Historic October Nor'easter Not Soon to be Forgotten

This was one for the record books. An unusual early Autumn Nor'easter delivered record-breaking October snow and massive power outages across Connecticut over the weekend. By the time the storm pulled away, over a foot of snow fell across much of Northern Fairfield County, and four inches blanketed Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford, making Saturday the snowiest October day on record.

Many trees and tree branches came crashing down due to the weight of the heavy, wet snow, the leaves still on the trees, and the gusty winds. As of early this morning, there were more than 760,000 customers of Connecticut Light and Power still in the dark, and 9,000 United Illuminating customers were without power. As a result, many school systems are closed or have delayed openings today.

The snow totals were unbelievable for October. Danbury reported 17 inches of snow, while Ridgefield (15.5") and Shelton (12.8") received over a foot. Locally, Wilton (10.8"), New Canaan (6.0"), Norwalk (5.5"), and Bridgeport (4.0") also had record-breaking snow. Viewer Ralph Fato of Norwalk sent this photo of the Route 7 connector Saturday afternoon.

The normal average monthly snowfall for October in southwestern Connecticut is just a trace. Prior to this weekend, the only measured snow in October fell on Sunday, October 4, 1987, when a half-inch coated the region. That's what makes this latest snowstorm historic. Take a look at this photo of an ice- and snow-covered lake along Route 7 Sunday afternoon.

In the wake of the storm, skies cleared, the wind abated, and the temperature dropped like a rock last night. The mercury fell into the 20s inland and lower 30s along the shoreline early this morning, causing icy roads and cold homes for those without power this morning. Take a look at this picture of a downed tree and snow-covered Route 7 in Danbury. Is this really October?

Fortunately, our weather should be quiet for much of the week ahead. Halloween will be fine for the trick-or-treaters under partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the 40s to close to 50 degrees. Tonight will become mostly cloudy with a chance of a shower or two late and a low in the 30s to close to 40 degrees along the coast. At least we won't have to look at any more photos of snow and a fallen tree over the railroad tracks in the near future.

Have a happy and safe Halloween.

Paul

Satellite/Radar of Historic October Nor'easter

First Winter Storm of the Season Arrives This Weekend

A Winter Storm Watch has been issued for Northern Fairfield and New Haven counties from Saturday afternoon through late Saturday night. A major storm system will bring rain, snow, and wind to the region beginning Saturday morning, and up to three-to-six inches of snow may fall inland by the time the storm departs.

The unusual early-season storm will also deliver strong, gusty winds late tomorrow and Saturday night. The wind and heavy wet snow will combine with the leaves still on the trees to possibly cause power outages throughout the state. High temperatures will fall from 40 degrees early tomorrow into the 30s by the afternoon. The normal high temperature for this time of the year is 59 degrees!

The coldest air of the season arrived this morning with daybreak temperatures falling into the lower 30s across southwestern Connecticut. The mercury dropped to 34 degrees at Sikorsky Memorial Airport, well below the normal low of 43 degrees. However, it was slightly above the record low of 30 degrees set in 1976. Prior to today, the coldest temperature this month was 44 degrees on October 6, 7, and 24.

Viewer Ralph Fato sent this photo of a beautiful sunrise this morning along the southwestern Connecticut shoreline.

A trace of snow is the normal monthly average for our region based on 40 years of records. According to my weather record book, the only measured snow in October at Sikorsky Memorial Airport happened on Sunday morning, October 4, 1987, when a half-inch was recorded. I was working at the Western Connecticut State University weathercenter in Danbury at the time. It was an unusual sight for early October, to be sure.

Nor'easters are not uncommon in October, but measured snow is certainly a rarity. You may recall the storm of October 19, 1996, which brought damaging winds and heavy rain. More than four inches (4.12") of rain fell that day, and many people experienced flooding. The wettest day on record this month happened on October 15, 1955, when 4.76" of rain fell.

The storm will be gone by Sunday, but cooler-than-normal temperatures will be with us through the start of next week. Sunday will become mostly sunny, breezy, and chilly with a high in the upper 40s. Halloween will be mostly sunny and dry with a high in the mid-to-upper 40s. That will be a real "treat" from Mother Nature, considering she's giving us quite a "trick" tomorrow.

Paul

Orionid Meteor Showers to Peak Under Clear Skies Tonight

A crisp October weekend is ahead under mostly sunny skies with daytime temperatures close to 60 degrees and nighttime lows dropping into the 40s. The storm system which brought the rain and wind earlier this week has moved away, and high pressure will control our weather through Sunday. One of our viewers sent this photo of a beautiful pumpkin.

The weather should be just about perfect for pumpkin picking, taking a hay ride, watching a high school football game, or viewing the Orionid meteor showers. In fact, this year's Orionids show is scheduled to reach its maximum viewing just before sunrise tomorrow morning. The meteors are known as "Orionids" because the fireballs seem to fan out from a region to the north of Orion's second brightest star, Betelgeuse.

Currently, the constellation Orion appears ahead of the Earth in our annual journey around the Sun. The constellation does not completely rise above the Eastern horizon until after 11 p.m. local daylight time. At its best, several hours later around 5 a.m., Orion will be highest in the sky toward the South.

The Orionids are bits of debris shed long ago by Halley's Comet which the Earth intersects during its annual orbit around the Sun. The comet last came through the Solar System in 1985-86, and its nucleus shed a layer of dirty ice about six meters thick on average. During that time the dirt bits have spread all around Halley's orbit, which is why some of the particles now intersect the Earth even though the comet's orbit does not.

The Orionids typically produce around 20 to 25 meteors per hour under a clear, dark sky. Orionid meteors are normally dim and not well seen from urban locations, so you'd do best to find a safe rural location to see the most Orionid activity. After peaking tomorrow morning, activity will begin to slowly descend, dropping back to around five per hour by October 26. The last stragglers usually appear sometime in early to mid- November.

Across southwestern Connecticut, the meteor shower rises high in the Eastern sky, at least 45 degrees high, by 2 a.m. That's when the meteor activity begins to reach its peak. If you plan on watching the Orionids, find a dark spot with an open view of the sky. Sky and Telescope Magazine encourages viewers to "Arrange the chair so that any bright lights are behind you out of sight, bundle up, lie back, and watch the stars. Be patient."

Our weather should be just about perfect to see the Orionids tonight. We can expect clear skies and a waning crescent Moon late tonight. However, it will be quite chilly with low temperatures dropping into the 40s along the shoreline and possibly the upper 30s well inland. Make sure you dress warmly. I'll be outside watching the meteor showers, too.

Paul

Colorful Viewers' Autumn Weather Photos

Several of our viewers sent photos to me this week illustrating the splendor of Autumn and our local weather. Ralph Fato, who is a regular contributor to our News 12 Connecticut Facebook page, wrote, "(What an) amazing sunrise this morning. I took this with my camera phone while walking my dog. I’m sure there was a better view at the beach. Wow. Red sky at night, sailor's delight. Red sky in morning, sailor's warning.” Thanks, Ralph.

Hillka Schulz of Stamford carries her camera just about everywhere. She wrote, "Here are two pictures from our beautiful state in Autumn. The first one was taken in New Canaan, and the pumpkins are in Stamford. Happy Fall Season to all of you!"

Randy Brody took this photo of "a brilliant, but windy day at Compo Beach, Westport," last Sunday. Just look at that sky!

Jennifer James of Norwalk wrote, "Maybe you can use one of these on your weather forecast so that we can see some sunshine on the rainy days ahead. I took them at a small private beach in Norwalk."

Special thanks to all who sent their photos to us. I sincerely appreciate it. Keep 'em coming.

Paul

Mid October Weather Can Be Fickle

Strong thunderstorms pushed through southwestern Connecticut last night, producing heavy rain and some localized flooding on area roads. Now, a warm and humid air mass will set the stage for more showers and a potentially strong thunderstorms this afternoon with high temperatures in the lower 70s. The mercury climbed to 68 degrees before daybreak, which is five degrees above the normal high for the date.

This is the time of the year when almost any kind of weather is possible. In fact, the record high temperature for today is 80 degrees, which was established in 1990. Just three years later, a record low of 32 was recorded at Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford. That's nearly a 50-degree range.

You may recall that a Northeast wind brought unseasonably cold temperatures to southwestern Connecticut two years ago tomorrow, turning a cold rain into snow from Redding to Wilton and eventually to Stratford and Westport. The high temperature of 44 degrees was recorded just after midnight that morning, and the mercury kept falling through the 30s during the afternoon. A coating of snow blanketed West Redding.



Consider the normal high temperature for this time of the year is 63 degrees, and you'll quickly get an idea of how unusually cold it was. In fact, by late afternoon on October 15, 2009, it looked and felt more like mid December rather than mid October. The normal high temperature for December 15 is 41 degrees, which is where the mercury was two years ago. That's five degrees colder than the normal low of 46! However, October snow is not all that unusual, believe it or not.

The earliest measured snow across southwestern Connecticut fell on Sunday morning, October 4, 1987, when a half-inch of snow was recorded at Sikorsky Memorial Airport. There have been 13 dates this month on which a trace of snow fell, including October 29, 2008. The average snowfall for the month, based on 40 years of averages, is a trace, so the wet snow on October 15, 2009, was certainly not all that unusual.

Our weather will turn the page to blustery and more seasonable conditions this weekend. Tomorrow will be partly sunny and quite windy with a high in the low-to-mid 60s. Sunday will feature a mix of sun and clouds with highs in the 60s. A quick shower is possible Monday before more rain moves in by the middle of next week.

Have a good weekend.

Paul

Whatever Happened to the Asian Lady Beetle Bug?

The recent stretch of unseasonably mild weather through Columbus Day helped push the average monthly temperature to 60.8 degrees, which is nearly three degrees above normal for October. In fact, Monday's high of 85 degrees tied the record for the date. Although I welcomed the warmer weather, I began to worry about the annual infestation of an unwelcome house guest.

About a week ago I started checking the windows and doors outside my home for signs of the Asian lady beetle. You may recall that two years ago, there was an infestation of these "stink bugs." Hundreds and even thousands of these harmless creatures were invading homes and businesses in October, 2009. However, last year I didn't see any.

It was exactly two years ago that I wrote about the invasion of the lady beetle. The onset of warmer air in mid-October usually signals the return of the ladybugs, lured out of forests by the warm daytime sun and driven indoors with the evening chill. It happens every year just about this time, and it’s not that unusual, according to Eric Day, manager of the Insect Identification Lab at Virginia Tech. “You get these warm days (in) October, and they get active,” he said. “If you have a house that’s infested, you can literally find thousands and thousands inside.”

Two years ago, after I saw many of them inside my home, I decided to examine the windows more closely. It didn’t take long to figure out how the ladybugs were getting between the screen and window. The insulation at the top of the screens was all but destroyed, and the little creatures were flying inside. I needed to take action by securing the window and door frames with strong tape. I did the same thing each of the past two years, just in case.

Day said the type of ladybug that causes the ruckus is known as the Asian lady beetle, an invasive species present in the Eastern United States for about 15 years. How the bugs got here is unclear, but the best guess, he opined, is that they hitched a ride on cargo ships or escaped from the United States Department of Agriculture experimental fields, a charge the agency denies.

As if the mere presence of tens of thousands of bugs in your living room isn’t enough, they emit a gut-churning musky odor that lingers after they die, and they die quickly in dry, indoor air. They also leave yellowish stains on everything, caused by a defense mechanism called “reflex bleeding.” The ladybugs aren’t particularly harmful, and in most cases, the bugs will just retreat or die without any treatment.

If the lady bugs haven't appeared by now, I think we're going to be okay. Much more seasonable temperarures are expected this weekend and next week after a cold front moves through the region tomorrow. Daytime temperatures may not escape the 50s by the end of next week. Let's hope we don't see the lady bugs this year.

Paul