in damage. 

Donna crossed the Florida Peninsula on September 11. Despite its path over land, the storm remained intense and reorganized when it moved back into the Atlantic Ocean. It struck eastern North Carolina and parts of South Carolina as a Category 3 storm. After reaching the ocean a third time, Hurricane Donna accelerated, crossing Long Island and then the New England region on late September 12 and early September 13 as a Category 3 hurricane on Long Island. Take a look at the front page of the Naugatuck Daily News from the previous day, September 12, 1960.

  

Storm surge values reached 11 feet in New York Harbor, which destroyed many piers. A resort area in Cliffwood Beach, New Jersey, saw its boardwalk and tourist attractions destroyed by the hurricane, and the area never recovered. Blue Hill Observatory in Massachusetts reported gusts to over 145 mph. The strong southwest winds associated with Donna at Chatham led to a significant deposit of salt spray, which whitewashed southwest-facing windows. Many trees and shrubs saw their leaves brown due to the salt.

From the time it became a tropical depression to when it dissipated after becoming an extratropical storm, Donna roamed the Atlantic from August 29 to September 14, a total of 17 days. Donna briefly achieved Category 5 strength while crossing the Atlantic. The highest sustained winds measured for Hurricane Donna were 160 miles-an-hour, and the lowest measured pressure was 930mb. At the time Donna struck North Carolina, its eye was unusually large, ranging from 50 to 80 miles in diameter.

Paul

"It's Not Nice to Fool Mother Nature"

"It's not nice to fool Mother Nature."

You may remember that famous line from the Parkay margarine television commercial many years ago. Mother Nature was fooled into believing that Parkay was real butter. Once she realized she was duped, Mother Nature raised her arms, caused a loud rumble of thunder, then announced, "It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature."

Well, many years later, scientists from Geneva University at Switzerland may be doing just that. The researchers can make rain by shooting lasers high up into the sky. They successfully demonstrated the technique in field tests after setting up a mobile laser laboratory near Lake Geneva. The team fired lasers for 133 hours, during which time the pulses created nitric acid particles in the air.

The particles ‘stuck’ to water molecules which turned to droplets. The larger size droplets were not able to re-evaporate and within seconds, but grew to drops a few thousandths of a millimeter in diameter. According to the researchers, the droplets were too small to fall as rain, but the demonstration proved that the technology has a real advantage.

Jérôme Kasparian, a physicist at the University of Geneva, wrote, “We have not yet generated raindrops. They are too small and too light to fall as rain. To get rain, we will need particles a hundred times the size, so they are heavy enough to fall.” Still, the long-term ramifications of such a discovery are huge. For the first time, we may be able to determine where and when rain falls. With the help of this technology, many problems like drought and starvation can be solved. 

While ‘cloud seeding’ has existed for some time, it is not considered a safe way of creating rain clouds because it involves filling the air with small particles of dry ice and silver iodide, meaning that along with raindrops falling from the sky, so would chemicals that have far-reaching implications on the environment. But the new laser method is different. It uses natural humidity levels and atmospheric conditions to create water droplets.

Further, the method actually has the potential to stop storms. Instead of creating rain, the lasers could create so many tiny droplets in the air that none of them will grow large enough to fall. “Maybe one day this could be a way to attenuate the monsoon or reduce flooding in certain areas,” Kasparian said. Think of how valuable that would be, especially after the massive regional flooding from Tropical Storm Irene and the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee.

 

Who knows? Maybe years from now we won't have to worry about Summertime droughts or even flooding from heavy rains. The photo above was taken in East Norwalk during Tropical Storm Irene. Fortunately, we won't need any artificial methods to keep us dry this weekend. We can expect partly to mostly sunny skies with daytime highs in the upper 70s tomorrow and lower 70s Sunday. There is a slight chance of a shower Sunday, but we won't need to worry about shooting it down with a laser beam.

Have a good weekend. 

Paul

"And Rain Fell on the Earth for 40 Days and 40 Nights"

"And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights." You may be familiar with the King James bible version of the book of Genesis, chapter seven, verse 12. That verse may very well apply to our weather across southwestern Connecticut since August 1. Over the last 40 days, we have received more than a foot of rain. Although it hasn't rained every single day, the weather pattern has been extremely wet.

Heavy downpours happened last night and early this morning, creating dangerous conditions on area roadways. Heavy showers and a possible thunderstorm will continue through midday before tapering this afternoon. However, local rivers and streams are swollen, and flooding of low-lying areas can be expected. A Flood Watch has been issued for Northern Fairfield County through this afternoon.

Nearly a half-inch (0.41") of rain fell yesterday, bringing the two-day total to 2.75 inches. Consider the normal rainfall for the first week of September is 0.80 inches. Cumulatively, since August 1, we've had 12.32 inches of rain, including the delgue from Tropical Storm Irene, and the heavy rain from the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee. There have been 14 days with measured rain since the first of August, including five days with more than one inch. Here is a photo taken yesterday of the Mianus River in Stamford.

 

There have been three days with more than two inches of rain. They include August 14 (2.75"), August 28 (2.50"), and September 6 (2.34"). There were heavy rains on back-to-back days four times, including August 6 and 7 (1.26"), August 14 and 15 (3.17"), August 14 and 15 (3.17), and September 6 and 7 (2.75"). Today's rain will bring the three-day total to nearly three-and-a-half inches, which is the normal rainfall for the entire month.

Fortunately, our weather picture will gradually improve over the next couple of days. Tomorrow will become partly sunny, warmer, and more humid with a slight chance of a shower or thunderstorm and a high near 80 degrees. There may be an early shower or two Saturday, but the day will feature a mix of sun and clouds with a high in the middle 70s. Sunday will be partly sunny with a high in the 70s.

"And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights." Tomorrow marks 40 days since August 1. It's about time our weather pattern changed.

Paul

100 Captured Moments of Hurricane Irene

Ralph Fato created the following video of Hurricane Irene. He wrote, "Just wanted to share a video I made from pictures of all different locations." This is outstanding. Thanks, Ralph.

Taking a Look at August by the Numbers

Tropical Storm Irene was the top weather story in southwestern Connecticut last month and that, not surprisingly, helped make August much wetter and warmer than normal. In fact, more than nine-and-a-half inches of rain fell during the month, which was nearly a half-foot above normal.

There were 12 days with measured rain last month, including 2.75" August 14 and 2.50" August 28, during Tropical Storm Irene. More than two inches of rain (2.17") fell over a two-day period on August 14 and 15, and the two-day total of 3.35" from August 27 and 28 capped four successive days of measured rain.

The average daily temperature in August was 74.8 degrees, one-and-a-half degrees above normal. The hottest temperature recorded last month was 92 degrees on August 2. The mercury also reached 90 degrees August 8. All but 11 days last month featured an average temperature at or above normal.

Tropical Storm Irene dropped the barometric pressure to 28.57" the morning of August 28. The peak wind gust was 63 miles an hour at daybreak last Sunday at Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford. Three-to-nine inches of rain fell across much of the region during the storm. Linda of Norwalk sent this photo during the tropical storm.

The holiday weekend won't be a washout, but it won't be perfect, either. We'll see partly sunny skies with increasing humidity tomorrow. There is a slight chance of an isolated shower tomorrow afternoon. Sunday will be partly sunny and warm with a shower or thunderstorm with a high in the lower 80s. The best chance of showers and thunderstorms is Monday with a high near 80.

Have a great holiday weekend.

Paul

September Weather Preview

Where did the Summer go? It's hard to believe that Labor Day weekend --- the unofficial end of Summer --- is just about here, and most of us will be back to our regular routines of work and school. The holiday weekend won't be ideal, but it shouldn't be a complete washout, either. Saturday and Sunday will bring a threat of a shower or thunderstorm, and Monday, Labor Day, will be cloudy with periods of rain.

So what can we expect in September? Obviously, the changing of the seasons is the main story this month, but the loss of daylight continues to be a prominent feature through the end of the month. We'll enjoy over 13 hours of sunlight today with sunrise at 6:19 this morning and sunset at 7:26 this evening.

However, by the middle of the month, we will have lost nearly another half-hour of daylight. By the last day of the month, over a week after the Autumnal Equinox, the sunrise happens at 6:48 and the sunset is at 6:36. We'll have less than 12 hours of daylight by September 30.

As far as temperatures are concerned, the numbers will continue to decline through the end of the month. The average high and low temperatures for today are 78 and 62 degrees, respectively. By the middle of the month, the averages drop to 74 and 58, and by the end of September, the average high and low are 69 and 52 degrees, respectively.

The hottest temperature ever recorded in September in southwestern Connecticut was 99 degrees on September 2, 1953. The coolest reading ever recorded was 36 degrees, which happened three times --- September 21, 1956, September 24, 1963, and September 28, 1957. The warmest September on record happened in 1961 when the average temperature was 70.4 degrees. The coldest September occurred in 1963 with an average of 61.5 degrees.

September can be a fairly wet month. The average rainfall based on 40 years of climatology is 3.58 inches. The wettest September ever happened in 1960 when over a half-foot (7.42") of rain fell, while the driest September took place one year earlier in 1959 with only 0.43 inches recorded. There has never been any snow recorded in September.

The Autumnal Equinox takes place Friday, September 23, at 5:05 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time, technically bringing "equal day and equal night" over the face of the Earth. The Autumnal Equinox officially signals the end of Summer and the beginning of Autumn. The Equinox is the point where nights reach the same length as days. As Autumn wears on, the Sun will continue to sink lower and lower in the sky until the Winter Solstice in about three months' time.

The Full Harvest Moon takes place on Monday, September 12, at 5:27 a.m. This is the Full Moon closest to the Autumnal Equinox. Corn, pumpkins, squash, beans, and wild rice-- the chief Indian staples--are now ready for gathering.

Enjoy the month of September.

Paul